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Texas Tech baseball routed by Michigan, knocked out of CWS

By Matthew Conner

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 17: Baseball gloves sit on the field before a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at on August 17, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 17: Baseball gloves sit on the field before a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at on August 17, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Friday, the Texas Tech baseball team was routed by Michigan 15-3 eliminating the Red Raiders from the College World Series.

Friday afternoon, Michigan pounded out 14 hits and drew 12 bases on balls in a destruction of the Texas Tech baseball team’s pitching staff to knock the Red Raiders out of the College World Series with a 15-3 win.  It was the most runs the Red Raiders have ever allowed in Omaha providing a rather inglorious end to the program’s best CWS appearance in four tries.

Seven Texas Tech pitchers tried to tame the Wolverine lineup on the day and all but Caleb Freeman allowed at least one run.  Freshman Micah Dallas made his second start against Michigan of the College World Series and unfortunately, his encore was even more ill-fated than his first start.

Six days after allowing four runs in just three innings in the opening game of the CWS, Dallas was tagged for four more runs on Friday but this time, he was able to record just three outs.  It was just the second loss of the season for the Aubrey, Texas native but unfortunately, both came against the Wolverines in Omaha.

Once again, the first inning was not kind to Dallas.  A double by UM first baseman Jimmy Kerr and a single by Blake Nelson had Michigan up 2-0 to put Tech in an early hole against Michigan for the second time in their two meetings this week.  In the opening game of the CWS, UM jumped out to a 1-0 lead after their first at-bat and a 4-0 lead after three runs in the top of the third.

But unlike in that game, Friday, Tech had a brief answer.  In the second inning, the Red Raiders quickly took the lead with three runs on an RBI single from Dru Baker, a fielder’s choice RBI on a suicide squeeze bunt by Braxton Fulford and a check-swing bloop single by Easton Murrell.  But that would be all the scoring Tim Tadlock’s team would muster as the Red Raiders first lead against Michigan in Omaha would prove to be short-lived.

In its half of the second, UM tacked on two runs to reclaim the lead off of John McMillon.  No. 9 hitter Ako Thomas had an RBI single and Jordan Brewer was beaned with the bases loaded to give the Maize and Blue the lead for good.

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After that, Michigan would score in every inning but the 5th.  And when they put up a five-spot in the 6th, it was clear that the Red Raiders’ time in Omaha was over.

The two-game set between Tech and Michigan in Omaha could not have been more different than the three-game series the two teams played earlier in the season.  In late March, the Wolverines came to Lubbock and were swept by a combined score of 29-8.

But since then, the Wolverines have been one of the hottest teams in the nation.  Often times, northern schools find themselves lagging behind southern schools early in the season as the weather in places like Michigan is not nearly as conducive to baseball activities in February and March as it normally is in Texas.

But in plowing through the Corvallis Regional (hosted by defending national champ Oregon State, No. 1 UCLA in the Super Regionals and No. 8 Texas Tech in Omaha, the Wolverines have proven that their showing in Lubbock was not indicative of the quality of their team.  Now, they will play for a national title against either Vanderbilt or Louisville in a best-of-3 series.

As for the Red Raiders, their deepest ever run in the College World Series has come to an end.  Finishing the season at 46-21, they put up the fourth-most wins in a season in program history.

Now we will turn the page to a new era of Red Raider baseball.  With a number of stars such as Josh Jung, Cameron Warren and Gabe Holt set to turn their focus to professional baseball, and a host of others like John McMillon, Caleb Killian and Taylor Floyd having the option to do so as well, there figures to be plenty of new blood on the diamond for Tim Tadlock next season.

Next. Tech beats Florida State to stay alive. dark

And the loss also ends what has been an unbelievable spring of 2019 for Texas Tech athletics.  With a national title in men’s track and field, a national title game appearance in men’s basketball and a final four finish in Omaha, Tech has positioned itself as one of the premier athletic programs in the nation.  Now, our attention turns to Matt Wells as we all wait to see if he can get the football team up to the level of the other elite programs on campus.

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