Thursday, February 17
Clearwater, FL
11:30 AM
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Auburn
Photo by: Kenny Richmond
Preview: Tech at St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational
February 16, 2022 | Softball
Texas Tech will play six teams that are ranked or receiving votes heading into the week during its second appearance at the SPC Elite Invitational
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech softball will make its way to Clearwater, Florida for one of the premiere softball tournaments in college softball Feb. 17-20. The Red Raiders will compete in the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational for the second time where Tech will face six teams that are either ranked or receiving votes.
The Red Raiders took part in the SPC Elite Invitational back in 2020, before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tech went 2-3 in the tournament with wins over South Carolina and Georgia while falling to James Madison, South Florida and Washington.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Location: Eddie C. Moore Complex – Clearwater, FL
Game Notes: Texas Tech
Thur. Feb. 17
11:30 a.m. CT – Tech vs. Auburn (Live Stats | Watch)
2:30 p.m. CT – Tech vs. #15 Clemson (Live Stats | Watch)
Fri. Feb. 18
9:30 a.m. CT – Tech vs. Northwestern (Live Stats | Watch)
5:00 p.m. CT – Tech vs. #24 UCF (Live Stats | Watch)
Sat. Feb. 19
1:30 p.m. CT – Tech vs. #6 Washington (Live Stats | Watch)
Sun. Feb. 20
8:00 a.m. CT – Tech vs. #21 LSU (Live Stats | Watch)
PREVIEW
The Red Raiders kick off the tournament Thursday at 11:30 a.m. CT against RV Auburn before turning around to play No. 15 Clemson at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Friday the Red Raiders start early with a 9:30 a.m. matchup against RV Northwestern and come back that night to play No. 24 UCF. Tech will have just one game Saturday, squaring off against No. 6 Washington at 1:30 p.m., a rematch of the 2020 meeting in Clearwater. The Red Raiders will close out the tournament Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. against No. 21 LSU.
All games will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks. The games against Auburn and LSU will air on SEC Network while Tech's matchup with Clemson will be live on ACC Network. The three remaining games will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Texas Tech (3-1) opened the season with a solid showing at the Houston Invitational, taking home a pair of wins against UTSA and splitting wins with Houston. The Red Raiders tied a program record with five home runs in the opening win over UTSA. Red Raider sophomore Carson Armijo led the team with a .417 average, five hits, five RBI, two home runs and three game-winning hits in the tournament. Pitcher Kendall Fritz was nearly perfect in the circle, tossing two complete-game one hitters, allowing no runs while striking out nine and walking just one batter.
The Red Raiders will face the Auburn Tigers (5-0) for the fourth time on Thursday. The last meeting came in 2019 in a contest Tech won 5-4 in Auburn at the Plainsman Invitational. Auburn leads the overall series 1-2.
Thursday afternoon's matchup between Tech and Clemson (3-1) will be the first between the two programs on the softball diamond. Clemson enters its third year as a program, having reached the NCAA Regionals in just the second year of existence.
Tech and Northwestern (4-1) will meet for the sixth time in the first of two meetings this season on Friday. The Red Raiders will play the Wildcats again next week in California at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Northwestern leads the series 2-3, winning the last meeting 14-6 in 2012 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
The Huskies are not an unfamiliar opponent having played the Red Raiders on 13 occasions previously. Washington owns a 1-12 series advantage last defeating Tech in Clearwater in 2020 11-5 in eight innings.
Tech and LSU have met six times in the last six years, three of those meetings coming at the 2019 Baton Rouge NCAA Regional. The Red Raiders have won just one time in ten prior meetings, the one win coming in that NCAA Regional when the Red Raiders defeated the Tigers 5-4 to stay in the winner's bracket before falling twice in the regional championship round. The last meeting between the teams came in 2020 at the Judi Garman Classic as the Tigers defeated the Red Raiders 6-5.
For the latest information on the Texas Tech softball team, visit TexasTech.com or follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Red Raiders took part in the SPC Elite Invitational back in 2020, before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tech went 2-3 in the tournament with wins over South Carolina and Georgia while falling to James Madison, South Florida and Washington.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Location: Eddie C. Moore Complex – Clearwater, FL
Game Notes: Texas Tech
Thur. Feb. 17
11:30 a.m. CT – Tech vs. Auburn (Live Stats | Watch)
2:30 p.m. CT – Tech vs. #15 Clemson (Live Stats | Watch)
Fri. Feb. 18
9:30 a.m. CT – Tech vs. Northwestern (Live Stats | Watch)
5:00 p.m. CT – Tech vs. #24 UCF (Live Stats | Watch)
Sat. Feb. 19
1:30 p.m. CT – Tech vs. #6 Washington (Live Stats | Watch)
Sun. Feb. 20
8:00 a.m. CT – Tech vs. #21 LSU (Live Stats | Watch)
PREVIEW
The Red Raiders kick off the tournament Thursday at 11:30 a.m. CT against RV Auburn before turning around to play No. 15 Clemson at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Friday the Red Raiders start early with a 9:30 a.m. matchup against RV Northwestern and come back that night to play No. 24 UCF. Tech will have just one game Saturday, squaring off against No. 6 Washington at 1:30 p.m., a rematch of the 2020 meeting in Clearwater. The Red Raiders will close out the tournament Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. against No. 21 LSU.
All games will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks. The games against Auburn and LSU will air on SEC Network while Tech's matchup with Clemson will be live on ACC Network. The three remaining games will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Texas Tech (3-1) opened the season with a solid showing at the Houston Invitational, taking home a pair of wins against UTSA and splitting wins with Houston. The Red Raiders tied a program record with five home runs in the opening win over UTSA. Red Raider sophomore Carson Armijo led the team with a .417 average, five hits, five RBI, two home runs and three game-winning hits in the tournament. Pitcher Kendall Fritz was nearly perfect in the circle, tossing two complete-game one hitters, allowing no runs while striking out nine and walking just one batter.
The Red Raiders will face the Auburn Tigers (5-0) for the fourth time on Thursday. The last meeting came in 2019 in a contest Tech won 5-4 in Auburn at the Plainsman Invitational. Auburn leads the overall series 1-2.
Thursday afternoon's matchup between Tech and Clemson (3-1) will be the first between the two programs on the softball diamond. Clemson enters its third year as a program, having reached the NCAA Regionals in just the second year of existence.
Tech and Northwestern (4-1) will meet for the sixth time in the first of two meetings this season on Friday. The Red Raiders will play the Wildcats again next week in California at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Northwestern leads the series 2-3, winning the last meeting 14-6 in 2012 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
The Huskies are not an unfamiliar opponent having played the Red Raiders on 13 occasions previously. Washington owns a 1-12 series advantage last defeating Tech in Clearwater in 2020 11-5 in eight innings.
Tech and LSU have met six times in the last six years, three of those meetings coming at the 2019 Baton Rouge NCAA Regional. The Red Raiders have won just one time in ten prior meetings, the one win coming in that NCAA Regional when the Red Raiders defeated the Tigers 5-4 to stay in the winner's bracket before falling twice in the regional championship round. The last meeting between the teams came in 2020 at the Judi Garman Classic as the Tigers defeated the Red Raiders 6-5.
For the latest information on the Texas Tech softball team, visit TexasTech.com or follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
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