Red Raider Sports Magazine-Feb/March 2022

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RedRaiderSports.com is a publication of TRI Productions Volume 27 Issue 4 Managing Editor Aaron Dickens

Cover Photo Katie Perkins

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Michaela Schumacher Katie Perkins

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ONE of a KIND

by TERRY GREENBERG

When Kirby Hocutt is asked for his favorite Texas Tech baseball memory since hiring Tim Tadlock to be Head Coach, the Red Raider Director of Athletics pauses for a few seconds.

Then he says, “There have been so many.”

“I vividly remember sitting in my truck and calling (Athletic Director) Joe Castiglione at Oklahoma and telling him we had interest in speaking to Tim Tadlock to come here as our Associate Head Coach because I knew what type of individual we were bringing in to join our program,” he said.

After the university decided to change head coaches a year later, Hocutt remembers asking the team what they needed in their next head coach.

“A handful of them said Tim Tadlock,” he said.

The day Tech beat the College of Charleston to go to the College World Series for the first time in school history in 2014, Hocutt recalled how “charged up” Rip Griffin Park was.

“It was electric. Our fans were so excited because they knew what the potential was that day. Then I remember watching our team dogpile after the win,” he said, adding and walking into that first CWS game in Omaha was surreal.

Or when Tadlock told his boss they should put out a statement saying Tadlock was not going to the University of Texas but staying at his alma mater.

“He’s a special coach, a special person and we’re so fortunate to have him guiding this baseball program,” said Hocutt.

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Special is: • Four trips to the College World Series since Tadlock’s second season in Lubbock.

• Three Big 12 Championships in the last five full seasons.

• Five straight NCAA Regionals hosted at Rip Griffin Park.

• Josh Jung taken eighth in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers.

• Jace Jung earning 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year.

A New Home Along the way have been numerous improvements to Rip Griffin Park – renovated grandstand and expanded suites, video board upgrades and field turf replacement to Dan Law Field, making it more special for the team and Tech’s fans who keep selling out season seats.

Work on the next piece will go forward after fundraising wrapped up for the new Texas Tech Baseball Center– another piece in the Campaign for Fearless Champions. The center will be down the leftfield line.

See accompanying story in this issue about the Lewises.

The center: • Updates the team locker room.

• Adds two hydrotherapy pools.

• Creates sport medicine spaces.

• Improves player amenities, including nutrition and grooming areas.

• Moves all coaching offices to the baseball center allowing Tech to expand premium seating for fans.

“I want to thank the Lewises for investing into our future and the trust they’ve demonstrated in us through their generosity,” said Hocutt, mentioning other donors like Texas Tech University System Regent Mark Griffin and the Pickering family among others.

“It’s really humbling and inspiring at the same time. Donors are stepping forward in such a significant way allowing us to compete at the highest level and celebrate the special moments and experiences successful athletics brings to a university,” said Hocutt.

Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development, said the baseball donor family is incredibly supportive and passionate about this program.

“They’re very committed and proud of what Coach Tadlock is doing. They believe in him and the way he manages these student athletes. More than 70 donors made gifts to the baseball center from $1,000 up to the Lewis family’s $2.5 million. Every single gift counted and allowed us to make this happen,” she said.

“This program has accomplished so much and our student-athletes are more than deserving of this team facility,” Tirey said. “Donors stuck with us and this project is possible because of so many.”

Tadlock appreciates all support his team receives.

“Our donors have been amazing – we appreciate everyone who sup-

ports Texas Tech baseball. Our fans are great. Our former players support the program. It all makes a big difference,” said the coach.

The project will be built over two baseball seasons.

“That was the really one non-negotiable for Coach Tadlock. Everything circles back to his team and he did not want the team interrupted during the season,” said Hocutt. “He didn’t want them displaced during the season for concern it would affect their chemistry – which would affect their performance on the field.”

Like the Dustin R. Womble Basketball Center, Tech looked at other college baseball facilities to get ideas, but Hocutt said Tadlock had clear ideas of what he wanted.

The center will help the baseball program, but Hocutt stressed Tadlock is always focused on the present.

“Tim has done such a good job of keeping focus on relationships and improving players each and every day. These young men believe they have everything they need to compete and obviously the results have shown that,” said Hocutt.

“But the amenities coming will further help the continuity we’re determined to add to our baseball program. It’ll be another tool for Coach Tadlock to sustain what he’s built and to take that last step which is bringing home the national championship trophy,” said Hocutt.

The new facility will obviously help with recruiting, Hocutt added, as college sports programs continue the “arms race” to offer the best facilities for future student athletes.

The Best is Yet to Come Hocutt grew up in Sherman, Texas and was aware of Tadlock’s back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association titles at nearby Grayson County College in 1999 and 2000.

Hocutt was on the athletic staff at Oklahoma and saw the baseball program improve when Tadlock was on the Sooner staff.

