Softball Hosts Pair of Regional Opponents to Open Fall

Tuesday, September 18

Lubbock, TX

5 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

Odessa College

Softball Hosts Pair of Regional Opponents to Open Fall

September 17, 2018 | Softball

@TexasTechSB

Red Raiders welcome Odessa College, Midland College for pair of 10 inning contests.

By: Ty Parker, Texas Tech Athletics Communications

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech softball begins its fifth fall under head coach Adrian Gregory this week as it hosts Odessa College and Midland College for a pair of 10-inning affairs at Rocky Johnson Field.

The Red Raiders take on Odessa in their fall debut at 5 p.m., Tuesday, before welcoming Midland at 5 p.m. Thursday. Both games are open to the public and offer free admission.

The two dates mark the beginning of Tech's 2018 fall slate, which features six home dates and 11 total contests. The Red Raiders will host a doubleheader against Howard College on Wednesday, Sept. 26, travel to a four-game tournament at the University of Houston the first week of October and wrap up with the Red & Black Series Oct. 10-12.

"It's huge, especially for the fact that we have 11 newcomers," Gregory said about the importance of the fall season. "We have eight freshmen and three transfers. We've recruited those guys and saw them at their level of the game, and now to be able to see how they acclimate to our speed of the game – it's really huge for us prior to it mattering and the game being on the line. I'm excited to see us play some games. They're ready. We're ready to play someone different and keep learning in a different atmosphere."

This marks the fourth consecutive fall Tech will host Midland College. The Red Raiders defeated the Chaparrals 7-2 and 11-2 in a doubleheader last season. Midland finished 39-22 last season under interim head coach Amanda Evans, advancing to the NJCAA Region V West Championship. Evans had the interim tag removed heading into 2018-19.

Tech and Odessa are meeting for the fourth fall in five years. The two teams played 10 innings last year with Tech earning a 12-3 victory. Odessa finished 39-12 last season under first year head coach Jeff Jackson with a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA V West Tournament.

Texas Tech recorded a winning season in 2018, finishing 31-28 overall with a fourth-place finish at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship and a bid to the National Invitational Softball Championship.

All-American Jessica Hartwell headlines a group of seven returning starters. All-Big 12 Freshman Team southpaw Erin Edmoundson returns to lead the pitching staff. Gregory added three transfers to the roster, including All-Big EAST First Team pitcher Missy Zoch. Additionally, a talented group of eight high school signees enter the fold.

For score updates and a post-game recap, stay tuned to @TexasTechSB on Twitter and www.TexasTech.com.