No. 21 Tech Baseball to open 2024 in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Texas – The No. 21 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders open the 2024 season this weekend when they head to the Shriners Children's College Baseball Showdown presented by Kabota and hosted by the REV Entertainment Group and Globe Life Field.

The Red Raiders are no strangers to the event, as Tech has now played in the Shriners in three consecutive seasons, the first of those apperances came at Globe Life in 2021.

Fans can watch all three games of the weekend tournament on FloSports/FloBaseball or listen to all of the action on the Texas Tech Sports Network via 'TheVarsityNetwork' app.

First pitch from Arlington is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS (2023 Stats):

MATCHUP: No. 21 Texas Tech (0-0) vs. No. 9 Tennessee (0-0)
DATE: Friday, Feb. 16, 2024
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Kyle Robinson (1-1, 5.36 ERA) vs. RHP AJ Russell (2-0, 0.89 ERA)

MATCHUP: No. 21 Texas Tech (0-0) vs. Nebraska (0-0)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
TIME: 3 p.m.
LOCATION: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Zane Petty (3-2, 5.68 ERA) vs. LHP Will Walsh (5-3, 4.24 ERA)

MATCHUP: No. 21 Texas Tech (0-0) vs. Oregon (0-0)
DATE: Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024
TIME: 2:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Jack Washburn (injured) vs. TBA

STORYLINES:

LIVING THE GLOBE LIFE

The Red Raiders will spend the opening week of the 2024 season in Arlington/at Globe Life Field, starting with Friday's season-opener against No. 9 Tennessee. The weekend continues with a Saturday afternoon game against former Big 12 foe Nebraska, before concluding with a contest against 2023 Super Regional participants Oregon. After an off day on Monday (Feb. 19), the Red Raiders return to action with a midweek contest against UTA (Feb. 20) before closing with Noon clash with No. 7 Oregon State. The Red Raiders five-game road swing is the longest to open a season since 2008 when the Red Raiders opened up with eight games away from Rip Griffin Park
(4 in San Antonio, 1 in Albuquerque, 3 in Houston).

OPENING DAY K-ROB AGAIN

Texas Tech junior righty Kyle Robinson is projected to take the ball once again for the Red Raiders on opening day. If Robinson does get the start on opening day, he will become the first Red Raider since Davis Martin (2017-18) to start consecutive opening days. Robinson would be just the third Red Raider since 2014 to take the ball on back-to-back openers joining Martin and former Red Raider Ryan Moseley.

TOP-10 FOE? NOT SURPRISED

The Texas Tech Red Raiders open the season with a top-10 opponent for the second time in four seasons and for the third time in the last 10 years. The last time Tech opened the season with a top-10 foe was the 2021 season when the Red Raiders opened with No. 8 Arkansas at Globe Life Field. Tech entered that contest ranked No. 3 in the country. as Arkansas exploded for five runs in the ninth to flip a 9-8 Tech lead into a 13-8 deficit.

In the only other top-10 season opener under head coach Tim Tadlock, Tech welcomed No. 3 Indiana to Rip Griffin Park for a four-game series. On opening Day, Tech fell 1-0 to the Hoosiers before rebounding for three straight wins to clinch the opening series of the season. The Red Raiders are 41-37 under Tim Tadlock against Top-10 foes all-time, and have won eight of the last 12 matchups against a Top-10 opponent dating back to the 2022 season.

WE KNOW OUR WAY AROUND PLACE

Since Globe Life Field has opened ahe ad of the 2020 season, Texas Tech has been a frequent visitor to the home ballpark of the Texas Rangers. The Red Raiders opened the 2021 season at the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field with three games, before returning to College Baseball Showdown the following season for three games. 2022 also featured postseason games at Globe Life, as the Big 12 Tournament moved to the Rangers park in 2022. Tech has played 13 total games in the last four seasons, not including the five they will play this week, meaning Wednesday's matchup with Oregon State will be the Red Raiders 18th all-time game at Globe life.

The Red Raiders are 1-5 all-time in the Shriners Classic at Globe Life Field with four of those five losses coming against ranked opponents. Including the Big 12 Tournament, the Red Raiders are 4-9 all-time at Globe LIfe.

THE STARS WILL BE OUT ON OPENING WEEK

Ahead of the start of the 2024 season on Friday night, D1Baseball released its updated Top-200 MLB Draft prospects in college baseball, and the Red Raiders were well represented, as a trio of players landed in the top-100 of the list. Catcher Kevin Bazzell was selected as the No. 34 prospect, while Friday's projected starting pitcher Kyle Robinson checked in at No. 50 in the rankings. First baseman Gavin Kash was included D1's list, as Kash was named the No. 85 draft eligible prospect in college baseball.

