Texas Tech baseball: 3 heroes from the Red Raiders’ Super Regional win

OF- Kurt Wilson

The 3-run homer that Kurt Wilson belted in the bottom of the eighth in game three with the Red Raiders down 6-5 may be the Texas Tech baseball equivalent of the Michael Crabtree catch against Texas in 2008.  But unlike Crabtree, who was already the best receiver in the nation when he made his most famous play, Wilson was a relative unknown to the average Texas Tech fan before Sunday.

The sophomore from Arlington was making just his 19th start in the field this year and had gone 2-10 in the series prior to his 3-run bomb.  Those three RBI gave him just 16 for the year and were his first in six NCAA Tournament starts.

What’s more, he had given the Red Raiders just two previous homers on the year and had just two previous 3-RBI games.  To say that Wilson was an unlikely hero is an understatement.

In fact, at the beginning of the season, he was used more as a pitcher than he was in the field.  Through mid-April, Wilson had taken the mound in 12 games tossing 14.2 innings and compiling a 6.14 ERA.  But he has not pitched since April 16 when he gave up three runs on two hits without recording an out at Duke.

It was about that time when Wilson shifted roles for his team.  And a move that only a college kid would try may have been the catalyst.

Sometime in the middle of the season, Wilson wrote in to Tim Tadlock’s radio show, as if he were a regular listener who wanted to know why Kurt Wilson was not getting more at-bats.  It appears like his plan may have worked.

All but one of his starts in the field this season have come in May or June, a time frame that also coincides with the move of Josh Jung from third to shortstop, which may have prompted Tadlock to explore shifting his lineup in other ways as well.  Thankfully, Wilson got his opportunity and on Sunday, he hit the biggest homer in program history.  Hopefully he can top that in Omaha.