“He just embodies everything you’d want in a baseball coach,” Hocutt said.

Even though coming to Tech as Associate Head Coach was a lateral move, it was also a chance to him to return to a special place in his life.

Hocutt had high hopes for baseball when Tadlock took over but was surprised how quickly the program rose to national prominence.

“We knew we had baseball talent, but how he was able to bring all the pieces together was impressive,” said Hocutt.

Other schools notice what’s been going on at Rip Griffin Park.

“They want to emulate what we’ve accomplished here. They want our head coach, they want our fan support, they want our game-day environment. It’s flattering. There’s not an athletic director in this country who doesn’t recognize and admire what Tim Tadlock has done with this baseball program,” he said.

“And I feel very confident saying the best is yet to come. We have not met Coach Tadlock’s expectations for this program and that day is coming,” he said.

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Vivian

Gray

RED RAIDER SCHOLAR ATHLETE I took a lot of time to think about my decision.

One of the biggest decisions, I’ve had to make in my life.

Whether I was ready for the WNBA or whether I wanted to return to Texas Tech for one more year.

After meeting with my parents, coaches and other important people in my life the decision was clear.

I was going back to Texas Tech to try and continue what we’ve started to build under coach Gerlich. To help restore Lady Raider basketball back to its glory.

Opportunity awaits us as we get ready for the rest of Big 12 play. The Big 12 is really different than it has been in a long time and that’s really exciting.

It’s exciting that the new Big 12 is not like the old Big 12.

It’s wide open and we have a big opportunity ahead of us. It’s anyone’s game right now and it’s exciting that we have the chance to do what we have the chance to do with the team we have.

A chance to make our mark and build our legacy.

A chance to return to the NCAA Tournament, which something that I’ve never done in college. It’s always been a goal of mine to make a deep run in the tournament and I think this team can reach that goal.

There’s still a lot of basketball to be played.

When I look back on my career, I genuinely believe that I every step I made was the right step.

Out of high school I could have gone Division-I or to several different programs, but I wanted to play with my sister Oliva.

Going to Fort Lewis was the correct step for me because it allowed me to get acclimated to college and life as a college basketball player.

And then moving on was the right decision for me because I met a lot of great people and was able to develop my skills as player and see a different perspective on things.

Coming to Tech was also the right move for me too.

Overall, every step has been great, and I wouldn’t change any of it. I love Texas Tech and I’ve been able to develop myself at different positions here.

Last year I had to play the four which I didn’t play at my previous. So that went back to my high school days and 12

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allowed me to develop my post skills a little bit more.

This year I’m playing the three which is the position I want to play, so being able to work through that and getting back to playing how I want to play has been great.

I’ve had a unique and different journey throughout my time in college.

Coming out of high school, I was fortunate and blessed to have offers to play at a lot of different high major and midmajor programs. But family has always been the most important thing to me.

So, when the opportunity to play with my older sister Oliva was presented to me, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me because it allowed me to live out my lifelong dream of playing with my sister.

After the one season at Fort Lewis, I decided to transfer where I again got to play with my sister, but this time it was at the D-I level and in the Big 12.

I’ve met a lot of great people and I was really able to see a different perspective on things.

But the biggest blessing for me was that my sister Olivia was able to follow me and I got to keep playing with her.

Transferring to Texas Tech was absolutely the right move for me.

Every step of my journey has been important and great, but Texas Tech has meant the most to me. I love Tech and I have been able to develop my game and play different positions, which will prepare me well as I transition to the next chapter in my basketball career.

When I decided to look into transferring, I was a little bit scared. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, what I was going to do and what would be the right step for me.

When coach Gerlich got the job, it was really perfect timing.

I had already graduated, and when I saw that announcement, it was really exciting.

I’m very close with Bryn so being able to play with her again and play for coach Gerlich, who I’ve known since high school was a no brainer. It was perfect timing.

Playing in the Big 12 is extremely challenging. It’s the highest level of basketball and every single day is a chal-

lenge. The practices are hard, and the Big 12 has some of the best teams and players in the country. It’s a challenge every single day.

It’s also a blessing to play in the Big 12. Every single school has a nice and beautiful arena, and we get a lot of really nice gear.

Playing in the Big 12 and playing at United Supermarkets Arena makes me feel spoiled.

It’s just an unbelievable experience.

The “USA” has been my favorite arena in the Big 12 to play in since I was at Oklahoma State. I remember when I was at OSU a reporter asked me what my favorite road gym was, and I said Texas Tech.

I have a lot of great memories inside the arena. I scored my 1,000th-career point here.

And then there’s the Womble, which I believe is the best practice facility in the entire country.

From the time you swipe your hand and enter the building it feels special. It’s so high-tech and it’s so cool and such a blessing to be able to come to work every day in a facility like the Womble Center.