With Tech's three inclusions on the list, Tennessee's six players, Friday's matchup in Arlington will feature nine of the Top-200 MLB Draft prospects in college baseball. Right-handed pitcher Drew Beam is the highest of UTs prospects as he was selected as the No. 29 prospect. Clemson transfer Billy Amick was named the 40th-best prospect, followed by Christian Moore (No. 77), Dylan Dreilling (No. 78) and Blake Burk (No. 81). Infielder Alex Perry was the six and final Vol to be selected, as the former Pearl River CC standout was selected as the No. 123 draft-eligible prospect. Nebraska SS Dylan Carey was the 193 ranked draft prospect while Oregon's Drew Smith was tabbed No. 171 on the Top-200 list

GLOBE LIFE HEROICS

The last time the Red Raiders opened the season at Globe Life Field, current Red Raider outfielder Owen Washburn recorded a walk-off single on Friday night against Michigan. Washburn went 3-for-4 with a pair of walks and three runs scored in that contest. What made the feat even more impressive for Washburn is the fact that it came in his first career collegiate game.

KNOW YOUR FOE:

KNOW YOUR FOE - TENNESSEE

• Head coach Tony Vitello enters year eight on Rocky Top in 2024 and has led the Vols to four straight NCAA Regional appearances (minus 2020 where the NCAA Tournament was not held) and three straight Super Regional appearances. Tennessee has appeared in Omaha twice in three seasons and has posted a 151-49 record since the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020.

• The Vols feature a stout and deep 2024 roster that includes three PG Preseason All-America selections. Friday's projected starter Drew Beam highlights that trio and returns in 2024 after posting a 9-4 record and pitching to a 3.63 ERA in 2023.

• Beam struck out 88 batters in 84.1 innings pitched. A 2022 consensus Freshman All-American and 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year, Beam spent part of his summer competing at the USA Baseball College National Team Showcase, where he teammates with Friday's Red Raider starting pitcher Kyle Robinson. Beam threw four one-run innings and struck out four in the United States' 8-6 Game Two victory over Japan. The righty has pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 160.1 innings pitched.

• Tennessee's second Preseason All-American, Christian Moore, returns for his junior season on Rocky Top after also spending the 2023 summer on the Collegiate National Team. The 2023 Clemson Regional MVP, Moore hit 17 homers and drove in 50 runs. Moore hit a pair of homer runs and drove in four runs in the Vols 9-2 regional-clinching victory over Charlotte.

• The Vols also hit the portal for some help in 2024, as Tennessee added three players that project to appear in the Vols everyday lineup in 2024. The transfer class is highlighted by junior third baseman Billy Amick who transferred to UT after hitting .413 in 193 at-bats a season ago at Clemson. Tennessee's 2024 transfer class was rated as the No. 3 class in the country by D1 Baseball and also features potential starting catcher Cannon Peebles who hit .352 with a .456 on-base percentage and socked 12 homers.

• Tennessee was predicted to finish second in the SEC East in the Preseason Poll and placed three players on the Preseason All-SEC team.

KNOW YOUR FOE: NEBRASKA

• Nebraska enters the 2024 season after going 33-23-1 in 2023. Led by head coach Will Bolt, the Huskers look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since winning the Big 10 in 2021. Bolt enters his fifth season at the helm of his alma mater after being named the NUs head coach in June of 2019.

• While returning a strong core in 2024, Nebraska will need to replace both middle infielders from last years squad, as Max Anderson and Brice Matthews combined for 41 of NUs program-record 97 homers in 2023. Matthews was drafted 28th overall by the Astros, while Anderson followed midway through the second round getting taken by the Tigers with the 45th overall selection. Bolt does return a pair of high-impact bats in Gabe Swansen and Dylan Carey. Swansen hit .291 with 18 home runs a season ago, while Carey hit .275 in his freshman campaign as 15 of his 57 hits went for extra bases.

• Nebraska also brings in a strong class of newcomers highlighted by the addition of Saint Mary's (TX) transfer Clay Bradford who hit .419 with 15 doubles and 14 home runs. Bradford slugged an eye-popping 1.246 for the D-II powerhouse and drove in 54 runs in 52 games. Iowa Western transfer Tyler Stone will also look to make an immediate impact in his first season in Lincoln. Stone hit .366 with 17 bombs last season.

