Friday, February 7
New Orleans, LA
9:30 AM
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Houston Baptist
Softball Opens 2020 Season at Big Easy Classic
February 06, 2020 | Softball
The Red Raiders will travel to New Orleans, La., for five games.
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech softball team is set to kick off the 2020 season with five games at the Big Easy Classic in New Orleans, La., on Feb. 7-9.
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The Red Raiders will take on Houston Baptist and Jackson State on opening day (Feb. 7) and will face Central Arkansas and Baton Rouge Regional foe Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Tech will close out the three-day tournament with a Sunday matchup against Montana.
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RED RAIDER QUICK HITS
FINAL DETAILS
Texas Tech will take on Houston Baptist (9:30 a.m.) and Jackson State (2:30 p.m.) on Friday before going head-to-head against Central Arkansas (9:30 a.m.) and host Louisiana Tech (12 p.m.) on Saturday. The Red Raiders are set to close out the five-game tournament on Sunday with a 10 a.m. contest against Montana. Live stats will be available for all five games. 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 take on Houston Baptist and Jackson State on opening day (Feb. 7) and will face Central Arkansas and Baton Rouge Regional foe Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Tech will close out the three-day tournament with a Sunday matchup against Montana.
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| GAME | |
| Dates | Friday - Sunday | Feb. 7-9 |
| Site | Location | LaSalle Park | New Orleans, La. |
| Game 1 | TTU vs. Houston Baptist | 9:30 a.m. | Live Stats |
| Game 2 | TTU vs. Jackson State | 2:30 p.m. | Live Stats |
| Game 3 | TTU vs. Central Arkansas | 9:30 a.m. | Live Stats |
| Game 4 | TTU vs. Louisiana Tech | 12 p.m. | Live Stats |
| Game 5 | TTU vs. Montana | 10 a.m. | Live Stats |
| Texas Tech Softball | Softball Home Page | Game Notes (PDF) | Twitter Password for live stats: BigEasy20 |
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RED RAIDER QUICK HITS
- Ahead of her final season with the Texas Tech softball team, redshirt senior 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.Â
- 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 will grace 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
Texas Tech will take on Houston Baptist (9:30 a.m.) and Jackson State (2:30 p.m.) on Friday before going head-to-head against Central Arkansas (9:30 a.m.) and host Louisiana Tech (12 p.m.) on Saturday. The Red Raiders are set to close out the five-game tournament on Sunday with a 10 a.m. contest against Montana. Live stats will be available for all five games. 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
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LHP/OF
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