Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raider Profile: Tim Proudfoot
October 05, 2011 | Baseball
Proudfoot led his high school to a state championship as a senior
Oct. 5, 2011
Red Raider Profile: Tim Proudfoot
The Texas Tech baseball team's fall season is underway and throughout the remainder of the semester, Texas Tech Athletics Communications will take an inside look into the Tech program with Red Raider Profiles on each player.
Tim Proudfoot (INF - 5-10, 155 - R/R - Fr./HS - North Bend, Wash./Mount Si)
There is a saying in the baseball world that you will hear time and time again, "Defensively, you want to be strong up the middle of the field."
When Texas Tech signed freshman Tim Proudfoot they got the right piece of the puzzle for what they want to accomplish, being strong defensively up the middle of the field.
When you think about it, Texas Tech has three catchers returning, including All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Bo Altobelli, and three-year letterman Kevin Whitehead. They also have All-Big 12 second baseman Jamodrick McGruder returning at second base and they also have two-time All-Big 12 center fielder Barrett Barnes back roaming center field.
What's missing? Shortstop.
Proudfoot, along with fellow freshmen Bryan Burleson and Matt Eureste are competing to make sure the shortstop position fits right in with the rest of the defensive philosophy the Red Raiders have. All three are trying to help fill the shoes of Kelby Tomlinson, who spent the 2011 season at Texas Tech before being drafted in the 12th round by the San Francisco Giants.
Tomlinson - who started at shortstop for Tech in all 58 games last year - became the first Big 12 Conference player ever to receive the ABCA Rawlings Division I Gold Glove Award.
Proudfoot brings an impressive résumé with him to Lubbock. He was a first team 3A All-State selection at Mount Si High School where he led the Wildcats to the Washington State Championship this past spring.
A gold glove award winnings shortstop in high school, Proudfoot helped guide Mount Si to a 22-3 overall record in 2011 while batting .360 with nine home runs, 21 RBI and nine stolen bases. He completed his prep career being named the state tournament's most valuable player.
"We are extremely glad he is here," fourth-year head coach Dan Spencer said about Proudfoot. "He can really play defense and he can run. He can play shortstop, he can play second. I'm sure he can go over and play third. He has a tremendous release. He has played well in the fall defensively. He has made some adjustments with his swing which will allow him to hit at this level eventually against better pitching."
Proudfoot, who will be battling for the starting shortstop position in the spring, follows in a great line of shortstops at Texas Tech, including Kelby Tomlinson (2011 ABCA Rawlings Division I Gold Glove Award Winner), Joey Kenworthy (seventh all-time in Tech history with 218 hits), Cameron Blair (two-time All-American), Gera Alvarez (school-record 30-game hit streak), Dion Ruecker (All-American, in 24 all-time Tech record books) and Brooks Wallace (All-Conference, All-District) to name a few.
