Texas Tech baseball: Previewing the 2020 Red Raider season
A bevy of talented new faces is set to make an instant impact
These days, talent seems to roll into Tadlock’s program with the consistency of waves reaching the shore. That’s certainly the case again in 2020. In fact, this might be the best crop of incoming players we’ve ever seen arrive on the South Plains.
It all begins with a transfer that could potentially give the Red Raiders one of the nation’s top starting rotations. 6-foot-5, 205-pound Vanderbilt transfer Austin Becker will be the starter Saturday in game two of the year and he could be the most important new face on the team in 2020.
The rightly appeared in only two games last year for Vandy but he’s one of the most highly-anticipated additions of the year for Tech. A 37th-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2018, he was the No. 11 right-handed pitcher in his class coming out of high school.
He has an absolutely electric arm according to reports, In fact, Tadlock said Thursday that Becker’s fastball reaches 98 MPH and his slider sits at 88 mph, which is devastatingly fast for a breaking ball. This is a player with the potential to be a true ace for the Red Raiders.
A new face with a familiar name will get his shot at holding down an infield position, perhaps third base, where his brother made his name as a Red Raider. True freshman Jace Jung arrives as the No. 34 overall prospect in Texas after hitting .476 as a senior. Now, he will try to have a career in Lubbock that rivals the one his older brother Josh just completed. Jace is not as polished as Josh but he might have more natural power despite being a couple of inches shorter and 15 pounds lighter than big brother.
Also, get to know the name Cal Conley. The Miami transfer is likely to get the first crack at manning the vacant shortstop position and by all accounts, he’s a smooth fielder.
He earned honorable mention All-American honors in 2018 as a high school senior and after redshirting last year at Tech following his transfer, he could be an important piece to the puzzle in an infield that will be replacing three of the five starters.
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To say that there are a few uncertainties for Tim Tadlock as the 2020 season begins would be fair. The good news though is that he has a cupboard overflowing with potential answers and the man who many believe is the best coach in the nation will have more than enough options to rely on. If he can piece together this roster in a way that will maximize the talent on hand, there’s every reason to believe that Tadlock could claim his first National Title in June.