Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Ready to Open Season
February 01, 2000 | Softball
Feb. 1, 2000
LUBBOCK, Texas -- The Texas Tech softball team travels to Albuquerque this weekend to compete at the Diamond 2000 tournament, hosted by the University of New Mexico. It will be the first action of the spring season for the Red Raiders, who are coming off a 1999 season in which they finished with a No. 24 national ranking and advanced to the Regional Championship game of the NCAA Tournament.
The Red Raiders will play Colorado State in the season's first game at 11 a.m. Friday, February 4, at New Mexico's Lobo Field, and again later in the day against Cal-State Fullerton. On Saturday, February 5, the Red Raiders face Tulsa at noon and Colorado State at 2 p.m. The team rounds out the tournament on Sunday when they play New Mexico at 1 p.m.
Series Records
Last season the Red Raiders played New Mexico five times, finishing with a 2-3 record against the Lobos. Tech leads the all-time series 4-6.
The Red Raiders also played Cal-St. Fullerton in the 1999 season, defeating the Titans 5-2, the only meeting ever between the programs.
Tech is 1-0 all-time against Colorado State, defeating the Rams in the 1996 season by a score of 7-5. Tech is 0-3 all-time against Tulsa, with all three losses coming in the 1996 season. The last meeting between the two came on March 10 of that year with Tulsa defeating the Red Raiders 15-4.
Tech Fastpitch Picked Seventh
Big 12 coaches pick Red Raiders seventh in pre-season poll
The Texas Tech fastpitch softball program, fresh off a No. 24 national ranking in 1999, was voted as a pre-season seventh place finisher in the Big 12 Coaches Poll. Oklahoma was chosen as the pre-season favorite.
"It goes to show you what a tough conference we play in," coach Renee Luers-Gillespie said. "Our goal is to win a conference championship. It doesn't matter where we are in the pre-season."
Last season the Red Raiders finished with a record of 36-31-0(8-9 Big 12). Texas Tech advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Regional Tournament before falling to Fresno State 5-0.
Oklahoma received every possible first-place vote as coaches were not allowed to vote for his or her team in the ballot. Nebraska was the second-place selection with 73 points, followed by Missouri(57), Kansas(52), Texas(51), Texas A&M(42), Texas Tech(38), Oklahoma State(26), Baylor(16) and Iowa State(14).
Big 12 softball earned a reputation as one of the nation's toughest conferences last season when it placed seven of its 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Only the PAC-10 conference placed more teams into the tournament with eight.
In other poll sitting news, the USA Today/NFCA pre-season poll released last week placed Texas Tech at No. 32. The Red Raiders recieved 24 votes, finishing ahead of Big 12 conference rivals Texas A&M (18 votes) and Kansas (11). Oklahoma was the top ranked Big 12 teamn, coming in at No. 8 in the country. Defending champion and 2000 Red Raider opponent UCLA was ranked No. 1.
Tough way to start
Red Raiders open the season against some of the nation's top teams
Coach Renee Luers-Gillespie believes that to be an elite team you have to play the elite teams. Looking at Texas Tech's schedule, there is no reason to doubt her commitment to that philosophy. The Red Raiders open the season this weekend against two teams that received votes in the USA Today/NFCA pre-sesaon poll(Cal-State Fullerton and New Mexico), then travel to Hawaii where they will face five nationally ranked teams in UCLA (No. 1), Long Beach State (No. 15), Texas (No. 19), Hawaii (No. 20) and Hofstra (No. 28).
2000 Season Preview
Four Seniors Lead Balanced Attack
Over the last decade, women's athletics at Texas Tech have risen to prominence and cast Texas Tech into the national spotlight. Lady Raider Basketball (1993 NCAA National Champions), Red Raider Volleyball (six NCAA tournaments in the '90s) and track and field sensation Leigh Daniel (two NCAA championships) have all played an important role in the rise of women's athletics at Texas Tech. But, there is a new kid on the block that shows high hopes of continuing the tradition of excellence set by Tech's female athletes.
While Tech has played women's basketball for years, volleyball for 24 years and ran track and field for 18 years, the Tech softball team is in just their fifth season since the program was restarted in1996. Last season the team competed in the NCAA tournament in just the fourth year of competition making them the first women's team sport at Texas Tech to advance to NCAA competition in the first five years of the program. So needless to say head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie has plenty to look forward to in the 2000 season.