• The Huskers were picked fifth in the Big 10 Preseason Poll that was released earlier this week and placed three players on the 39-memeber Player to Watch List, as Dylan Carey, Gabe Swansen and Will Walsh will all named to the list. As previously mentioned Swansen hit .291 with 18 homers in 2023, while Walsh went 5-3 overall with a 4.24 ERA in 2023. Walsh closed his 2023 season in style throwing a shutout against Michigan State in the Big 10 Conference Tournament. Walsh spent the 2023 season splitting time between the starting rotation and the bullpen.

KNOW YOUR FOE: OREGON

• Another Super Regional team in 2024, Oregon enters the season looking to replace six starters including third-rounder Sabin Ceballos and Drew Cowley. Ceballos hit 18 homers and drove in 70 for the Ducks while Cowley countered with a slightly higher average (.341) and 16 homers to go along with his 70 runs driven in. Oregon finished the 2023 season just two outs from advancing to Omaha, after the Ducks allowed runs in the seventh and eighth before getting walked off on a two-RBI single in the ninth against Oral Roberts. The game tied the series 1-1 as Oregon fell the next day to ORU to fall short of Omaha. Oregon earned the right to host Super Regionals last year by winning the Nashville regional and defeating Xavier twice and No. 3 overall seed Vanderbilt once.

• Another Super Regional team in 2024, Oregon enters the season looking to replace six starters including third-rounder Sabin Ceballos and Drew Cowley. Ceballos hit 18 homers and drove in 70 for the Ducks while Cowley countered with a slightly higher average (.341) and 16 homers to go along with his 70 runs driven in. Oregon finished the 2023 season just two outs from advancing to Omaha, after the Ducks allowed runs in the seventh and eighth before getting walked off on a two-RBI single in the ninth against Oral Roberts. The game tied the series 1-1, as Oregon fell the next day to ORU to fall short of Omaha.

• Oregon also went to the portal to bolster the 2024 roster bringing a pair of outfielders that will likely compete for the center field job in Arkansas transfer Mason Neville and Elon transfer Justin Cassella. A former Top-100 prospect, Neville was an 18th Round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2022 MLB Draft who took just 27 at-bats for the Razorbacks in 2023. The other potential impact transfer, Cassella, hit .343 for Elon in 2023 with 17 homers and 46 runs batted in. Oregon does return multiple impact players from 2023 including Jacob Walsh, Bennett Thompson and Drew Smith. Walsh hit 16 homers last year while Thompson and Smith hit .340 and .365 respectfully.

• Oregon also went to the portal to bolster the 2024 roster bringing a pair of outfielders that will likely compete for the center field job in Arkansas transfer Mason Neville and Elon transfer Justin Cassella. A former Top-100 prospect, Neville was an 18th Round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2022 MLB Draft who took just 27 at-bats for the Razorbacks in 2023. The other potential impact transfer, Cassella, hit .343 for Elon in 2023 with 17 homers and 46 runs batted in. Oregon does return multiple impact players from 2023 including Jacob Walsh, Bennett Thompson and Drew Smith. Walsh hit 16 homers last year while Thompson and Smith hit .340 and .365 respectfully.

• Oregon was picked fourth in the PAC 12 Preseason Poll behind No. 7 Oregon State, Stanford and UCLA. In the end, three different Ducks were named All-PAC 12 selections as first baseman Jacob Walsh, Grayson Grinsell and Logan Mercado were all honored. Walsh was a 2022 Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and is a career .268 hitter. Walsh has hit 22 home runs and driven in 75 RBIs in 120 career games, while pitchers Grayson Grinsell and Logan Mercado were also named to the All-PAC 12 Preseason Team. Grinsell pitched to a 4.47 ERA during his freshman campaign after splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen, while Mercado went 5-1 with a 5.95 ERA in 21 appearances out of both the pen and the rotation.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders continue their stay in Arlington by wrapping up a five-game swing at Globe Life Field on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon against UT Arlington and Oregon State. First pitch against the Mavs is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for Noon on Wednesday against the No. 7 ranked Beavers.

No. 21 Tech Baseball to open 2024 in Arlington

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kevin Bazzell

Gavin Kash

Zane Petty

Kyle Robinson

Jack Washburn

Owen Washburn

No. 21 Tech Baseball to open 2024 in Arlington

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kevin Bazzell

Gavin Kash

Zane Petty

Kyle Robinson

Jack Washburn

Owen Washburn

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