A Quick Introduction to the Teams Heading to the Lubbock Regional
With Texas Tech snagging a 9th seed in the NCAA Baseball tournament bringing in Louisville, Kent State and New Mexico State to Lubbock for the regional.
Texas Tech is familiar with two of the regional opponents playing both Louisville and New Mexico State in the regular season. The Red Raiders split with the Cardinals before Big 12 play started and beat the Aggies twice.
Kent State is a wild card but there is one common opponent we can look to in Arkansas. Texas Tech lost it's only game to Arkansas while Kent State went 1-2 against the Razorbacks.
The 2 seed Louisville closed it's season out on a tear going 23-6 and getting to the ACC Championship game before losing to Florida State. Looking back at the midweek series between the Cardinals and the Red Raiders split, there isn't much to glean except that Ryan Shetter threw four innings against them and walked five but didn't give up any runs. Jose Quezada, Ty Harpeneau and Caleb Freeman all saw time during the win. In the Red Raider loss to Louisville, Ryan Sublette took the loss after a Conner Queen start.
Before Texas Tech plays either Louisville or Kent State they will have to beat a New Mexico State Aggie club, something they have done in every opportunity they have had against them this season. In the first game against the Aggies, Ryan Shetter and company pitched a combined shout out with Shetter going six complete with nine strikeouts.
The game was in Lubbock and the Red Raiders scored 12 runs and hit three home runs. When the two teams met in Midland it took a Zach Rheams walk off to finish off the Aggies but it was the pitching that kept the Red Raiders in the game. Five different Red Raiders threw in the game with Ryan Sublette throwing three plus innings of one run baseball before the bullpen completely shut down NMSU.
There will be more in depth coverage coming this week but the initial reaction is a positive one with Texas Tech having a great shot at moving into a Super Regional and getting past these teams traveling to Lubbock.