Texas Tech baseball: Red Raiders get plenty of preseason love

Just over two weeks before the start of the Texas Tech baseball season, the Red Raiders are racking up the preseason accolades.

It will not be long before we begin to hear the ping of metal bats and the popping of leather at Dan Law Field as the Texas Tech baseball season gets underway on February 15th. And given the amount of love this year’s version of the Red Raiders are receiving, there’s reason to believe that another special spring could be in store.

Already ranked in the top-5 in four of the five major national polls and consensus top-10 team, the Red Raiders dominated the Big 12 preseason honors, which were released Wednesday.

Third baseman Josh Jung was named the preseason Big 12 player of the year as well as a first-team All-Big 12 honoree. Tabbed by MLB.com’s Jim Callis as the No. 6 overall prospect for this summer’s MLB Draft, Jung is arguably the best player in the prestigious history of Texas Tech baseball.

The San Antonio native hit a ridiculous .392 last year with six homers and 80 RBI. He spent this summer playing for the USA College National Team hitting .283 in 15 games.

While Jung is the unquestioned star of this year’s team, a former SEC player is set to make a splash in Lubbock this spring. After transferring from Arkansas, sophomore right-handed pitcher Bryce Bonnin has been named the preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

After going 1-0 with a 4.29 ERA last year for the Razorbacks, Bonnin is set to compete for a rotation spot with the Red Raiders this fall after leaving Fayetteville where the Arkansas staff wanted him to come out of the bullpen. He provides the Red Raiders with another powerful arm in a rotation that has to replace as many as three starters from last year’s College World Series team.

More from Wreck'Em Red

Another new face to know is Max Marusak from Amarillo who has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. The outfielder from Amarillo was the No. 1 overall outfielder in Texas as a high school senior and the No. 8 overall player in the state. He will get an opportunity to earn a spot in what many believe will be the best lineup in the nation.

In addition to Jung, first baseman Cam Warren and outfielder Gabe Holt were also named to the preseason All-Big 12 team. Warren hit .326 with 10 homers and 53 RBI last year. Meanwhile, Holt had a breakout freshman season in 2018 hitting .348 with 6 homers and 44 RBI on his way to being the first Red Raider to be named a unanimous freshman All-American.

On the mound, two Red Raider hurlers also made the All-Big 12 team. Junior Caleb Killian is the team’s top returning starter and looks to be the Friday night ace this year. He went 9.3 with a 3.24 ERA in 72.1 innings last year. Meanwhile, reliever Caleb Freeman from Abilene looks to anchor the Tech bullpen after posting three saves in 22 appearances as a sophomore in 2018.

Next. Tech's 2019 football signing class cause for concern. dark

This could arguably be head coach Tim Tadlock’s most talented team on paper, which is saying quite a bit given that he has guided the Red Raiders to Omaha in three of the past five years. Nothing short of that will be considered a success in 2019 but to do so will require Tadlock doing something that he has never done, reach the College World Series in back-to-back seasons. But if the preseason accolades are any indication, no one is betting against him.

Home/Texas Tech Baseball