It’s always fun when we walk in and see people getting a tour for the first time and we see their reaction to how nice the building is.

When I leave Texas Tech at the end of this season, I hope people look at me as a good leader and a good person both on and off the court. I also hope they look at me as a hard worker.

I try hard every single and try and represent this program well both on the court and in the classroom. I hope both of those things are a part of my legacy when I leave Texas Tech.

I also hope that I can be part of the group that begins the process of returning Texas Tech and Lady Raider Basketball back to its former glory.

When I return to Lubbock and Texas Tech in five years, I hope that Lady Raider Basketball can be one of the top contenders for the Big 12, but also in the country. When I look at what coach Gerlich is building I think that, that goal is possible.

People are buying in, we have an incredible staff, and the future is incredibly bright.

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TOGET Alesha & Andy Ellis are

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THER

BY DESIGN

Alesha and Andy Ellis first spotted each other at a Lubbock Wendy’s restaurant before either was in college.

A few years later they ran into each other during her freshman year at Texas Tech where Alesha – then Alesha Robertson – was playing for Marsha Sharp. They started dating. Andy had just finished four years as one of the Red Raider’s “bigs” at 6 feet, 11 inches. His final year was Bob Knight’s first year in Lubbock.

But the relationship was on and off while Andy was played hoops overseas for several years.

Andy ended his worldwide basketball tour, returned to Lubbock and the relationship took off. They married and honeymooned on the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos. Now the Ellises have two young children.

The former Lady Raider and Red Raider are inseparable – by design.

Alesha is in her first year as head coach of the San Angelo State Rambelles and Andy is her assistant coach.

Building a Family The Rambelles are trying to rebound from a 1-13 record the previous season.

What’s it take to turn a program around while raising four-year-old Kingston and one-year-old Laiken?

“That’s hard,” said Alesha on a recent Zoom interview with her husband.

“The good news is these players – they’re girls – love little kids,” said Alesha who said her players treat her kids like a little brother and sister.

“We want to create a family environment. We want our players to feel comfortable coming over to our house and being part of our family,” she said.

A big part of that is Kingston and Laiken.

“Little kids trust everybody and so it’s good our players like them because our kids really don’t give them a break,” he said.

The kids – in a way – also help the Rambelles develop mental toughness.

“We’ve tried to create a kind of mental toughness and it really comes into play with our children. There are days we can’t get a babysitter and we have to bring them to practice. Our four-year-old is pretty good playing by himself, but sometimes the one-year-old wants to be held by mommy in the middle of a drill and the players are good at staying focused and doing what they have to do,” she said.

A New System Alesha came to San Angelo after eight years leading the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens, where she compiled a 187-52 record – a winning percentage almost exactly matching the team’s record between 1947-2003, when the Flying Queens built a national reputation.

She was named Sooner Athletic Conference women’s basketball coach of the year four of her eight seasons.

The two coaches before Alesha combined for a 149-154 record.

What’s her key to turning programs around?

“It takes a bit of time to learn a new system,” she said, adding players must learn the coaches and vice versa.

“I think our staff does a good job of trying to understand each of our players. That doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “Players like reassurance, especially on the women’s side. They like to know they are doing

by TERRY GREENBERG

things right.”

Coaches try to learn as much before the season begins, but they learn more once players are in game situations. If the team can get better at something every day, she knows winning will come.

“We’ve mainly tried to be patient and stay the course,” said Alesha.

The Rambelles opened the season 0-8 before winning ten of their next 13 games through February 10, including a win over defending NCAA Division II national champion Lubbock Christian University.

When a team is going through a losing streak coaches can second guess their approach, she said.

“You can’t do that, you’ve got to stick to your guns and stay after it every day,” she said.

Alesha also credits her entire coaching staff for being a good support system for her.

Alesha’s Influences Alesha learned a lot from Sharp at Tech and Danny Wrenn, her Plainview High coach.

Sharp taught holding people accountable.

“She expected things to be done right and she did a really good job of caring about us as a person, not just on the court. If the players feel like you’re there to help them and you earn their respect, then you can coach them hard. They understand you’re there to make them better. That’s what we’ve tried to carry along,” she said.

Wrenn was very encouraging. He was strict and wanted things done right, but knew how to make the game fun, she said.

“He let us be us. He didn’t hold us back from being who we were. We knew how to work together and we RedRaiderSports.com

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were hungry for wins. Playing team ball was very important,” she said.

Alesha played on three straight state champion teams under Wrenn before coming to Tech.

A God Thing Alesha majored in Exercise and Sports Science with a minor in Nutrition at Tech. Her goal was to be a strength and/or nutrition coach to work with kids and stay connected to sports. She had no thought of coaching.

“I felt like that was a God thing. God opened some doors but I didn’t think it would be a long-term deal. I ended up loving it,” she said.

