Texas Tech University Athletics
Preview: Tech opens 2022 with State Farm Showdown
February 17, 2022 | Baseball
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Texas Tech baseball season kicks off at the State Farm College Showdown, Feb. 18-20, hosted at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas. Of the six teams in Arlington this opening weekend, Tech is the sole program making its second trip as it was a part of the inaugural event last season. Tech will face off against Michigan (Big Ten), Auburn (SEC) and Arizona (Pac-12) over the next three days. In 2021, Tech dropped each of its contests (Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State) to three SEC programs each ranked in the top 10 at the time. The Red Raiders went on to win 14-straight games and finished the season 39-17, hosted a regional as the No. 8 national seed and hosted the Super Regional round as well.
Live action will be provided via the streaming service FloBaseball with Danny Lee providing the play-by-play, joined by analyst Pat Combs in the booth. Fans can access the game by visiting FloBaseball.tv and the platform is also available using the Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast platforms. To view, it will require a paid subscription.
Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game over 46 affiliates throughout the state of Texas and New Mexico as Mike Gustafson will have the call alongside analyst Jamie Lent.
(Home Team Listed Second/All Times CST)
Friday, February 18
7:00 p.m.—Michigan vs. Texas Tech Watch ($) | Listen | Follow | Stats
Saturday, February 19
3:00 p.m.—Texas Tech vs. Auburn
Watch ($) | Listen | Follow | Stats
Sunday, February 20
2:30 p.m.—Arizona vs. Texas Tech
Watch ($) | Listen | Follow | Stats
A NEW YEAR
The 2022 Red Raiders feature 21 new faces and 19 veterans. Tech returns six position players that started at least 30 games and 11 pitchers including Brandon Birdsell who was selected in the 11th round of last year's MLB draft. Meanwhile, Jace Jung is who's grabbed the headlines, as the 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year, enters 2022 as the conference's preseason player of the year, a Golden Spikes Watch Lister, and a five-time first team preseason All-American.
EARN IT IN LEAGUE PLAY
Texas Tech was voted third in the 2022 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll, the conference revealed on Jan. 27. The league's nine head coaches voted the order and were not permitted to vote for their own team.
Positioned No. 3, the Red Raiders face their first uphill fight after four-straight seasons being pegged the preseason favorite (2018-2021). The last time Tech was not picked preseason No. 1, they were slotted third in 2017, which marked, at the time, the Red Raiders' highest preseason ranking since being picked third in 2000. In 2017, the Red Raiders won the Big 12 regular season title and hosted a regional as the No. 5 national seed.
Texas received eight first place votes for a total of 64 points to nab the top spot and its first time being atop the preseason league poll since 2010. Oklahoma State followed in second with 52 points and one first place vote while Texas Tech was third with 49 points. TCU and Baylor round out the top five with 48 and 33 points, respectively. Oklahoma (25), Kansas State (23), West Virginia (20) and Kansas (10) wrap up the ledger.
A GLANCE AT GAME 1 - MICHIGAN
- Michigan was picked to finish second behind Nebraska in the 2022 Big Ten preseason poll.
- The trio of Ted Burton, INF, Jr., Clark Elliott, OF, Jr., and Cam Weston, RHP, Jr., received Big Ten preseason honors.
- Michigan finished 27-17 in the 2021 regular season, advanced to Regionals and saw three players drafted.
- Michigan boasts a veteran lineup with every projected starter to be at least a junior.
- Tech owns a 7-2 all-time series advantage, however, Michigan owns the last two wins defeating the Red Raiders twice in the 2019 College World Series.
A GLANCE AT GAME 2 - AUBURN
- Tech will face Auburn for the first time in program history.
- Auburn was picked to finish seventh out of seven teams in the SEC Western Division in the 2022 preseason poll.
- Auburn did not have a representative in the 2022 SEC Preseason all-conference team.
- Auburn finished 25-27 in the 2021 season and sat sixth in the SEC West and 12th overall.
- The Tigers return 11 position players and nine pitchers from last year's team, and are welcoming 12 newcomers.
A GLANCE AT GAME 3 - ARIZONA
- Arizona was picked to finish third behind Stanford and Oregon State in the 2022 Pac-12 preseason poll.
- Arizona, like Texas Tech, enters the season ranked in the Top 25 in every major national preseason poll.
- Arizona kicks off an era this weekend with first-year head coach Chip Hale.
- Arizona has scored at least one run in 172 consecutive games, the longest active scoring streak in the Power 5.
- Sophomore catcher Daniel Susac was unanimously chosen as a First Team Preseason All-American
- Transfer and left-handed reliever Holden Christian also earned Preseason All-America recognition, earning Second Team status from D1Baseball
- Arizona leads the all-time series, 11-6. Tech is 2-0 in neutral site games (a pair of games played in Fresno, Calif. in March 1993).
