Probable Pitching Matchup
ASU: Matt Rechkemmer, Sr., LHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
TTU: Brannon Easterling, So., LHP (0-0, 4.76 ERA, 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)
 
SAN ANGELO, Texas – No. 9 Angelo State and Texas Tech will meet on the baseball field for the first time since the 2005 season at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park in Lubbock.
 
The Rams (23-9, 7-5 LSC) are coming off a four-game split against West Texas A&M last weekend, while the Red Raiders (16-13, 2-7 Big 12) lost two out of three in their series against Kansas. ASU is 0-1 against TTU all-time, with Tech taking the April 6, 2005 game by a final of 11-6 in Lubbock during the Rams' inaugural season.  
 
“We want to use this game to get better,” ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. “It's a great opportunity for our team. We like our chances against them and will be going out to win just like every other game."
 
Texas Tech is 13-4 at its newly renovated field, while the Rams are 8-5 in away games this season and 16-4 in non-conference games. Tuesday's game is the first time since 2005 ASU has played a Division I team. The Rams are 1-3 all-time against DI schools with an 8-5 win coming over Texas-San Antonio on April 5, 2005.    
 
 
Team Breakdowns

ANGELO STATE RAMS (23-9, 7-5 LSC)
 
The ninth-ranked Rams are led by Kevin Brooks who is in his eighth season and has guided the program to 288 wins coming into  Tuesday's game in Lubbock.
 
ASU is coming off a 2-2 split against West Texas A&M and are currently in third place in the LSC standings behind WT and Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Rams are hitting .302 as a team (seven players over .300) and have a pitching staff earned run average of 3.54 through 32 games. ASU has shown speed with 58 stolen bases and power with 19 home runs and 13 triples. The Rams, who are outscoring opponents 201-123 this season, have scored in double-digits five times – most recently Sunday's 13-7 win over WT.
 
“I think we have been more inconsistent than we would like to see, but we are a team that never gives up or stops believing that we can win a game,” Brooks said. “We have responded all season with our backs to a corner. I want us to start playing better to start the game.”
 
Matt Rechkemmer (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will be making his second start and third appearance of the season when he takes the mound against Texas Tech on Tuesday. The left-handed Lubbock native has not started a game since striking out four and allowing only one hit in 5.0 innings in a win over Ouachita Baptist on Feb. 5. A graduate of Lubbock Christian High School, Rechkemmer has a 4-2 career record with 18 strikeouts and will be making his seventh career start.  
 
Toby Semler, who had a career-high four hits in the series finale on Sunday, leads the team with a .350 batting average through his first 120 at-bats this season. Semler leads the Rams with 42 hits – including 32 singles, eight doubles, a triple and a home run. Andrew LaCombe hit .462 with six hits against WT last weekend and his raised his season average to .344 and increased his runs batted in total to 20. The junior catcher has six doubles, including an RBI double on Sunday off the center field wall to score the game's first run. Brett David (.343), Quaid McKinnon (.342), Lee Neumann (.342), Ryan Greer (.336) and Doug Snover (.305) represent the five remaining Rams over the .300 line. Brett Parsons, who had four hits last weekend, is at .299 through 77 at-bats.
 
Neumann leads the Rams with 10 doubles, five triples and is tied with Tate Allison and Greer with three home runs for the team's lead. Greer, who was moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup for the last three games against WT, leads the team with 26 RBI and 17 stolen bases (also leads the LSC in steals). Senior short stop Zach Cohen is coming off his best game of the season with a career-high four RBI against WT on Sunday.
 
 
Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-13, 2-7 Big 12)
 
The Red Raiders are led by Dan Spencer who has recorded 102 win in his four years as the team's head coach. Tech, which is 16-6 outside of conference play, is hitting .303 as a team and maintains a pitching staff ERA of 3.39 through 29 games this season.
 
Jamodrick McGruder leads six Red Raider hitters who are hitting over .300 with his .355 average after 93 at-bats coming into Tuesday. The junior outfielder, who graduated from Lubbock Coronado High School, leads Tech with 31 runs scored, 28 walks and five triples. Bo Altobelli (.346), Barrett Barnes (.333), Scott LeJeune (.324) and Reid Redman (.307) represent the other five batters over the .300 line. Barnes, a junior from Sugar Land, leads the team with six home runs and 27 RBI. Bryant Burleson (.278) tops the lineup with 10 doubles in his freshman season out of Midland Christian. Altobelli, a junior from Plano, leads the team with 37 hits, while LeJeune has nine doubles and 24 RBI for the Red Raiders in his junior season out of Round Rock McNeil High School.

Brannon Easterling, a sophomore right-handed pitcher from College Station, will start for Texas Tech on the mound. Easterling transferred from Temple College and has a 4.76 ERA through his first 5.2 innings of work this season. He will be making his third start for the Red Raiders.
 
Media
The game can be heard on 1260 KKSA and on our simulcast at AngeloSports.com. Follow updates at www.twitter.com/AngeloSports.