Friday, February 21
Houston, TX
1:00 PM
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Princeton
Tech Softball Travels South for Houston Challenge
February 20, 2020 | Softball
The Red Raiders prep for their third tournament of the season.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Following a home-opening win, the Texas Tech softball team (8-3) heads back out on the road for a handful of games at the 2020 Houston Challenge at the University of Houston on Feb 21-23.
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The Red Raiders will kick off the tournament with a 1 p.m. contest against Princeton on Friday before facing Syracuse later in the day at 3:30 p.m. The Red Raiders will return to the field on Saturday to face Louisiana Tech (9 a.m.) and the hosting Cougars (4:30 p.m.) and will close out the tournament with a 9:30 a.m. rematch against Syracuse on Sunday.
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Live stats will be available for all five games. Tech's contest against Houston will be streamed on Cougars All-Access and the remaining games will be streamed via Facebook Live on the Texas Tech softball Facebook page. For additional in-game updates, follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter.
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RED RAIDER QUICK HITS
FINAL DETAILS
First pitch against Princeton is set for 1 p.m. on Friday and the Red Raiders will take on Syracuse later in the day at 3:30 p.m. Tech will return the next day to face Louisiana Tech (9 a.m.) and host Houston (4:30 p.m.) before closing out the tournament on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in a rematch against Syracuse.
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Live stats will be available for all five games. Tech's game against Houston will be streamed through Cougars All-Access and the remaining games will be streamed via Facebook Live on the Texas Tech softball Facebook page. For all the latest information on the Texas Tech softball team, visit TexasTech.com or follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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The Red Raiders will kick off the tournament with a 1 p.m. contest against Princeton on Friday before facing Syracuse later in the day at 3:30 p.m. The Red Raiders will return to the field on Saturday to face Louisiana Tech (9 a.m.) and the hosting Cougars (4:30 p.m.) and will close out the tournament with a 9:30 a.m. rematch against Syracuse on Sunday.
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Live stats will be available for all five games. Tech's contest against Houston will be streamed on Cougars All-Access and the remaining games will be streamed via Facebook Live on the Texas Tech softball Facebook page. For additional in-game updates, follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter.
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| 2020 HOUSTON CHALLENGE | |
| Dates | Friday - Sunday | February 21-23 |
| Site | Location | Cougar Softball Stadium | Houston, TX |
| Game 1 - Friday | vs. Princeton | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Facebook Live |
| Game 2 - Friday | vs. Syracuse | 3:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Facebook Live |
| Game 3 - Saturday | vs. Louisiana Tech | 9 a.m. | Live Stats | Facebook Live |
| Game 4 - Saturday | vs. Houston | 4:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Cougars All-Access ($) |
| Game 5 - Sunday | vs. Syracuse | 9:30 a.m. | Live Stats | Facebook Live |
| Texas Tech Softball | Softball Home Page | Game Notes (PDF) | Twitter |
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RED RAIDER QUICK HITS
- Tech picked up its first run-rule of the season with a 9-1 win over Kent State on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Kelcy Leach launched a two-run homer to put Tech ahead and the Red Raiders totaled nine hits in the contest.
- GiGi Wall got her first taste of elite competition this week as she went head-to-head against several of the top-ranked teams in the nation. She started with six strikeouts through two innings against No. 20 James Madison and continued her tear with five strikeouts in a huge win against No. 15 Georgia. Wall had another strong performance against No. 1 Washington, where she limited the top-ranked Huskies to just three runs through the first 3.2 innings of the game. She finished the week with 14 strikeouts through 11 innings while limiting opponents to 11 hits and a .256 average at the plate.
- Texas Tech has sent eight home runs out of the park while the Texas Tech pitching staff has limited opponents to just three homers through 10 games.
- Karli Hamilton's last start was the 155th of her career. She has made 173 appearances and has started in every game since the start of the 2018 season.
- Heaven Burton leads the Red Raiders and ranks second in the league with 14 hits through 11 games.
