LUBBOCK, Texas - Tarleton State Baseball (11-14) is headed West to face off against Texas Tech (7-13) at Rip Griffin Park at 2 p.m. This will be Tarleton State's fifth Power Four opponent of the season before they start conference play this weekend.

OPPONENT SCOUTING REPORT:

• The Red Raiders hold a .285 batting average and a .374 on-base percentage.
• Robin Villeneuve leads the team with a .394 batting average on 28 hits.
• Texas Tech has six players with 20 or more hits through 20 games.
• The Red Raiders started conference play last week against TCU, dropping the series 1-2.
• TTU is 5-5 over their last 10 games.
• They post a 6.35 overall ERA and a .277 batting average against them.

TEAM COMPARISON:

• The Texans have 48 doubles compared to Texas Tech's 39.
• Tarleton State is on a two-game win streak while Tech is on a one-game losing streak.
• The Texans have registered 377 total bases opposed to TTU's 335.
• Texas Tech's bullpen has struck out 157 batters, the Texans have struck out 50.
• Both teams have over a .450 slugging percentage.

HEINRICH WINS WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

• Rayner Heinrich was recognized as the conference player of the week on March 24.
• He became the first freshman in program history to win a conference weekly award.
• Through four games last week, Heinrich tallied 11 hits, five RBIs, three doubles, three runs and two steals.
• Heinrich registered multiple hits in all four games.
• Heinrich was responsible for five of Tarleton's team-high 17 hits on Saturday against SFA.
• Heinrich is the second player on the team to win a WAC weekly award (Slade McCloud).

MCCLOUD STAYS HOT:

• Slade McCloud tallied seven hits on 12 at bats over the weekend.
• This vaulted him to the top of the team leaderboard. He currently leads the Texans with a .389 batting average.
• McCloud and Trace Morrison both have 10 steals on the year, a team high.
• In Tarleton State's weekend series against SFA, McCloud notched multiple hits in all three games of the series.
• The senior ranks second on the team with nine doubles.
• McCloud has 19 RBIs on the season, ranking third among the Texans.

FIENE GETS THE NOD FOR TUESDAY:

• Peyton Fiene will receive his first start of the season against the Red Raiders on Tuesday afternoon.
• This will be Fiene's third game against a Big 12 opponent this season.
• The freshman has 10 strikeouts through 8.0 innings of work.
• Fiene was awarded first all-team state honors in 2024 at McKinney North HS as well as first team all-district honors.
• In 2024, Fiene was named district pitcher of the year and was selected to the Texas All-State Elite Team.
• The freshman has registered a season-high of two strikeouts three times this season.

TYSON DRAKE GETS BACK IN HIS FLOW:

• Tyson Drake tallied a hit in all four games last week, including a multiple-hit performance on Sunday against SFA.
• Over four games, Drake recorded five hits and five runs, helping the Texans clinch the series against SFA.
• Drake leads the team in home runs (six), RBIs (24) and runs (28).
• The junior posts a .302 batting average and is one of four Texans to hold a .300 average or better (Heinrich, Perez, McCloud).

NEXT UP:

• Following their matchup against Texas Tech, Tarleton State will open up WAC play against Sacramento State this weekend at the Tarleton State Baseball Complex. Get tickets here.