She coached at All Saints Junior High, ran a basketball development program and helped Lubbock Christian High School win a state title before Wayland.

After Andy played overseas – Turkey, Italy, Spain, Japan – he needed a break after more than 25 years of playing.

He got into real estate.

A friend then asked 6-11 Andy to come help prepare his team facing a 7-foot post player.

“I kinda helped them prepare for how to play against a 7-footer. I really enjoyed getting in there and working with the kids,” said Andy and he “fell” into coaching.

Andy coached three years at Trinity Christian in Lubbock and four more at Plainview Christian before joining his wife’s Wayland staff.

“I just like working with kids, the challenge, being able to improve them and how can we beat the other team, out-strategize them?” he said.

“The other part is Alesha and I are both very competitive people. But we can’t play anymore, not at the level we’d like to. So it’s a way to still be competitive and be involved,” he said.

Alesha added: “If we can make these players better people and basketball players, then that’s super fulfilling to us.”

The Ellises have traditional roles as head and assistant coach, but she added, “we have an advantage that he knows me better – so he knows what I need help with and that’s been helpful.”

Alesha used to coach the offense, but now handles defense.

“He’s really good at offense,” she said about Andy.

Andy works with post players and Alesha with guards.

Alesha has another assistant coach and a graduate assistant. The whole staff works on recruiting.

“Recruiting is such a big part of what we do, we 16

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almost all have to tackle that,” she said.

Staying in Touch The Ellises try and stay in touch with their alma mater, which isn’t always easy during the season.

“I try to stay connected with Coach (Krista) Gerlich, who was an assistant to Coach Sharp when I was playing,” said Alesha, who stays in touch with other former Lady Raider coaches too.

Andy has known Red Raider coach Mark Adams for a while and Rick Cooper, Tech basketball’s Chief of Staff, who was Athletic Director at Wayland when the Ellises were there. He also stays in touch with Darryl Dora, Tech’s Director of Player Development, who would play with Andy over summers when he came back from playing overseas.

“We try to stay as connected with the basketball programs as we can,” said Andy. “Obviously it’s hard during the season because we’re all playing at the same time, but I got to go to the men’s Kansas game. It’s always fun to get back. It’s just harder to do it nowadays.”

Alesha’s favorite game as a Lady Raider was when they knocked off visiting Baylor the year after Baylor won its first national title.

Andy has two favorite games – when Tech knocked off No. 5 Kansas his freshman year and he got a doubledouble.

His senior year, the Baylor game in Waco came down to the final possession. Ronald Ross drove toward the basket, his shot missed off the front rim, but Andy followed up to dunk it with less than a second left to give the Red Raiders a 91-89 win. He finished with 28 points.

Andy played for James Dickey three years before Bob Knight came to Lubbock. He enjoyed playing for both.

“Coach Dickey was probably better at handing out a few compliments here and there. I think I got my first compliment from Coach Knight after I was done about two or three years. He told somebody else that I was a good player,” said Andy.

Dickey was more of an X’s and O’s guy, drawing plays and how to break things down. Knight was, Andy said, an encyclopedia of basketball knowledge.

“There was no defense he couldn’t break or no offense he couldn’t figure out how to guard,” said Andy.

“I’d never been around anybody who knew more about the game than Coach Knight.”

Andy finished his career at Tech averaging 13.8 points a game and 6.4 rebounds a game.

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Donor Spotlight b y T E R RY G R E E N B E R G

Royce & Linda Lewis | Capital Mortgage Services

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Royce Lewis remembers going to Texas Tech football games in driving snowstorms with his dad ­— before the stands were moved back and way before Jones AT&T Stadium looks like it does today.

His grandfather’s best friend was the granddad of Red Raider football legend Donny Anderson. There were times Anderson spent the night at the Lewis family’s Lubbock home.

Royce remembers basketball games at the old Coliseum and how Tech fans would boo a referee named Shorty.

About 1,100 miles away, Linda Lewis grew up Los Angeles and loved going to Dodger baseball games.

Eventually, Royce and Linda built the very successful Lubbock-based Capital Mortgage Services.

Their combined love of Tech sports and baseball led to a $2.5 million gift to create the Royce & Linda Lewis/ Capital Mortgage Services Baseball Center for the Red Raider baseball program.

“We have made a commitment to help the Athletics Department anyway we can,” said Royce. “The baseball

facility was hot on the drawing board and they needed a specified amount to build it and fortunately we were able to make that commitment. We’re blessed to able to share the success we’ve been able to accumulate over the years.”

The Lewises are impressed with Tech head baseball coach Tim Tadlock.

“What’s really cool about him is he’s been loyal to the school, to his student athletes,” said Linda, mentioning how Tadlock turned down offers to go elsewhere and recently signed a “lifetime” contract.