- Breanna Russell had a big week at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational, delivering big blows in key wins over No. 17/18 South Carolina and No. 15 Georgia. Russell, who started all five games at third base, delivered a game-winning, two-run home run that pushed Tech past the Gamecocks to open the weekend. She singled against James Madison to break up what would have been a perfect game. With Tech winning by one against the 15th-ranked Bulldogs, Russell came through once again and blasted a two-run home run to add some extra cushion as she went 2-for-3 in the Red Raiders' 5-2 win. Russell came through with a double against the top-ranked Washington Huskies. Russell finished the week with a .333 batting average, team-leading five hits, four RBI and a pair of walks.
- Erin Edmoundson had another strong week in the circle as she faced some of the best hitters in the country at the St. Pete Clearwater Invitational. Edmoundson tossed a complete-game two-hitter that helped the Red Raiders to a 5-1 win over No. 17/18 South Carolina. Limiting the Gamecocks to just two hits, Edmoundson helped her own cause and collected one hit and one walk against South Carolina. She racked up six strikeouts through seven full innings.
- The Red Raiders kicked off the season with a perfect 5-0 weekend at the Big Easy Classic in New Orleans, La. Last weekend marked the second consecutive season where the Red Raiders started the year on a 5-0 streak.
- Junior Breanna Russell has started all but one of the 128 games of her career at third base. She twisted an ankle on opening weekend and had to miss the first start of her career against Montana. However, she entered the game in the top of the seventh and was a solid rock at third to help the Red Raiders to a 2-1 win in 10 innings.
- Left-handed pitcher Erin Edmoundson barely missed Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors in week one after a strong weekend in Louisiana. She was the only pitcher in the league to collect three wins and she led the league's top-10 leaders with a spotless 0.00 ERA. In 17.1 innings pitched, Edmoundson racked up 22 strikeouts and limited opponents to just five hits. Her strikeout-to-walk ratio for the weekend was 11-to-1 and she tossed one complete-game shutout and one combined shutout.
- Ahead of opening weekend, Tech received its first preseason rankings in program history. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 19 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches, ESPN.com/USA Softball and Softball America preseason polls.
- After starting 33 games in right field last season, sophomore Yvonne Whaley made a transition to the infield where she has started six games so far this season.
- Ahead of her final season with the Texas Tech softball team, redshirt senior All-American Karli Hamilton was named a member of the Softball America 2020 NCAA Preseason All-America Third Team on Jan. 27. Softball America also selected Hamilton as the No. 30 college softball player in the country.
- Resulting in one of the most exciting seasons in program history, the 2019 Texas Tech softball team defied all expectations and put together its most successful campaign of the Adrian Gregory era. Strong offense, combined with an improved defense, powered Tech to its first NCAA Regional Tournament appearance since 2012 and helped Tech to a record 14 straight weeks ranked in the top 25. The Red Raiders received their first top-10 ranking in program history and also spent six weeks among the nation's top-15 teams.
- Tech's 42-16 record tied for the second-highest win total in program history and six student-athletes garnered All-Big 12 recognition. Gregory's crew finished fourth in the Big 12 and earned its first three-game sweep over Baylor to date. The Red Raiders stunned the nation with a 13-game win streak to start the year, which included statement wins over No. 13 Arizona State, No. 17 Oregon, No. 21 Auburn, Wisconsin and a pair of wins over Drake. Tech posted 12 shutouts in 2019 as well as 13 run-rules.
- The Red Raiders thrived in 2019 and made major strides both offensively and defensively. The squad was one home run shy of tying the school record of 66 in a season and their 307 RBI mark ranked as the second-most in program history. The team held a .319 batting average at the plate, scored 352 runs, collected 483 hits and 203 walks while the Red Raider pitching staff tallied a combined 341 strikeouts – all coming in at No. 2 in the school record book. Defensively, Tech posted the fewest errors in program history and tied the school record of 27.0 consecutive shutout innings.
