
Tech's postseason run ends in Regional Championship
June 05, 2023 | Baseball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Texas Tech's season came to an end on Monday, falling 6-0 to No. 2 Florida in the game seven Gainesville Regional Championship at Condron Ballpark. It closes another successful season under 11th-year head coach Tim Tadlock who guided his team to its seventh-straight regional championship appearance and sixth 40-win season as the skipper for the Red Raiders.
Florida was red hot in its comeback effort to secure a spot in the Super Regionals, tallying its most hits, 11, in its five games in their home-hosted Gainesville Regional. The national 2-seed of the NCAA tournament won its final three games to stave off elimination, using two wins over the 3-seed Red Raiders and one over 2-seed UConn, registering a cumulative 21-3 run total after falling to Texas Tech on Saturday night, 5-4.
Texas Tech was held to four hits, three from freshman Gage Harrelson's 3-for-3 standout day, and the fourth a leadoff double by Austin Green in the second inning. The Red Raiders also benefited from five free passes. With the baserunners Tech could manufacture, it could not move its runners with its opportunities, going 1-for-18 with runners on base and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The Red Raiders produced leadoff baserunners in the second (hit), fourth (walk), sixth (hit) and eighth (walk); it was the eighth inning when Tech advanced a baserunner to third for the first time.
Tech's four hits tied for the second-least in a tournament game all-time and it was the fourth time they've ever been shutout in a tournament game – the last being Tech's exit from the Super Regional round to Stanford in 2021.
"They just pitched really methodical," said head coach Tim Tadlock. "There were a ton of strikes and they didn't give up many free passes. They were always pitching ahead against us, so when you're up there in the box and you're down 0-2, 1-2 consistently, it is really hard to get offense rhythm going. They just pitched really soundly."
Texas Tech received another strong start on the mound from a freshman arm, Jacob Rogers on Monday followed by Zane Petty on Sunday. In his fifth start of the season and first since April 22 versus Baylor, Rogers tossed three innings allowing three hits and one run – a two-out solo homer connected by Wyatt Langford – before his final out.
The Gators tallied their six runs over three consecutive scoring innings, starting with a solo homer in the third followed by a pair of runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth. Two consistent bullpen arms for the Red Raiders were attacked in two of the scoring innings while a defensive error in each of those frames did not help matters. Florida connected for a single followed by a home run off Josh Sanders in his first action to start the fourth. In the fifth, a leadoff shortstop error compounded a four-hit, three-run fifth against Brandon Beckel.
Ryan Free and Ethan Coombes kept Florida off the scoreboard over the final three innings.
Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
Catcher: Ty Hanchey, Florida A&M
First base: Jac Caglianone, Florida
Second base: Austin Green, Texas Tech
Third base: Kevin Bazzell, Texas Tech
Shortstop: Josh Rivera, Florida
Outfield: Wyatt Langford, Florida
Outfield: Tyler Shelnut, Florida
Outfield: Zac Vooletich, Texas Tech
Starting Pitcher: Mason Molina, Texas Tech
Starting Pitcher: Hurston Waldrep, Florida
Relief Pitcher: Brandon Neely, Florida
Regional MVP: Jac Caglianone, Florida
-TECH-
Florida was red hot in its comeback effort to secure a spot in the Super Regionals, tallying its most hits, 11, in its five games in their home-hosted Gainesville Regional. The national 2-seed of the NCAA tournament won its final three games to stave off elimination, using two wins over the 3-seed Red Raiders and one over 2-seed UConn, registering a cumulative 21-3 run total after falling to Texas Tech on Saturday night, 5-4.
Texas Tech was held to four hits, three from freshman Gage Harrelson's 3-for-3 standout day, and the fourth a leadoff double by Austin Green in the second inning. The Red Raiders also benefited from five free passes. With the baserunners Tech could manufacture, it could not move its runners with its opportunities, going 1-for-18 with runners on base and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The Red Raiders produced leadoff baserunners in the second (hit), fourth (walk), sixth (hit) and eighth (walk); it was the eighth inning when Tech advanced a baserunner to third for the first time.
Tech's four hits tied for the second-least in a tournament game all-time and it was the fourth time they've ever been shutout in a tournament game – the last being Tech's exit from the Super Regional round to Stanford in 2021.
"They just pitched really methodical," said head coach Tim Tadlock. "There were a ton of strikes and they didn't give up many free passes. They were always pitching ahead against us, so when you're up there in the box and you're down 0-2, 1-2 consistently, it is really hard to get offense rhythm going. They just pitched really soundly."
Texas Tech received another strong start on the mound from a freshman arm, Jacob Rogers on Monday followed by Zane Petty on Sunday. In his fifth start of the season and first since April 22 versus Baylor, Rogers tossed three innings allowing three hits and one run – a two-out solo homer connected by Wyatt Langford – before his final out.
The Gators tallied their six runs over three consecutive scoring innings, starting with a solo homer in the third followed by a pair of runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth. Two consistent bullpen arms for the Red Raiders were attacked in two of the scoring innings while a defensive error in each of those frames did not help matters. Florida connected for a single followed by a home run off Josh Sanders in his first action to start the fourth. In the fifth, a leadoff shortstop error compounded a four-hit, three-run fifth against Brandon Beckel.
Ryan Free and Ethan Coombes kept Florida off the scoreboard over the final three innings.
Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
Catcher: Ty Hanchey, Florida A&M
First base: Jac Caglianone, Florida
Second base: Austin Green, Texas Tech
Third base: Kevin Bazzell, Texas Tech
Shortstop: Josh Rivera, Florida
Outfield: Wyatt Langford, Florida
Outfield: Tyler Shelnut, Florida
Outfield: Zac Vooletich, Texas Tech
Starting Pitcher: Mason Molina, Texas Tech
Starting Pitcher: Hurston Waldrep, Florida
Relief Pitcher: Brandon Neely, Florida
Regional MVP: Jac Caglianone, Florida
-TECH-
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