“Tim Tadlock is going to be the guy who will be around for 30 years,” she said about the coach who’s led the Red Raiders to the College World Series four of the last seven years.

The gift is done through a charitable lead trust, said Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development.

“This is a newer type of major gift giving for us and we are proud of the structure we now have in place that will allow other donors to follow in Royce and Linda’s footsteps. There are many unique ways for donors to give and we have only scratched the service.’ she said.

Saddle Up Royce’s grandfather – also named Royce – grew up in a dugout in eastern New Mexico. His mother died during his teen years and Royce’s grandfather headed east.

“He saddled up and started riding,” said Royce.

He stopped in Shamrock, Texas and fell in love with the local doctor’s daughter. They married and he became a businessman.

“He had a filling station with a gift shop on Route 66. I used to go over and work in his gift shop when I was about ten,” said Royce. “It was pretty common knowledge that Shamrock was the demarcation place before you got to the desert. So I would sell these canvas bags people would hang on the front of their car before getting to the desert in case you got stranded out in the desert and needed water.”

Royce also sold car window air conditioners before A/C was a standard feature in vehicles.

Royce’s dad – Royce Jr. – became an orthopedic surgeon in Lubbock after training at the Mayo Clinic. He became chair of the Regional Hand Center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Royce helped his dad attend to victims of the 1970 Lubbock tornado at the triage center set up at the Coliseum.

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This was a few years after he was part of the first graduating class of Lubbock’s Coronado High School in the 1960s.

Royce started at Tech and got a summer job at Lubbock’s American State Bank.

“When it was time to quit the job and go back to school I forgot to quit,” said Royce.

By the time his high school friends finished college he was already a bank officer.

Southern California Linda went to Pasadena City College – the famed Rose Parade went right past her school – and got a secretarial job at Security Pacific National Bank.

“I worked for a guy who saw something in me – that I could have a good future in banking. So he put me in a training program and I started moving around to different branches to get experience,” she said.

She also went to lots of Dodger games with her attorney brother, who had season tickets. Years later, in her Lubbock office, she has an autographed photo of Tommy Lasorda, the late Dodger manager.

Royce’s first professional baseball game was a 1981 World Series game he attended with Linda at Dodger Stadium.

After 13 years, Security Pacific sent Linda to the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

By then, she was a vice president of the bank.

“She had this huge responsibility and that was back when banking was a predominantly male environment,” said Royce. He added when he met Linda, she had an office on the 23rd floor of the bank’s main downtown L.A. headquarters.

The Damn Cowboy But they didn’t meet in L.A. They met at the banking program at SMU, which Royce was also attending while now president of Lubbock’s Texas Bank and Trust.

“That’s where all the really good bankers went,” said Royce.

Partway through the program Royce and Linda hung out one night. Then the next night, the night after that and . . .

On one of their first dates, someone came by with a basket of flowers. Some people bought a flower or two and Royce bought the whole basket for Linda.

“It was just one of those things where the chemistry was perfect. It didn’t take us long to decide we were right for each other,” said Royce.

They decided to marry. Linda would move to Lubbock and work at Royce’s bank.

That didn’t sit well with Linda’s mom.

“I was fixin’ to steal her only daughter and move her to Texas. I was referred to as ‘that damn cowboy,’” he said.

Linda grew up in the Catholic Church. Royce grew up in the Methodist Church and was divorced. They were worried about getting married in a way that would satisfy Linda’s mother.

Royce went to Ted Dotts, senior pastor of St. John’s Methodist Church across the street from the Texas Tech campus.

“He was a pillar in the Methodist church around here forever and ever,” said Royce. “I told him the story and asked him if he could come to Los Angeles and perform the most Catholic/Methodist ceremony that you can.”

Dotts did, Linda’s mom was happy and the Lewises have been married for 40 years.

“From then on we called him Pope Ted,” said Royce about the well-known Lubbock pastor who passed away They ran out of business in Lubbock, so they opened at age 80 in 2015. offices in Amarillo, Midland, Abilene. They got tired of driving and opened an office in Dallas, followed by San Capital Mortgage Services Antonio and Houston.

The couple created Capital Mortgage Services in “One of us would fly to one of those locations every 1986 after a man embezzled almost $2 million from week,” Royce said as they racked up frequent flier miles.

Royce’s bank. Royce had an ownership share of the bank, One day at the Dallas office, a man who was renting but the majority owners were Royce’s dad and former space in the same building asked if Royce could sell some Texas Gov. Preston Smith, who were close friends. Royce mortgage loans. tried to save the bank for a few years but eventually had The Lewises started to handle mortgages and evento walk away broke. tually bought an Oklahoma City mortgage company, buySo the Lewises started “packaging” SBA loans to ing and servicing mortgage loans. make a living.