- The Red Raiders welcome back 15 letterwinners from a strong 2019 season. The Tech roster contains four seniors, six juniors, seven sophomores and seven freshman - highlighted by seniors Karli Hamilton and Missy Zoch, juniors Erin Edmoundson, Breanna Russell and Heaven Burton, as well as sophomores Zoe Jones and Peyton Blythe.
- The Red Raiders welcome a crop of seven talented freshmen to the field in 2020. Kamryn Caldwell (RHP), Brianna Cantu (UTL), Chloe Cobb (INF), Alanna Barraza (INF), Payton Jackson (OF), Amanda DeSario (OF) and Tori Whillock (OF) will all be in the fight during head coach Adrian Gregory's sixth season at the helm.
- Texas Tech brought in two key transfers - GiGi Wall (Oklahoma City) and Maddie Westmoreland (Indiana). Westmoreland is expected to add depth behind the plate and in the lineup following an impressive season at Indiana. The Glendale, Ariz., native held a .315 average at the plate with eight home runs and 41 hits en route to a First Team All-Big Ten nod. Another powerful tool in Tech's arsenal, Wall is set to enter the circle as a three-time NAIA All-American. She led Oklahoma City College to a pair of NAIA National Championship titles and was named the NAIA World Series MVP after both victories.
- Making her return from a devastating ACL tear prior to the start of last season, redshirt sophomore Michaela Cochran is ready for action after being named to the 2018 All-Big 12 Freshman Team. As a rookie, she started all 59 games in center field and ranked second on the team with an impressive 73 hits. She compiled a 14-game hitting streak and tied for the team lead with 22 multi-hit games.
- This season, the Red Raiders will go head-to-head against 16 opponents who reached the 2019 NCAA Tournament, including half of the field at the Women's College World Series. Highlighting the 2020 schedule is the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational and Judi Garman Classic, where Texas Tech be tested against a number of the nation's premier softball programs.
- The Red Raiders retained the entirety of its strong outfield. Heaven Burton and Karli Hamilton, who started every game in left and center field, respectively, are back and ready to roll. Tech also returns two crafty sophomores in Peyton Blythe and Yvonne Whaley, who split time in right field last season.
- Two familiar faces have returned to the Texas Tech pitching circle in 2020 as Erin Edmoundson and Missy Zoch return as Tech's dominant duo. Edmoundson, who heads into her junior season, was named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team after she posted the highest winning percentage in single-season history with an .800 mark after going 20-5. The southpaw finished the season with six shutouts – the most by any Red Raider since 2001 – and her 20 wins marked the fifth-highest win total in single-season history. The Deer Park, Texas, native became the seventh Red Raider in program history to toss a no-hitter, doing so in a 10-strikeout, complete-game shutout against Drake. In just one season with the Red Raiders, Zoch made a major impact on the pitching staff. She started the season on a 10-game win streak – the longest of any pitcher in program history – and finished her junior year with an 18-10 record. She limited a strong pool of opponents to a .225 average at the plate while collecting a team-leading 163 strikeouts – the most by a Tech pitcher since 2001. Her .643 winning percentage ranked fourth overall in Tech's single-season history and she paced her squad with a 2.71 ERA.
FINAL DETAILS
First pitch against Princeton is set for 1 p.m. on Friday and the Red Raiders will take on Syracuse later in the day at 3:30 p.m. Tech will return the next day to face Louisiana Tech (9 a.m.) and host Houston (4:30 p.m.) before closing out the tournament on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in a rematch against Syracuse.
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Live stats will be available for all five games. Tech's game against Houston will be streamed through Cougars All-Access and the remaining games will be streamed via Facebook Live on the Texas Tech softball Facebook page. For all the latest information on the Texas Tech softball team, visit TexasTech.com or follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
INF
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OF
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OF
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RHP/INF
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UTL
/ Softball
INF
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OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP/OF
/ Softball
OF
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OF
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C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
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