Let's take a look at the Texas Tech news and notes from another big weekend of Red Raider athletics.
Texas Tech baseball sweeps No. 22 West Virginia
Though the weather made it difficult, the Texas Tech baseball team managed to get in all three games against West Virginia this weekend. What's more, the Red Raiders swept the No. 22 Mountaineers who came into the series in first place in the conference standings.
Coming back to Lubbock after a tough road trip that saw the Red Raiders drop four of six games, Tech got to work in a hurry on Friday night. In a 15-2 win, the home team plated two runs in the bottom of the first, four in the third, and another in the fifth to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
That was all the support starting pitcher Ryan Free would need. The converted reliever tossed six complete innings allowing only two earned runs on four hits while striking out six. He is now 5-0 on the season.
At the plate, Austin Green was 3-4 with five RBI while Cade McGee was 3-4 with three driven in. Meanwhile, Josh Sanders and Hudson Luce tossed three innings of combined scoreless relief.
Sunday, the teams had to play a doubleheader due to poor weather on Saturday. In the opener, the Red Raiders again jumped out to an early lead and were able to hold on for a 6-4 win. Gavin Kash went 4-5 with three RBI on the day and starting pitcher Mac Heuer picked up the win after going five innings allowing only two earned runs to move to 4-3 on the season.
Game two was a pitchers' duel that went the way of the good guys, 3-1. McGee and Kevin Bazzell each crushed solo homers but the story was starter Kyle Robinson who tossed seven complete innings giving up only one run while striking out nine.
Tech now sits in fifth place in the Big 12 race at 12-9 in league play. However, the Red Raiders are within striking distance of Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and Texas who are all tied for second place at 11-7. Amazingly, there are only three Big 12 series remaining for Tim Tadlock's team so the time to gear up for the postseason is now.
Texas Tech football holds spring game in front of media only
Due to Saturday's poor weather, the Texas Tech football team held its annual spring game inside the indoor practice facility where only members of the media were allowed to attend. Still, through their reports, we can find some interesting takeaways.
The two quarterbacks that stood out were Cam Brown and true freshman Will Hammond, each of whom threw two TD passes on the day. In fact, after the scrimmage, head coach Joey McGuire said that Brown has essentially claimed the No. 2 QB job.
Another player who impressed was transfer tight end Johncarlos Miller. The big junior target has turned heads with his athleticism this spring and on Saturday, he went up high over a defender to haul in a nice 23-yard TD from Hammond.
First TD of the day on the opening series for Team Tahj!@Will_Hammond13 ➡️ @j2manmiller pic.twitter.com/F6kX4h7kLk
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) April 20, 2024
Other players to catch TD passes on Saturday were Caleb Douglas, Jordan Brown, Coy Eakin, and Jason Llewellyn. Meanwhile, a player who is in the portal, Anquan Willis, had a nice day on the ground with 70 yards including a 42-yard TD. After the scrimmage, McGuire indicated that despite his strong showing, Willis will continue to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Texas Tech softball swept by Oklahoma State
Unfortunately, the Texas Tech softball team's struggles in Big 12 play continued this weekend as the Red Raiders were swept on the road at No. 6 Oklahoma State. In game one, OSU prevailed 11-3 in six innings. Game two saw OSU dominate to the tune of a 13-0 win in five innings. Sunday, the Red Raiders put up a better fight but fell 6-4.
Tech is now 26-16 overall but just 6-12 in Big 12 action. The Red Raiders return to the field this weekend at Houston for a three-game set.
Texas Tech golf alum Ludvig Aberg nets another top-10 finish
One week after finishing second at The Masters, Texas Tech golf alum Ludvig Aberg had another strong showing at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina. Shooting -12 for the week, Aberg finished in a tie for 10th place, eight strokes behind the winner and reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. Aberg takes home $525,000 for his play after earning over $2 million at The Masters.