They started to get successful when their total Most of what Royce and Linda did in their banking business reached into the hundreds of millions of mortcareers was lending. gage loans. Now they do $4 billion a year, servicing more They had a process which has worked now for de- than 20,000 accounts directly with about 130 employees cades. at their 50th Street location. They also have a branch in “I’d go out and meet with the client, get them to sign West Virginia and the Virgin Islands. a contract. Then I bring it back and Linda would put the loan together. She’s the mechanic. I have the vision, bring Tech Fans it back in a burlap sack and dump it on her desk. She Royce kept his loyalty to Tech sports and Linda moves the pieces around, matches the colors, shaves joined in. off the rough edges and I see exactly what I dreamed,” “I’ve been a Texas Tech fan my whole life. The fact I he said of their process which relies on their opposite didn’t finish school at Texas Tech was not a reflection on strengths and weaknesses.

Tech – I had other agendas. I was busy enjoying my job at

American State Bank,” he said.

Their son R.C. – Royce IV – graduated from Tech with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies and works in the family business.

“He’s worked for us since 7th grade. He knows more about the mortgage business generally than anybody else who works for us besides Linda and me,” said Royce.

For a long time, the Lewises held on to his dad’s football seats, recently changing to Club seats because going up and down the stairs was getting harder.

“Neither of us are able to leap tall buildings anymore,” said Royce.

“The Club seats are really cool and the food’s great,” he said.

The Lewises also have season seats for both men’s and women’s basketball – and baseball.

Capital Mortgage Services also took over sponsorship of a golf tournament to raise money for the Tech men’s and women’s golf teams – raising $38,000 in 2020.

“We are beyond thankful for Royce and Linda’s commitment to Texas Tech Athletics. This gift has truly impacted the Texas Tech Baseball program and the Royce and Linda Lewis Player Development Center will prepare our student-athletes to compete on the national stage for many years to come,” concluded Tirey.

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Kurt Wilson, already known for his penchant to produce in big moments, came up with a historic two-day stretch during Texas Tech’s series win over Texas in late March.

In the series opener, Wilson sent a sold out Rip Griffin Park crowd home deliriously happy with a cunning steal of home in the bottom of the 10th.

For an encore, he ended Saturday’s game two with a 10th inning walkoff grand slam in a 16-12 win that clinched the series for the Red Raiders.

According to MLB.com, no player has ever hit a walk-off grand slam the day or game after stealing home for a walk-off win.

SERIES STAR RedRaiderSports.com

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Te x a s Te c h n e v e r s t o p p e d f i g h t i n g b u t h a d i t s r u n i n t h e N C A A To u r n a m e n t c o m e t o a n e n d with a 78-73 loss to second-seeded Duke in a W e s t R e g i o n s e m i f i n a l a t t h e C h a s e C e n t e r.

"We had a team that exceeded all expectat i o n s , " Te x a s Te c h c o a c h M a r k A d a m s s a i d .

"The credit goes to these guys. I thought it w a s a n u n b e l i e v a b l e y e a r. I t ' s j u s t a t e a m t h a t just reached all kinds of heights no one ever thought was possible."

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Riding the coaching

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by AL PICKETT

ALL The Texas Tech men’s and women’s track teams have their eye on the big prize during this indoor season, something that eluded them a year ago.

“We thought we had the best team last year,” said Tech head track and field coach Wes Kittley, “but we had a lot of injuries and COVID last year. Our men finished second to Texas by just six points at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Our women were second to Texas, too.”

Kittley believes this year’s conference indoor championship will come down the Red Raiders and Longhorns again.

“We just need to do what we do best,” Kittley said, noting Iowa State Oklahoma State are strong in the middle and long distance races, which he hopes will take some points away from Texas. “Our points are spread out evenly with really strong sprinters, jumpers and throwers. That is how we have built our team.”

One of those outstanding jumpers is graduate student Jalen Seals, the defending Big 12 champion in the men’s long jump. He arrived at Texas Tech a year ago as a transfer from Baylor.

“I entered the transfer portal as a leap of faith,” Seals stated. “I knew by transferring when I did, there was the potential that some schools wouldn’t have any scholarships available. But fortunately, Texas Tech still had some scholarship money left. Of course, I had competed against these guys for years. My decision to transfer was based purely on athletics. I wanted to find the proper training so I could be the best I could be.”

He says he has found that at Texas Tech with Keith Herston, the Red Raiders’ assistant coach for jumps. Seals, who will complete his master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in May with an emphasis on computer science, software and business, has career best of 53-0 ¾ in the triple jump and 25-6 ¾ in the long jump. He earned allAmerican honors in both events at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships a year ago by finishing among the top 10.

“Right now, I am just trying to stay healthy. If I do, the 26

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L IN big jumps will come,” Seals said, noting his goal is to finish among top three at the NCAA championships. He said a master’s degree in May, a national outdoor championship in June and future shot at the Olympics are his ultimate goals.

