THE RED RAIDERS
JUNIOR
CARA CUSTER RHP • 5-8 • R/R • JR-2L Tacoma, Wash. • Spanaway Lake H.S.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2013) Remained Texas Tech’s go-to pitcher in the circle as a sophomore ... had the most starts (29) and appearances (41) of any pitcher ... her 41 appearances were tied for fifth-most in single-season school history ... 29 starts ranked tied for eighth ... finished 14-16 overall with a 3.10 earned-run average ... now has 39 career victories over two seasons, which already ranks fourth all-time at Tech ... her 39 career victories are the most by a Red Raider over the first two seasons since Amanda Renfro had 44 from 1998-99 ... 11 of her 16 losses on the year came when Tech scored three or less runs ... tossed 174.0 innings on the season, ninth-most in school history ... recorded a career-high seven complete games, one of which that was a shutout ... now ranks sixth all-time with 25 career complete games ... was near a 2-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio after striking out 124 hitters while walking 64 ... best performance of the season came on Feb. 23 with a one-hit shutout of UT Arlington ... only hit came off a two-out single in the first inning ... UTA reached second base just once thanks to a fifth-inning fielding error ... marked the best seven inning, complete-game performance of her career ... win improved her to 3-1 on the season ... previously recorded complete-game victories over UNLV (Feb. 9) and Texas State (Feb. 22) ... wrapped the Texas Challenge with her third complete game victory, this time over Sam Houston State on Feb. 24 ... surrendered no earned runs off seven hits ...
came close to another complete game victory in her next outing, going 6.2 innings in a March 1 win over McNeese State ... did not surrender an earned run in the 3-2 victory ... performance concluded a stretch of 35.2 innings where she did not allow an earned run ... recorded 11 of her 14 victories during the nonconference slate ... matched her career at the time with nine strikeouts March 10 against UMKC ... held the `Roos to one earned run off three hits in a five inning run-rule victory ... marked eighth victory of the season ... also recorded wins over Troy (March 11), Fairfield, (March 13), and Boise State (March 23) ... ended the season ranked sixth in the Big 12 for wins, fifth for innings pitched, ninth for strikeouts, tied for fourth for appearances and fifth for games started ... IN BIG 12 PLAY ... made the majority of Tech’s starts once league action began ... appeared in all 18 games while making 11 starts ... finished with a team-high 64.2 innings pitched which included one complete game ... ended conference play with a 3-11 record and a team-leading 3.68 ERA ... recorded 40 strikeouts while walking 30 hitters ... held opponents to a team-leading .260 batting average ... seven of her losses in conference play came when Tech scored three or less runs ... picked up wins at Oklahoma State (March 28), at Iowa State (April 20), and at Baylor (May 4) ... best performance came in the Big 12 opener at Oklahoma State ... went five innings, limiting the Cowgirls to two hits en route to a 10-0 run-rule victory ... snapped her career high
2 with 12 strikeouts in the series opener at Iowa State ... came on in relief in the second game against the Cyclones to pitch six innings, giving up just one earned run off five hits ... also made her first-ever appearance at the plate that day against Iowa State ... drew a walk and ended up scoring later in the inning ... ended the year by tossing 5.1 innings of relief against Baylor, allowing no runs off just two hits ... AWARDS AND HONORS ... named to the Academic All-Big 12 second team. FRESHMAN SEASON (2012) Recorded the best season for a freshman pitcher in school history ... compiled a 25-11 record, marking the most wins for a Tech freshman pitcher ... win total also ranked second in Tech single-season history as well behind only Amanda Renfro ... only the second pitcher in school history to reach the 20-win mark ... ranked fourth in the Big 12 for victories behind All-American selections Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma), Chelsea Thomas (Missouri), and Mel Dumezich (Texas A&M) ... her .694 win percentage was the highest in school history for pitchers with at least 25 decisions ... also had a team-high three saves, one shy of the school single-season record ... finished in the top 10 in nearly every pitching single-season category in the school record book ... appeared in 43 total games while making 34 starts in the circle ... ranked fourth and fifth all-time in the two categories ... moved into the top 10 in the career record book
Cara Custer has totaled 39 victories in just two seasons in scarlet and black as she registered the most wins (25) ever by a Tech freshman pitcher in 2012 and then followed up with another 14 wins as a sophomore. She needs 13 wins to move from fifth and into sole possession of second on the Tech career chart.
2014 TEXAS TECH 34 RED RAIDER SOFTBALL