Texas Tech Spring Sports Are Having A Banner 2017
The Texas Tech baseball program’s second-consecutive Big 12 baseball championship added to a fantastic spring 2017 for the Red Raider athletic program and cemented Tech’s place as the top spring sports school in the conference.
Most people associate Spring with blooming trees, colorful flowers and the return of warm weather. But for Texas Tech athletics, Spring has also become synonymous with winning.
In recent years, Texas Tech has put forth its best foot in spring and never has that been more true than in 2017. The resurgence of the Red Raider baseball team combined with the emergence of the track and field program, the golf teams, the tennis programs and even the cheerleading a pom squads has made Texas Tech the top spring sports program in the Big 12.
The most prominent Spring sport, baseball, has led the school’s second semester resurgence. This year’s team just wrapped up its second-straight Big 12 regular season title with a sweep of Kansas.
Tim Tadlock’s team is currently sitting at No. 4 in the nation with a 40-13 season mark. The Red Raiders are virtually assured of being named a regional host for the upcoming first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Furthermore, the team is going to be named as one of the top eight national seeds in the tournament meaning it would host both the regional and super regional rounds so long as it advances past the first weekend. Of course, Texas Tech baseball is looking to reach the College World Series for the third time in the last four years.
While Tadlock and his squad have garnered most of the attention among Texas Tech fans, another spring program should be in the conversation of best current athletic program on campus.
The Texas Tech men’s track and field team is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation. Head coach Wes Kittley’s team placed third in last week’s Big 12 Championships despite resting its two top sprinters.
The absence of both Divine Oduduru and Andrew Hudson was a huge blow to the Red Raiders’ chances. Sprinters can accumulate huge point totals because they can participate in multiple events, including relays.
If both runners are at full strength for the national meet, Texas Tech is a legitimate national title contender. This could be the season that Kittley has been building towards since taking over in 2000.
He has led the Red Raiders to the Big 12 title in 2005 and 2015, the only two conference titles in program history. In addition, he has coached 205 All-Americans and 111 individual Big 12 Champions and 17 combined national champions in men’s and women’s track.
However, this year’s men’s team is Kittley’s deepest. With a strong showing in Eugene, Oregon on June 7-10, the Red Raiders could bring home the sport’s highest honor.
Another spring program reaching new heights is the women’s tennis team. After claiming the conference title, the No. 6 ranked women’s team in the nation reached the “Elite Eight” of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
The Red Raiders’ men’s tennis team also had a strong 2017. Second-year coach Brett Masi has guided his team to runner-up finishes in the Big 12 Tournament each of the past two years.
Three Red Raiders were selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament. Connor Curry and Bjorn Thompson are the No. 13 ranked doubles team in the nation while singles competitor Jolan Cailleau is ranked No. 29.
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The Red Raiders also saw success on the golf course this spring. Both the men’s and women’s programs qualified for the postseason.
The ladies ended the year with a 22nd overall finish at the NCAA Championships. The outlook for head coach JoJo Robertson’s team is bright because all five members of this year’s postseason squad.
The men’s team reached the regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Three key members of the team will return next year so expectations will be high in 2018 for Greg Sands’ Red Raiders.
Of course, it would be remiss to ignore the two national titles brought home to Lubbock this spring. In April, the Texas Tech cheerleading and pom squads both captured NCAA titles.
Unfortunately, much of Texas Tech’s athletic success this year has gone unnoticed by a large portion of the fan base. Baseball is the only spring sport to appear on television so only the most attentive fans may be aware of the great spring performances of the Red Raiders.
While Tech has struggled in the marquee sports of football and basketball over the past decade, the spring sports have stepped up to carry the banner for the school. Those accomplishments should be noted and celebrated because no school in the Big 12 has had a better spring this year than Texas Tech.