Seals, who was a Class 5A state champion in both the long jump and triple in high school at Fort Worth Boswell, competed in the indoor season in 2020 for Baylor, but when the outdoor season was canceled because of the COVID pandemic, athletes were given another year of eligibility.

“It was disappointing to not be able to compete that spring, but it turned out to be a blessing for me personally,” he said. “I look on the bright side. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have had two years of eligibility here at Tech.”

Seals said the Red Raiders have a talented group of jumpers.

“We definitely feed off each other,” he continued.

“When someone gets off a long jump, we all want to replicate that.”

Another of those talented jumpers is Ruth Usoro, who swept the Big 12 and NCAA indoor championship in both the women’s long jump and triple jump last year. In January, she was named to the 2022 Preseason Bowerman Watch List.

“There could not be a more deserving person than Ruth to be on the Bowerman Watch List,” said Kittley. “She is a two-time national champion, an Olympian and an Academic All-American.”

With Seals and Usoro leading the way, Kittley hopes his men’s and women’s teams will not only capture the Big 12 indoor championship but also challenge for a national indoor title.

“The men probably have a better chance (to win the championship), but the women can be a top four team,” he said. “We had 18 athletes score points when we won the NCAA outdoor championship in 2019. If the men can qualify 15 to 18 for the national meet and if the women can get 10 to the national meet, we will have a chance to be on the podium (as a top four team).”

“If we get everyone healthy, we will have a chance at the national meet,” Kittley claimed.

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FOCUSED

by AL PICKETT

Not only was Texas Tech infielder Jace Jung a consensus All-American last season but he was also named an academic all-American with a 3.71 GPA as a Sports Management major. Jung said his motivation to do well in the classroom came at an early age.

“My parents preached good grades,” he recalled. “We got progress reports, and if my brother and I got all As, we could get a box of baseball cards.”

Obviously, baseball was important for the Jung brothers, too. Older brother Josh was an All-American at Tech and a 2019 first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers. He is expected to compete for the starting third base job with the Rangers this spring.

Meanwhile, younger brother Jace put together one of the most decorated seasons in school history a year ago, which was his second freshman season after the 2020 campaign was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not only was he an All-American, Jace was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, the NCBWA National Freshman Hitter of the Year and a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy. Jung batted .337 last season with a team-high 21 home runs, 67 RBI, 49 walks, 10 doubles and a triple. He was also invited to play for the USA Baseball’s 2021 Collegiate National team last summer.

Jung, already named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, doesn’t have look far for inspiration.

“Josh bought a house in Lubbock,” Jace said, “so we live together. We don’t talk baseball all the time, but we will pick each other’s brain about how to handle certain pitches, for example. He has helped me a lot with what he’s learned. He starting to make a big impact at Tech. If he sees a flaw in your swing, he will talk to you. We made leaps in our hitting last year, and I think you have to give him credit.”

Since Josh signed with the Rangers after his junior year, the Jung brothers never got to play together in college.

“He was a senior when I was a freshman (at San Antonio MacArthur),” Jace said. “When he pitched, I played shortstop. And when he played shortstop, I played second base. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, being a freshman and getting to play with my older brother. Those are fun memories.”

Jung played second base for the Red Raiders last season after manning third base during his abbreviated first season in Lubbock. He expects to be at second base again this spring, but he is more than happy to move to shortstop or third if that is what the Red Raiders need.

He said the highlight of last season for him personally was the Sunday, April 11 game against TCU when he hit three home runs with five RBI in a 17-7 win over the Horned Frogs.

“We played really well, and that seemed to jump-start us,” Jung said. ‘We rallied the rest of the year.”

The Red Raiders, who finished 39-17 in 2021, return at least nine key players from last year’s team and are ranked anywhere from No. 4 to No. 23, depending on which preseason poll you look at.

“There are high expectations this year,” Jung acknowledged. “No one likes losing at home in the Super Regional. We lost a couple of weekend series last year, and we never swept a weekend series. It seemed like we couldn’t win the Friday game in three-game weekend series. We need to start ahead on Friday night this year.”

Stanford swept the Red Raiders in the Super Regional last year, preventing a Texas Tech from making a return trip to the College World Series in Omaha, something they have done four times in Coach Tim Tadlock’s nine seasons in Lubbock.

A trip to Omaha is one of the few things that Jace hasn’t accomplished yet that his older brother achieved.

“Josh went twice, so he has two College World Series rings,” Jace said. “I still need one.”

This could be quite a year for the Jung brothers. Josh hopes to make the big-league roster with the Rangers, and Jace hopes to earn that long-awaited trip to Omaha in June and then go high in the Major League Draft in July.

“If it all goes right, we will go back to Omaha and I will get drafted,” he said. “If it comes, it comes. But I have the college season to go, and I will let it work itself out.”

