Tuesday, March 31
Lubbock, Texas
6:30 p.m.
Abilene Christian
at
Texas Tech
Photo by: Kaylee Kahn
Wildcats Close Out Road Trip Versus Red Raiders in Final Nonconference Tuneup
3/30/2026 10:01:00 PM | Baseball
LUBBOCK, Texas - Abilene Christian baseball wraps up its eight-game road trip versus Texas Tech at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. It's the Wildcats' final tuneup before Western Athletic Conference play begins this weekend.
Tuesday's game can be streamed on ESPN+. Left-handed pitcher Collin Adams is expected to earn his first start as a Wildcat in his third appearance on the mound. He's allowed one hit with one strikeout in 1.2 scoreless innings, making his season debut at New Mexico on March 22 before logging an inning at Stephen F. Austin last week.
The Wildcats have begun to click ahead of conference action, winning their last three weekend series and coming out on top in seven of their last 10 games. ACU took two of three games from McNeese in Lake Charles, La. this past weekend following a midweek victory over the Lumberjacks.
Grant Watkins put together a well-rounded week, going 5-for-15 at the plate with three home runs and eight runs batted in. He hit a home run in the Wildcats' first three games of the week, including a grand slam at SFA, and had a pair of hits in ACU's first two matchups.
Watkins retook the WAC lead in home runs from teammate Diego Cardenas with 15 this season. He ranks sixth in the nation for long balls, while Cardenas is tied for seventh. ACU is the only program in the country with two student-athletes with at least 14 home runs apiece. Watkins ranks within the WAC's top three for runs batted in (33), slugging percentage (.721) and runs scored (32).
Cardenas went 6-for-18 last week and hit his 14th home run of the season in the series finale versus the Cowboys. He is within the top 20 nationally for runs batted in (42) and slugging percentage (.805), and his 91 total bases are tied for fifth in the country. Cardenas is second in the WAC in OPS (1.232) and doubles (11). He and JT Thompson are each in the midst of 11-game hitting streaks.
Zandt Payne has reached base safely in 22 consecutive games and paces the WAC with 37 runs scored. He is also in the top 10 for home runs (8), RBIs (29), slugging percentage (.580) and OPS (1.044).
Baron Mannis continued to build an impressive freshman campaign, totaling five innings across two outings with no earned runs. He faced the minimum in two innings to open the Wildcats' win over the Lumberjacks, then contributed three innings in relief in a 7-6 victory over McNeese. Mannis gave up just one hit and struck out six last week.
The Wildcats' only win over the Red Raiders came in 2022 in Lubbock, where ACU picked off No. 9 Texas Tech for the program's first victory versus a top-10 team.
Tuesday's game can be streamed on ESPN+. Left-handed pitcher Collin Adams is expected to earn his first start as a Wildcat in his third appearance on the mound. He's allowed one hit with one strikeout in 1.2 scoreless innings, making his season debut at New Mexico on March 22 before logging an inning at Stephen F. Austin last week.
The Wildcats have begun to click ahead of conference action, winning their last three weekend series and coming out on top in seven of their last 10 games. ACU took two of three games from McNeese in Lake Charles, La. this past weekend following a midweek victory over the Lumberjacks.
Grant Watkins put together a well-rounded week, going 5-for-15 at the plate with three home runs and eight runs batted in. He hit a home run in the Wildcats' first three games of the week, including a grand slam at SFA, and had a pair of hits in ACU's first two matchups.
Watkins retook the WAC lead in home runs from teammate Diego Cardenas with 15 this season. He ranks sixth in the nation for long balls, while Cardenas is tied for seventh. ACU is the only program in the country with two student-athletes with at least 14 home runs apiece. Watkins ranks within the WAC's top three for runs batted in (33), slugging percentage (.721) and runs scored (32).
Cardenas went 6-for-18 last week and hit his 14th home run of the season in the series finale versus the Cowboys. He is within the top 20 nationally for runs batted in (42) and slugging percentage (.805), and his 91 total bases are tied for fifth in the country. Cardenas is second in the WAC in OPS (1.232) and doubles (11). He and JT Thompson are each in the midst of 11-game hitting streaks.
Zandt Payne has reached base safely in 22 consecutive games and paces the WAC with 37 runs scored. He is also in the top 10 for home runs (8), RBIs (29), slugging percentage (.580) and OPS (1.044).
Baron Mannis continued to build an impressive freshman campaign, totaling five innings across two outings with no earned runs. He faced the minimum in two innings to open the Wildcats' win over the Lumberjacks, then contributed three innings in relief in a 7-6 victory over McNeese. Mannis gave up just one hit and struck out six last week.
The Wildcats' only win over the Red Raiders came in 2022 in Lubbock, where ACU picked off No. 9 Texas Tech for the program's first victory versus a top-10 team.
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