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Texas Tech Baseball: Breaking Down The Lubbock Regional

By Matthew Conner

BREWSTER, MA - AUGUST 11: Zac Susi of the Bourne Braves warms up in the on deck circle during game one of the Cape Cod League Championship Series against the Brewster Whitecaps at Stony Brook Field on August 11, 2017 in Brewster, Massachusetts. The Cape Cod League was founded in 1885 and is the premier summer baseball league for college athletes. Over 1100 of these student athletes have gone on to compete in MLB including Chris Sale, Carlton Fisk, Joe Girardi, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek. The chance to see future big league stars up close makes Cape Cod League games a popular activity for the families in each of the 10 towns on the Cape to host a team. Each team is a non-profit organization, relying on labor from volunteers and donations from spectators to run each year. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BREWSTER, MA - AUGUST 11: Zac Susi of the Bourne Braves warms up in the on deck circle during game one of the Cape Cod League Championship Series against the Brewster Whitecaps at Stony Brook Field on August 11, 2017 in Brewster, Massachusetts. The Cape Cod League was founded in 1885 and is the premier summer baseball league for college athletes. Over 1100 of these student athletes have gone on to compete in MLB including Chris Sale, Carlton Fisk, Joe Girardi, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek. The chance to see future big league stars up close makes Cape Cod League games a popular activity for the families in each of the 10 towns on the Cape to host a team. Each team is a non-profit organization, relying on labor from volunteers and donations from spectators to run each year. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 17: The Kent State Golden Flashes mascot performs against the UCLA Bruins during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 17: The Kent State Golden Flashes mascot performs against the UCLA Bruins during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

 Kent State Golden Flashes 39-16 Overall; 19-8 Mid American Conference

The Texas Tech baseball program has never faced off with the Kent State Golden Flashes.  Like Louisville, Kent State is a team playing well winning 11 of its last 14 games.

A balanced team, the Flashes led their conference in both hitting and pitching.  As a team they hit .290 on the season with 37 homers.

A trio of seniors lead the Kent State offensive attack. Senior outfielder Nick Kanavas is one of four hitters with a .300 or better batting average.  The Wisconsin native has hit a robust .356 while driving in 34.  Fellow outfielder Mason Mamarella has hit .322 and driven in 42 runs while infielder/catcher Tim DalPorto leads the team with 46 RBI and has the second-most homers with seven.

On the mound, junior righty Joey Murray is the team’s ace posting a 9-1 mark and a 1.71 ERA with 139 strikeouts in 15 starts.  KSU’s other two primary starters, Jared Skolnicki and Eli Kraus have ERAs of 3.32 and 4.06 respectively.  As a team, the Flashes have posted a 3.56 ERA.

Texas Tech and KSU have one common opponent, Arkansas, which took two of three games from the Flashes in early March.  KSU also opened the season with a team familiar to Texas Tech baseball fans.  Sam Houston, which knocked Texas Tech out of the NCAA Tournament last season took a three-game series from KSU by winning the final two games at home in February.

KSU also dropped three-game series to Ball State, Ohio and Miami (OH) proving they have been a team that has failed to play up its full potential at times this season.  One stat to keep in mind is the KSU 25-11 record in games played away from home or at a neutral sight which suggests that playing in Lubbock likely will not phase this experienced team.

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