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RECRUITING

NOTEBOOK CADE BRIGGS

by BEN GOLAN & CHASE CHAMPLIN

MICHAEL SHANAHAN

MONROE MILLS

DENNIS WILBURN

Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech football coaching staff did most of their recruiting work for the 2022 class back during the Early Signing Period in December. That said, there were still additions to be made as the offseason rolled along.

While there were no new high school signees on National Signing Day in February, Texas Tech did announce 11 new mid-year additions, including four offensive linemen.

A transfer from New Mexico, Cade Briggs (6-foot-3, 295 pounds) should factor in on the interior after playing mostly left tackle in Albuquerque. Briggs logged 24 starts for the Lobos, mostly at left tackle.

Another highly regarded transfer lineman was UT-Martin’s Michael Shanahan (6-foot-5, 310 pounds). Shanahan ended up choosing Texas Tech over 20 other interested programs, including Oklahoma State. Following the 2021 season, Shanahan was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference first team and the HERO Sports’ Sophomore All-American Team.

Monroe Mills (6-foot-6, 300 pounds) comes over from Oklahoma State as a transfer with four years of eligibility remaining. A former top-25 prospect out of Missouri, Mills projects as a left tackle and plans to compete for the starting job.

Mark Adams and the Texas Tech basketball staff have picked up three key additions since the end of the Early Signing Period in November.

Chandler (Ariz.) Compass shooting guard Lamar Washington (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) announced his commitment to Texas Tech in late December He spent most of his prep career at Jefferson High School in Portland, averaging 30.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game and was named the 2020-21 MaxPreps Oregon High School Basketball Player of the Year.

Texas Tech assistant coach Barret Peery, previously head coach at Portland State, has been recruiting Washington for quite some time.

Once being hired at Texas Tech, he extended an

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BLAKE BEDWELL

JORDAN BROWN

HAYDON WIGINTON

DREW HOCUTT

The final mid-year offensive line addition comes via the JUCO ranks.

Hutchinson C.C. guard Dennis Wilburn (6-foot-3, 320 pounds), who is originally from Humble, was named as an honorable mention NJCAA All-American following the 2021 season.

The other additions on the offensive side of the ball include four skill position players.

SMU transfer running back Blake Bedwell (5-foot-10, 195 pounds) ran for 20 yards in his two seasons as a Mustang. He is originally from Amarillo and played at Amarillo High School.

Kansas transfer wide receiver Jordan Brown (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) caught one pass for four yards in his time in Lawrence. He played his high school ball at powerhouse DeSoto High School in Dallas.

Another intra-conference transfer is wide receiver Haydon Wiginton.

Wiginton checks in at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds and comes over from Oklahoma State. He played his high school ball at Midlothian Heritage.

The final mid-year addition on the offensive side of the ball should be familiar to Texas Tech fans. Angelo State transfer Drew Hocutt (6-foot, 190

offer to the talented guard and in the end it all worked out.

“I mean, I love Tech. Just the relationship I have with coach Peery and everyone around me, it’s hard to say no to coach. They know how to push their guys, great defense, great coaching staff, great fans. It felt like home there. What else could you ask for?”

In January, Texas transfer Jaylon Tyson committed to Texas Tech. Tyson originally signed with the Red Raiders out of high school but followed Chris Beard to Austin. After playing in only eight games for Texas, Tyson opted to enter his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal. He has already enrolled at Texas Tech and is practicing with the team but is ineligible to play until next season due to NCAA rules.

In the class of 2023, the coaching staff has already landed shooting guard Drew Steffe. Steffe plays at Memorial High School in Frisco, Texas.

He earned first-team all-district honors as a sophomore after averaging 17.5 points, five rebounds and six assists per game. Steffe will bring much needed shooting to Texas Tech.

JACOB RODRIGUEZ

JAMES GRANDO

SAMMY MORRIS IV

pounds), son of Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt, returns to Lubbock after catching five passes for 80 yards last season.

The Texas Tech staff also added three mid-year additions on the defensive side of the ball.

A transfer from Virginia, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) returns to his home state after playing his high school football at Wichita Falls Rider. Rodriguez was highly coveted out of high school as he held over 15 scholarship offers.

A junior college addition from Cisco J.C. via Arlington Lamar is linebacker James Grando (6-foot-2, 205 pounds). Grando played two seasons at Cisco and totaled 19 tackles, a tackle-for-loss and a fumble recovery.

Finally, another familiar name to Tech fans is defensive back Sammy Morris IV (6-foot-1, 190 pounds). Morris IV is the son of former Texas Tech running back Sammy Morris who is currently on the football staff as Assistant Director for Player Support Development.

Morris IV played his high school football at Prosper HS and is heading to Raiderland after signing with Stephen F. Austin out of high school.

LAMAR WASHINGTON

JAYLON TYSON

DREW STEFFE RedRaiderSports.com

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