"I can't even begin to explain how excited I am about this season," said Luers-Gillispie. "With the quality recruits that we were able to bring in along with the strength of our returning players, we should be a force to deal with in the Big 12 this season. I am going to be relying on our upperclassmen to carry over our success from a year ago and hopefully our newcomers will respond."
The Red Raiders finished the 1999 season on a high note as the Red Raiders accepted their first NCAA bid and advanced all the way to the Regional Finals in Fresno, California. The road was not an easy one for the team as they fell short of their goals of winning a conference championship. The team struggled offensively last season but it was the team's defense that proved to be the success story for the team in 1999. But 2000 brings about another year with both a new and improved offense and strong defense returning.
"Last season we struggled in key situations and that really hurt us at times. We tended to rely on a couple of players to get our hits for us and you justcan't keep that up. We should have a more balanced attack offensively this season with the players that we have coming in along with our returners from last season. I would rather have a team of players who are capable of getting a base hit everytime they come to the plate than have a team of players who can hit the yard ball every now and then."
This year's senior class will provide offensive firepower along with defensive experience. Paula Workman (Austin, TX) will return to her duties at shortstop. Workman has started in all but one game during her four-year career at Tech. Workman was named to the GTE Academic All-America Third Team in 1999. Kristi Tunnell (Blooming Grove, TX) will have the early start at the catchers position. Tunnell, a transfer from Lon Morris College, got the starting nod midway through the '99 season replacing an injured Lauren Warner. At first base, Tamara Harrington (Kingwood, TX) will once
again get the starting job. Harrington recorded a team-high 402 putouts last season. Lauren Warner (Tucson, AZ), still recovering from an injury a year ago, will most likely spend time as the designated hitter. Warner will also help in the outfield. Amanda Renfro, Sandy Butler, Shauna Briggs, Susie Gomez and Briana Nietert make up this season's junior class. All five players will play key roles in the success of this year's team. Sandy Butler (Tucson, AZ), a returning two-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection, led the team in batting average last season and will be a force to deal with in 2000. Butler will return to the centerfield position. Shauna Briggs (Herald, CA) underwent shoulder surgery during the middle of the 1999 season and will return to catching duties for theRed Raiders. Transfers Susie Gomez and Briana Nietert come to Texas Tech from West Valley Community College. Both players have been together since their high school days at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, CA.Nietert will be spending time at second base while Gomez will backup Tamara Harrington at first.
This season's sophomore class is composed of just one player - Eva Harshman. But, for the Red Raiders, Eva represents versatility and that is something the team will be able to use in 2000. Harshman (Helotes, TX) spent last season in leftfield but may also see playing time at thirdbase.
Rounding out the 2000 Red Raiders is a freshmen class that coach Gillispie calls "exciting." Jana Baker (Lubbock, TX), the team's first player from Lubbock, comes to the Red Raiders after setting numerous records at Lubbock's Coronado High School. Baker will backup Tunnell and Briggs behind the plate. Amanda Douglas (Richardson, TX) will help fill the vacancy left in rightfield with the departure of Stephanie Walls. Along with Douglas, Tiffany Harrington (Kingwood, TX) will move into the Red Raider outfield. Tiffany is also the sister of first basemen Tamara Harrington. Looking to fill the thirdbase position will be Lynsey Haij of Vancouver, Washington. Haij led her high school to the state championship in 1997.
With a strong nucleus of players returning and a dynamic recruiting class,Gillispie hopes to have her team in contention for the Big 12 Championship.
Red Raiders on Tour
Red Raider Notes
Softball team sees the country in 2000
One thing is for certain, the Texas Tech softball team has learned the art of being road wariors. In four seasons of play, Texas Tech has played 180 of it's 240 games on the road. Needless to say the team has found time to bond, whether it is on the floor of an airport, on a bus, airplane or hotel lobby. This season the team travels to tournaments in New Mexico, California and Hawaii. "I think it builds a team," Coach Gillespie said. "Yes, it is hard at times but we know that come post-season we will be a better team because of it."
