Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Promote Hanson
January 08, 2009 | Softball
Jan. 8, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - With apologies to especially those in the flood-ravaged Pacific Northwest, the Red Raiders began their official practice season for the 2009 campaign under gorgeous blue skies and 70 degree weather in Lubbock and with their new official coaching staff present.
Dave Hanson, last year's volunteer coach and a native of the northwest, has been promoted to an assistant coaching position and is in Lubbock as the team began practices this week in conjunction with the first day of classes for the spring term. Interim Head Coach Amy Suiter, assistant coach Dustin Suiter and Hanson welcomed back the 15 players who make up the 2009 squad and took immediate advantage of exceptional and dry weather on the Caprock to head outside for practice.
Pitchers, headed by returning staffers, sophomore Tye Coats, junior Ashly Jacobs and senior Alex Watkins, and incoming freshman Karli Merlich, were able to throw in their new bullpen areas as ongoing improvements to the Rocky Johnson site are proceeding under the beautiful blue skies. The dugouts are complete and new outdoor batting cages (see the photo gallery under the right sidebar on the softball main page for pictorial updates throughout the projects) are currently under construction with the attainable goal of being ready by the first home game.
The competitive schedule, which is almost official, features a first home game doubleheader date of Tuesday, March 10, when Texas Tech hosts perennial national power Oklahoma for afternoon contests beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Random, but important, Notes:
This Web site will begin to be updated with much more frequency (and with spectacular prose and photos) over the next few weeks as we begin to have actual things to say. Also, we look forward to bringing you an increased photo presence through our Photo Gallery capabilities and a new feature this season, including a video component to our promotional efforts to include interviews and highlights, should we be able to capture them. (We have no doubt of the team's ability to produce the highlights, but we have a definitively amateur/volunteer staff manning the "promo" cam, so it's still best to plan to come to our events if you can!)
