Texas Tech sports news roundup: Softball schedule update, more news from around Raiderland

Texas Tech softball's Big 12 schedule released

This week, the Texas Tech softball team's Big 12 schedule was released. The Red Raiders will play eight series in conference play.

The first could be the most intriguing as the Red Raiders will host annual College World Series contender Oklahoma State March 7-9. Tech also hosts Utah, Houston, and Arizona State this year while traveling to Baylor, Kansas, Arizona, and BYU.

After the regular season, all Big 12 teams will participate in the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. With new coach Gerry Glasco and one of the nation's top transfer classes having arrived in Lubbock, anticipation is high for the upcoming season and now, Texas Tech softball fans know which teams will be heading to Lubbock this spring to take on the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech basketball ranked in the top 15 by Sports Illustrated

Though the Texas Tech basketball team is not ranked in the preseason A.P. poll, one highly-regarded media outlet has the Red Raiders in its top 15.

Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated has released his personal ranking of every team in the country, all 364 of them. Fortunately, the Red Raiders are near the top.

Sweeney has Tech at No. 15. He writes that he is a believer in Red Raider head coach Grant McCasland, who is in his second season in Lubbock.

"Consider me a believer in what Grant McCasland is doing at Texas Tech," he writes. The Red Raiders added one of the top point guards (Elijah Hawkins) and bigs (JT Toppin) in the portal, cornerstone pieces to play next to returners Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams. TTU hasn’t gotten the same attention that the top-tier Big 12 squads have gotten this offseason, but don’t be surprised if they crash that party come conference play."

Texas Tech vs. Colorado kick time announcement delayed

This week, Texas Tech fans were likely looking forward to finding out when the sold-out November 9 home game with Colorado would kick off. However, we will have to wait to learn that information.

The Red Raiders' game was one of four Big 12 games selected for the six-day window for TV networks to decide the kickoff time. Also waiting to hear when their games will kick off are Iowa State vs. Kansas, UCF vs. Arizona State, and Oklahoma State vs. TCU.

Two Big 12 games for November 9th already have their kick times set. West Virginia vs. Cincinnati will kick at noon Eastern on FS1 while BYU and Utah will kick at 10:15 Eastern on ESPN.

Nation's No. 1 recruit attends Texas Tech basketball block party

Monday, the Texas Tech basketball men's and women's programs hosted a block party on Broadway Street across from campus. The event featured a basketball court in the middle of the street and many contests and games for players and fans.

The most notable attendee was the nation's No. 1 women's basketball recruit, Aaliyah Chavez from Lubbock's Monterey High School. The point guard was front and center for the event and sitting with members of the Texas Tech women's basketball team.

Earlier this month, she trimmed her list of potential schools to ten and Texas Tech was included. She has recently taken visits to Texas, UCLA, and Oklahoma but the Red Raiders remain squarely in the mix to land this potentially program-changing recruit.