Big 12 Tournament Preview: Can Texas Tech Claim Conference Title?
Texas Tech isn't ready to hang up the cleats just yet. The Red Raiders are just getting warmed up ahead of a week at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
The Red Raiders (36-18) have earned the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and look to win their second conference title. Tech is set to face No. 7 seed Kansas State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT.
Should Tech pull out the victory, it will face the winner of No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 6 West Virginia Thursday. If the Red Raiders lose, they will face the loser of the game in a must-win situation.
The Big 12 Tournament is double elimination series for the eight teams that make the cut. Both Iowa State and Kansas were eliminated from contending for a Big 12 title following the regular-season finale on Sunday.
Texas Tech Baseball
Texas Tech Baseball
Texas Tech Baseball
Tech will have a fresh mind against the Sooners (33-20) should the two square off in the second round. On Sunday, the Red Raiders finished with double-digit runs in a 10-2 win at Dan Law Field/Rip Griffin Park.
Veterans such as second baseman Jace Jung, shortstop Kurt Wilson, third baseman Parker Kelly and outfielder Easton Murrell each played a factor in what could be the final home game of the season. The trio each hit a home run on the way to a victory while Murrell went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a pair of runs.
Kelly and Wilson are fifth-year seniors, meaning their time in Lubbock is coming to a close. Jung, who still has another year of eligibility, is expected to be a high selection in the MLB draft next month.
"Those guys have been really good players, are going to continue to be good players and I'm awfully proud of them," Tech coach Tim Tadlock said Sunday.
Texas Tech Baseball
Texas Tech Baseball
Texas Tech Baseball
After its series win over Santa Clara to close out the year, No. 18 TCU was awarded the regular season Big 12 title and will serve as the top seed in the tournament. The Horned Frogs (35-18) held the tiebreaker over Tech thanks to a series sweep in Fort Worth last month, thus giving them the higher seed.
The Red Raiders look to win the Big 12 in hopes of strengthening their chances of hosting a regional in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Entering the week, Tech is projected to head to College Park in Maryland to face the Terrapins, Liberty, and Fairfield.
The championship round of the Big 12 Tournament will be played on Sunday. The national tournament is set to begin on June 3.
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Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson