Red Raider Sports Magazine - March 2019

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RED RAIDER

sports.com

RedRaiderSports.com is a publication of TRI Productions Volume 24 Issue 4 Managing Editor Aaron Dickens

Cover Photo Michael Strong

Photographers Norvelle Kennedy Justin Rex

Michael Strong TTU Athletics

Writers Matt Clare

Marie Jones

Randy Rosetta

Terry Greenberg Al Pickett

Red Raider Sports (USPS 0013-768) is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December. Annual Red Raider Club membership dues of $500 or higher include a one-year subscription to Red Raider Sports Magazine.

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Address all editorial-related correspondence to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453.

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Red Raider Club

Update

What an exciting time to be a Red Raider!

Texas Tech Athletics continues to be extremely proud of the accomplishments of our student-athletes. Our spring athletic programs have been elite at every level. From a top-ten ranking in baseball, to a top fifteen for softball, and a second-consecutive Big 12 indoor title for our top-ranked men’s track and field team. Once again, we have seen an exceptional season from our men’s basketball program culminating with a Big 12 Championship! Congratulations to Coach Beard for being named Big 12 Coach of the Year and Jarrett Culver for being named Big 12 Player of the Year! We are so proud of these accomplishments and we aren’t finished yet. We are looking forward to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the month where the Red Raiders will once again compete at the highest level.

It has been exciting to see so many Red Raiders join us on the Tech Tour with Texas Tech Football Head Coach Matt Wells. If you have not had the opportunity to meet Coach Wells, I encourage you to attend one of our remaining events this spring. There are several dates to add to your calendar, including the football spring game and two scrimmages in Lubbock, Midland and Frisco.

Andrea Tirey Senior Associate Athletic Director — Development — 806.834.3270

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March 30 – Lubbock Spring Scrimmage

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April 5 – Midland Spring Scrimmage Tailgate

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April 13 – Frisco Spring Game Reception

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May 13 – Amarillo Luncheon

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May 14 – San Angelo Luncheon

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May 14 – Abilene Reception

For more information about these events and others, visit www.RedRaiderClub.com or follow @RedRaiderClub on Twitter. Events are complimentary for Red Raider Club members — if you aren’t a member and wish to attend, you can join for just $50. These events are a great way for fans and donors to meet Coach Wells and his team. We hope to see you soon!

As a reminder, we are currently finalizing season ticket renewals and are working through upgrades for the 2019 football season. There is still time to lock in your season tickets and be a part of Coach Wells’ debut season. We are looking forward to his leadership and you will not want to miss a game at Jones AT&T Stadium!

Thank you for all you do for the Red Raider Club and Texas Tech Athletics. You continue to provide critical resources for more than 400 student-athletes across 17 sports. If you have any questions regarding your annual contributions or gifts to The Campaign for Fearless Champions please do not hesitate to contact our office at 806-742-1196. A member of our team will be happy to help you. Guns Up!

andrea.tirey@ttu.edu Andrea 6

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b y MA R I E J O N E S

Sofia Garcia might very well become one of the top, if not the best player in Texas Tech women’s golf history.

She’d be in pretty good company, especially among players under head coach JoJo Robertson, whose list of protégés include current LPGA standout Kim Kaufman, a fellow All-American and a Big 12 Player of the Year recipient in Gabby Dominguez.

Birdies and eagles aren’t the only success story for Garcia, however, as she boasts one of the top grade-point averages among Texas Tech student-athletes and is on pace to graduate a year early, allowing her an opportunity to enroll in a master’s degree program while still competing on the links.

“Sofia has been a model of success for our program both on the course and in the classroom,” Robertson said. “It’s not every day you have a student-athlete that is that talented on the course but also so dedicated in the classroom. We’re really proud of all she has accomplished.”

Garcia arrived in Lubbock prior to the 2016 fall season as one of the top international players for her class. A native of Paraguay, Garcia already boasted back-to-back wins at the South American Amateur as well as top-10 showings at the Dutch Open and South American Olympic Games.

Still, there was no way to know how Garcia would adjust to a new team and better yet, a new country.

“Moving to a different country is a hard process,” said Garcia, one of six international student-athletes on this year’s roster. “I have a lot to thank to my teammates because we have a foreign team. I think going through that process every day and knowing that your fellow teammate is going through the same thing makes it easier.”

When Robertson recruited Garcia, she knew she was getting a player with a ton of potential.

That potential immediately showed as Garcia turned in a top-five finish in only her second collegiate event at the Betsy Rawls Invitational. She closed the year with a 73.6 scoring average, the lowest on the team and the sixth-lowest in program history.

Her success on the links pushed Tech to its third appearance all-time at the NCAA Championships where Garcia was among the top freshman finishers, wrapping the three-day event that was dominated by cold and wet weather in a tie for 32nd overall.

Then, adversity hit.

Garcia was sidelined following Tech’s opening tournament of the 2017-18 season with an injury, cutting her season short in September. She watched from home as the Red Raiders returned to the NCAA Regional round last May for the seventh time under Robertson

“That was tough on Sofia,” Robertson said of the injury. “She was coming off a fantastic freshman season and really played well in several amateur tournaments that summer. To her credit, she worked hard in rehab with our athletic trainer Drew Krueger, and she’s come back with a mentality of being the best.”

That mentality has definitely showed through the early parts of this season as Garcia claimed her first individual title in October at the Illini Invitational before adding another win in Tech’s spring debut at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational in February.

Garcia, who finished in a three-way tie at the Illini Invitational, became the 8 RedRaiderSports.com 10th Red Raider all-time to notch multiple medalist honors over a career and the

first since Gabby Barker claimed a school-record three individual victories over her career.

The shared title in October was a victory, Garcia says, she will always remember as it came against a talented field at prestigious Medinah Country Club outside of Chicago. She closed the event with a 9-under-par 207, matching the Tech record for lowest 54-hole score in the process.

“That was definitely an amazing moment,” Garcia said of the victory at Medinah. “There’s a lot of thinking going on when you’re injured. It’s a scary moment when you don’t know if you’re actually going back (to where you were) physically and golf-wise. Winning that tournament was a huge moment for me.”

With two victories officially on her resumé, Garcia continues to set the goal higher, ranking among the top-20 players in the country as of publication. She is also among the candidates for the prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup, a Ryder Cup-style format between the top U.S. and international collegiate golfers.

Even with success, Garcia isn’t shying away from her work in the classroom.

“I’m a very competitive person,” said Garcia, an international economics major. “Golf is still my priority, but at the same time, I try my best to do well in school. It’s hard for me because there is a different language, but I try to close that gap and do the best that I can.”

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BREAKING b y T E R RY G R E E N B E R G

G NEW GROUND RedRaiderSports.com

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Chris Beard talks about building a college basketball program that consistently competes for championships.

Marlene Stollings – in her first year of leading the Lady Raiders – wants to win Texas Tech’s second national championship.

And now ground has been broken on the facility to help them build their programs.

The Dustin R. Womble Basketball Center is under construction across the street from United Supermarkets Arena. The almost $30-million project – another piece of the Campaign For Fearless Champions fully funded by philanthropy – is expected to open before the 20202021 basketball season.

“The Campaign for Fearless Champions has changed the future of Texas Tech Athletics because of facilities like this that not only bring in top recruits to each of our programs, but also provide a space for our current student-athletes to sharpen their skills and compete at the highest levels. Facilities like this are only possible 12

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because of donors who step up and believe in Texas Tech,” said Andrea Tirey, senior associate athletics director of development.

Dusty Womble, Texas Tech graduate and longtime Red Raider sports fan, donated $10 million to what will be the home for the men’s and women’s teams. More than 75 donors contributed the balance needed.

“This really was a necessity,” said Beard, who guided the Red Raiders to their first-ever Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last March and was named Big 12 Coach of the Year this season.

“This wasn’t just a want for us – this was a need. We’re so appreciative of Dusty, Leisha and their family. This gives us a chance to continue to compete. It puts us on another level.”

Womble dished more praise to donors who contributed the rest of the $20 million to the project.

“Fellow Red Raiders stepped up in a big way over the last 12 months to make sure this

project broke ground and got finished in a timely manner,” said the Lubbock businessman.

“The fundraising has been really special because we were able to engage so many donors.

With more than 75 total donors, this initiative has been unique and has grown our donor base which provides stability for our efforts moving forward,” said Tirey.

Since Womble’s lead gift was announced in late 2017 and efforts to fully fund the center were ongoing, improvements have been made to the original plans after a group from Texas Tech visited similar NBA and college facilities.

“It’s important for us to develop young people – to develop a basketball player from the high school level, through college and onto their dreams of playing professionally. Strength and conditioning, training and nutritional counseling and services are such an integral part of that.

And so we had the opportunity to expand those spaces within the Womble,” said Kirby Hocutt, Director of Athletics.

now we’ll have this standalone NBA-type practice facility that’s going to help with recruiting,” said Beard.

Top players want to go where they know the basketball program is 100 percent committed, supported and funded, he said.

“We’ve been showing recruits and their families the diagrams, the video and the plans – but now to see the fences go up and the ground broken, we’re hoping it’ll help even more,” said Beard, saying it’s one more thing to attract recruits along with the raucous home-game atmosphere at the USA. When Stollings entertains recruits, she shows them the Lady Raider 1993 national championship trophy, then shows them where

“When you couple that with the team locker rooms, the team lounge space, practice gyms that are going to be located in that facility, as well as the coaches’ offices, it’s going to be state of the art – one of the best in the country,” he said.

Needs The building will help on two levels, said Beard and Stollings – recruiting Texas Tech players and developing them while they’re here.

“A top player in the country comes to Lubbock with his family and tours the facilities. We walk across the street from the nicest arena in the country – United Supermarkets Arena – and

their “home” will be.

Stollings came to Lubbock after four seasons leading Minnesota’s Golden Gophers, who made the NCAA playoffs two of those four years.

Facilities become more and more important, she said, with high schools creating better arenas and practice facilities. Players don’t want to take a step back when they go to the elite levels of college sports.

In addition, Stollings said, these facilities are becoming common on college campuses.

Beard explained how the facility will be a one-stop shop for the student athletes.

“If I need to go get some academic help, if I

need to go to the training room, if I need to go to the weight room, if I need to watch some film, if I need to go get some extra shots up,” it’s all in one place, he said.

“It’s the convenience. I tell the players — it’s all about time management. It’s all about discipline. It’s all about you getting into a rhythm if you want to try to be great at something. If the training room’s over here and the weight room’s over here and I’ve gotta wait till 3:30 to shoot and I can’t get in here until 5 it defeats the purpose of being efficient at this level,” he said of the facility that will be available to players 24/7/365.

Stollings added: “It becomes a second home for players and makes life more convenient.”

The Lady Raider coach is specifically excited about the area to help players recover from injuries.

“That separates us from the competition on some levels,” she said.

The facility and other facilities from the Campaign for Fearless Champions also help recruit coaches.

“It makes a difference,” said Hocutt.

When talking with Matt Wells about taking the football coaching job, Hocutt pointed out the Sports Performance Center and its indoor football facility, the South End Zone project and the vision for the Football Training Facility.

“It definitely makes a strong impact that shows our commitment to them to compete at the highest level and give them every resource and tool they’re going to need to be successful,” he said.

“We’ve been fortunate to have the generous support from thousands of Red Raiders who have allowed us to continue to move the ball forward,” said Hocutt.

Stollings said the Womble was a bonus in her decision to take the Lady Raider job.

“It was icing on the cake,” she said.

Improving While the fundraising was ongoing, the design was being refined.

“When you build something like this, you anticipate the next change and give yourself a chance to be relative for a long time. We know it’s going to be the nicest facility in the country the day it’s built, but we want it to be really, really nice ten years from now,” said Beard.

For example, space has been added to the weight room.

“Years ago, weight rooms were crowded with equipment,” said Beard. “Now, weight rooms are open spaces where guys can move. It’s more about the space than equipment. So that would be one example of many. We really try to keep that in mind with this project.

“The training room is another great example.

When I was playing, the training room was just a

continued on page 14

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place with a couple of tables and a bunch of equipment. But now trainers need space because a lot of the rehab is about movement.

It’s about stretching. It’s about using bands,” he said.

The improvements came after some road trips.

“We also spent a lot of time visiting with NBA people and visiting NBA facilities to make sure everything we are doing is on the curve – give our players every benefit to be great,” said Beard.

Womble also went on the visits.

“We saw what the Mavericks had done,” he said, along with visits to see the Oklahoma City, Thunder, Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies facilities.

They also visited about a dozen college practice facilities.

Besides what Beard said about the weight and training areas, the visits led to enlarging and adding amenities to the players’ lounge, upgrading the dining facilities and more work on branding.

Reasons

Fundraising got a boost from Texas Tech’s run to the Elite Eight last season.

“Without a doubt, it has accelerated the project,” said Hocutt.

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But the idea started well before Hocutt hired Beard.

“The vision was cast and discussions were held over the years through multiple coaches,” he said.

Womble was part of those discussions.

“Dusty and his transformational gift was something discussed before we reached the level of success we’re currently enjoying,” said Hocutt.

“The Red Raider Nation was stepping up in a big way before last year’s success,” said Womble. “People in this area love Texas Tech basketball. This was something that was identified as a need long ago. We were going to do it regardless of Chris Beard’s short-term success to provide him with a tool that would allow him to achieve long-term success,” he said.

And Beard goes further back when he talks about support for Red Raider hoops.

“We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Keenan Evans,” he said about last year’s senior guard. “We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Zach Smith. They created the teams that we have a chance to have each year after.”

“And then in a lot of ways we’re just kind of awakening the giant. We’re not doing things that haven’t been done before. We all understand that tradition back in the day at the old Municipal Coliseum when people waited in line, couldn’t get in the building and the overflow

went into the Auditorium,” he said.

“I was here during the Coach Knight days where we had great attendance and we went to three NCAA Tournaments in four years and a Sweet 16,” said Beard.

Because

At the groundbreaking event for the facility, Hocutt praised other major donors.

Jerry Rawls “He sees the value intercollegiate sports brings to a university and believes we can have the best facilities in this country. He believes that not only can we win in competition but that we will also educate and grow young people who will make a difference in their communities after graduation. Jerry continues to invest in Athletics through his support of the Texas Tech golf programs as well as football and basketball programs. His influence on our student-athletes reaches far beyond wins and losses. His investment in these young men and women impact their lives.”

The Crofoot Family “They have given generously for many years throughout the Texas Tech System. Mr. Jay Crofoot, who passed away this past September, was a dear friend to Texas Tech Athletics and exemplifies what it means to be a Fearless Champion. His passion and commitment to

every sport was inspiring to us all and we are proud the Men’s Basketball Court will be named the Jay Crofoot Court in his honor.”

George and Linda McMahan “George and Linda, who without hesitation give leadership gifts annually to provide student-athlete scholarships but they also see the importance in facilities so that we can compete at the highest levels.”

Madera Residential “Madera’s partners, Dave Marcinkowski, Charlie Young, and Alton Smith are longtime supporters of Texas Tech Athletics. Through their suite and continual annual giving, Madera has shown commitment to supporting Texas Tech basketball for many years.”

The Pickering Family “Lucille and the late Raymond Pickering have been long time supporters of Texas Tech Athletics for more than 24 years. (Their) three sons – David, Jay and Don, have continued their family’s legacy through four named endowments from each family to support scholarships as well as their latest gift to this facility.”

Building Support Not everyone can donate millions or thousands – but there are other ways to support the basketball teams.

Coming to games, for example.

The teams that consistently compete for national championships usually have consistently sold-out arenas.

“I’m so appreciative and thankful for the people who do come,” said Beard, realizing students and fans have a lot of commitments and to take time for close to two-dozen home games a season is appreciated.

“It’s humbling that people will spend their money and maybe even more important, their time supporting the team. We’re always thankful for the people who do come,” he said.

But – like his team – he’d like fans to rise to another level.

“It’s very similar to our team. When we got here we established the program and started our process. Then the theme for last year’s team was ‘finish.’ We thought we were really close the first year, then we wanted to finish the second year and we did that all the way to the Elite Eight. This year’s theme is consistency.

We’ve proven we’re good enough to compete but can we be consistent? Every player on our team has proven they’re good enough to play at this level – but can they be consistent?” he said.

“If we can start doing it back-to-back games,

back-to-back weeks, back-to-back months, then it turns into back-to-back seasons and then you become relative nationally,” he said.

“I see a lot of similarities in our fan base and attendance. Everyone in college basketball knows when Kansas or Texas rolls in here the Red Raider Nation and our student body is second to none. It’s one of the best atmospheres in college sports. But the next level of really competing for championships is to be consistent.

Can we have a crowd in November that’s as advantageous when we play Texas in February?” he said.

Beard knows the team has to continue to perform at a high level and build relationships around Lubbock and the South Plains to help encourage fan support all season.

A Home for Trophies

“I think we’ll look back one day and this will be one of the biggest monumental things that ever happened to Tech basketball,” said Beard at a recent event to thank major donors followed by the ceremonial groundbreaking.

Then he added: “I look forward to winning a championship one day and putting that trophy in the Womble.”

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We are proud of our athletic facilities at Texas Tech University - driven by our very successful Campaign for Fearless Champions. We’re also proud it’s all privately funded by our generous donors – and that’s in addition to our Red Raider Club Annual Fund, which provides over a quarter of the Athletic Department’s annual revenue.

Of course we think our facilities are first class but it’s even better when our opponents take notice of what we’ve been doing. A little more than a year ago, we held the first indoor track and field meet in our new Sports Performance Center and competing big 12 coaches were astounded.

“This is beautiful – we’ve been posting photos on our social media,” said Mario Sategna, University of Texas track and field coach. “This is huge for the Big 12 Conference.” Baylor’s Todd Harbour said: “It’s amazing. It has everything. It’s a firstclass job. It’s one of the best competitive venues in the country.”

The $48 million SPC is the crown jewel of almost 30 projects funded by The Campaign For Fearless Champions – envisioned and led by Kirby Hocutt, our director of athletics.

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It features:

• A full-size indoor football field on the east side with

graphics celebrating current and former Red Raiders.

• The indoor track and field facility on the west side.

• An impressive Strength and Conditioning Center that

serves all sports

• A first-class nutrition center to help student-athletes fuel

throughout the day and during competition.

And there’s more to come.

• On January 25th we held the official groundbreaking

ceremony of the $30 million Dustin R. Womble Basketball Center.

• Firming plans for the $5.5 million Cash Family Sports Nutrition Center.

• Renovating our Football Training Facility.

• Revamping the South End Zone at Jones AT&T Stadium,

which follows other stadium improvements, most notably

our huge video board in the north end zone.

• Taking more steps to improve our baseball facilities for

a program that’s been to three of the last five College

World Series in Omaha.

Having the best facilities in the country leads to better recruiting, better success on the field and court, a more excited fan base and more enthusiastic donors.

So, we have a lot to be proud of. Kirby loves to say we’re giving our 400-plus student athletes life-changing opportunities and a world-class education.

Yes, we want to win championships and we are seeing unprecedented success on the field. But we never forget our job is to educate young people and create future leaders.

Our Red Raider Club Annual Fund is critical to our success providing scholarships and academic support, which includes putting an iPad into the hands of each student athlete to help them with classes, prepare for their sport, manage their time and more.

The results? Our 2018 Spring Athletic Department GPA was 3.2 – the highest ever.

Without a doubt, The Campaign for Fearless Champions has changed the trajectory of our athletic department and we aren’t finished yet.

It’s a great time to be a Red Raider and our future is only brighter.

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The Big 12 Indoor Championships’ first-ever trip through Lubbock ushered in world-leading times, broken records and the most dominant victory in the history of the conference.

Divine Oduduru led the way for a Texas Tech men’s team that scored 179 points – a full 25 points more than has ever been scored in the conference meet. The men’s runner-up, Iowa State, tallied 109 points, making it the largest margin of victory in the 22-year history of the conference’s indoor meet.

Soon after the meet, the USTFCCCA and Big 12 announced their indoor award winners for the best coaches and student-athletes.

Texas Tech claimed five of eight possible USTFCCCA Mountain Region awards, including all four of the men’s honors. Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Wes Kittley (pictured, right) was named the Head Coach of the Year for the third straight indoor season.

Assistant coach Calvin Robinson was named the Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the third time in four years.

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Zarriea Willis climbed to the top of the podium, claiming a national championship for the first time in her career at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships. Willis topped at a near PR of 6’-1.5”. With the title, she becomes the first women’s high jumper to win a title at Tech

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Divine Oduduru followed his 2018 outdoor 200m title with another victory this year, going 20.49 to win the NCAA indoor 200m title.

He ran the fastest time in the world this year with a 20.08, set at the BIg 12 championships. Oduduru is a candidate for the prestigious Bowerman (an annual track and field award that is the highest accolade given to the year’s best student-athlete in American collegiate track and field).

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b y B RA N D O N S O L I Z

Texas Tech honored former legends from both the men and women’s basketball programs this spring.

On March 4, Rick Bullock, Andre Emmett, Dub Malaise and Jim Reed from the Red Raiders and Marsha Sharp, Sheryl Swoopes and Carolyn Thompson from the Lady Raiders saw their names etched inside the United Supermarkets Arena as part of the Ring of Honor.

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Bullock played for Texas Tech from 197376 where he was named Southwest Conference Player of the Year twice for his efforts. He ranks third all-time in school history in points, rebounds and blocks. Bullock was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame in 1985.

Emmett is Texas Tech’s all-time leading scorer, scoring 2,256 points from 2001-04. He hauled in 765 rebounds, dished out 201 assists and sent back 164 opposing shots. Emmett’s professional career spanned over a decade and a half and began in 2004 when the Seattle SuperSonics drafted him. In 2018, Emmett was inducted in the Texas Tech Hall of Fame.

Malaise played guard for the Red Raiders from 1964-66 and notched 1,420 points during his three-year career. Malaise scored the most points in a single-game in program history when he dropped 50 on the Longhorns in 1966.

He is a member of the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.

Reed rounds out the men’s class. Reed is Texas Tech’s all-time leader in rebounds with 1,333, 229 more than second place Paul Nolen. Reed wore the Double T from 1953-56 and helped lead the Red Raiders to Border Conference championships in 1954 and 1956. Reed finished with 1,689 career-points and was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame in 1967.

Thompson played for Texas Tech from 1980-84 and was named an All-American three times. She is Texas Tech’s all-time leading scorer – including both the men and women’s programs – with 2,655 points. A member of both the Texas Tech Hall of Fame and Southwest Conference Hall of Fame, Thompson became the first Lady Raider to have her jersey retired.

Swoopes is the most decorated Lady Raider basketballer and one of the most prominent women’s basketball players ever, so it’s no surprise that she is in the first Ring of Honor class. She played for just two seasons in Lubbock but helped lead the Lady Raiders to the national title in 1993. She is a member of the Texas Tech Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sharp led the Lady Raider program for 24 seasons, made 18 trips to the NCAA Tournament, reached the Elite Eight four times and won the national title in 1993. Sharp is the winningest coach in program history with 572 wins and a two-time national coach of the year.

The inaugural basketball class was recognized with an induction luncheon at the Overton Hotel and Conference Center and then again during halftime of the Texas Tech - Texas basketball game the same day.

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B On Feb. 5, 2019, Josh Jung was named to the 2019 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) First Team All-America list.

It was the fifth first team honor for Jung, making the junior from San Antonio, Texas, a unanimous preseason first team selection. He was also honored by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN) in December and Perfect Game, D1 Baseball and Baseball America in January. Jung is one of only four players in the nation to earn unanimous first-team selections.

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BIG TIME b y A L P I C K ETT

Josh Jung spent his summer in Cuba. It wasn’t exactly a vacation, but the Red Raiders’ junior third baseman did become one of only a small number of Americans to visit the isolated island nation last summer.

Jung was selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, which included the nation’s top college freshmen and sophomores. The team swept five games from Chinese Taipei and won three out of five from Japan in games played in Carey, N.C., before traveling to Cuba, where the USA team captured three of four games against the Cuban national team.

“It was an unbelievable experience,” Jung said. “It was good to reach that honor, but when I put on the jersey with “USA” on it in red, white and blue, it really sunk in.”

And what was it like visiting Cuba?

“Culture shock,” he responded. “It was like a throwback in time with the old cars and weathered buildings. The taxis looked like gocarts. But the food wasn’t bad. There was a place right across from our hotel that had great chicken tacos.”

Being named to the USA national team is just one of many honors that Jung has received since arriving on the Texas Tech campus two years ago from San Antonio MacArthur High School. He started every game as a freshman, batting .306 with 75 hits, including 14 doubles, two triples and six home runs. He was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

“I wanted to start as a freshman,” Jung recalled. “It was a big transition. College baseball is a lot faster. I had to groove my game and learn the strike zone. In high school, I was the dude. I had to accept the fact that I wouldn’t be the dude in college and made sure I was getting extra hacks in the cage.”

Last year, as a sophomore, Jung started all 65 games again at third base, helping the Red Raiders to a 45-20 record and their third trip to the College World Series in the last five years. He led the Big 12 in batting (.392), hits (103) and RBI (80) on the season, earning five all-American honors. His hit total was third nationally, while his RBI total was fourth.

“I played summer ball in California between my freshman and sophomore seasons,” Jung explained. “I learned to handle pitches and be more selective, really sticking to one side of the plate and going back to fundamentals, grooving my swing and driving it gap-to-gap.”

Jung said he is comfortable, even if he is down in the count with two strikes.

“I preload my hands, eliminate any movement in my swing and expand the plate 1-2 inches when I’m down 0-2,” he stated. “I spread out and try to battle to eliminate strikeouts.

Avoiding strikeouts means you put pressure on your opponent to make a play.”

On April 21 last year at New Mexico, Jung completed the sixth cycle in Texas Tech history, going 5-for-5 with eight RBI, four runs and walk, becoming the first Red Raider to go 5-for-

5 when hitting for the cycle. He had a single, double, triple, two home runs and a walk in his remarkable performance that day.

“Since the time Josh has been here, he has been a guy that continued to work and continue to grow,” said Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock. “He is a guy that really strives to get better each day. He can handle a ball on both sides of the plate. Obviously, his defense has been outstanding. Really, there isn’t a phase in the game he hasn’t gotten grown, and I would think he’s going to continue to that.”

Jung may not have considered himself “the dude” as a freshman, but there is no doubt he is that guy for the Red Raiders now. He has been named a first team preseason all-American by three different publications, and he has been selected the Big 12 preseason player of the year.

“This year’s team has tons of potential,” he said. “We will be faster. That extra tool of running puts pressure on the defense. Offensively, we will be one of the best teams in the country.

Our pitching staff has so much potential, too.”

There are projections that claim Jung will be a top-10 pick in June’s amateur draft, but he said he is not worrying about that now.

“I want to make sure we have a good season,” he emphasized. “My focus is geared toward the team. I want to mentor the young guys to learn and grow. I want to bring a national championship back to Lubbock. We have the best chance to do that this year. If I do that, the draft will take care of itself.”

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The Texas Tech Red Raiders finished the season 14-4 in conference play and, for the first time in program history, the No. 8 Red Raiders earned the Big 12 Conference regular-season championship

Coach Chris Beard was named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year. Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year - he is the first Red Raider to earn the honor - after helping lead the Red Raiders to a share of the regular season conference title.

In addition, Matt Mooney was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team, Davide Moretti earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors and Tariq Owens was an honorable mention selection. Owens and Mooney were also named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and Mooney added Big 12 All-Newcomer Team to his list of honors RedRaiderSports.com

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NOTEBOOK RECRUITING

b y B RA N D O N S O L I Z

Wells Inks 17+

New Texas Tech football coach Matt Wells completed his first recruiting class on Feb. 6, National Signing Day, with the addition of six recruits to the Red Raider program. Wells landed 11 newcomers during the Early Signing Period, which took place in mid-December.

The Red Raiders added defensive linemen Tony Bradford, Jr. and Quinton Williams, defensive back Dadrion Taylor, kicker Jon Garibay, punter Austin McNamara and athlete Alante Brown.

“All I know is, we went after certain guys. We weren’t going to dip below a certain line or level,” Wells said. “The guys that are here and that signed here are the guys that truly wanted to be here and both their parents or one parent wanted them to be here, and those are the ones we’re excited about signing. You never hit on every single kid. Nobody does. To paint that type of picture would be unrealistic, so we didn’t do that.”

The 17-member signing class for the Red Raiders is composed of eight offensive players, seven defenders and two kickers. Texas Tech will have eight scholarships available entering the spring semester and the program could continue to add to its roster via late signings or the transfer market. Wells said he hopes to add more defensive backs as well as one more receiver and running back to the mix between now and the fall.

Geography Matters Wells said that the Red Raiders will focus primarily on recruiting prospects in Texas and to a lesser extent Oklahoma. The program will dip into out-of-state recruiting here and there, but only when it makes sense.

“There’s an old Spike Dykes quote, it’s in our staff room, and there’s a lot of truth to it. It says, ‘if you’re going to have to beg them to come to Lubbock, you’re going to have to beg them to play harder.’”

Wells wanted, and added, players that are in Lubbock for the right reasons. He, along with coordinators David Yost (pictured, right) and Keith Patterson, described this particular signing class as team captains, state champions and overall leaders.

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Quinton Williams Spotlight

Quinton Williams, a late addition to the recruiting class, will have an opportunity to rush the passer for the Red Raiders.

He brings with him a story of fighting and never quitting.

Wells described Williams as a guy who sometimes did not have life go his way. He explained how emotional it was to see Williams once he was offered.

“For him to get to come to Texas Tech and do it at this level, just really a cool story, and something that (defensive line) coach (Paul) Randolph and I got to see up close and personal.

Lot of respect for him. He’ll play with a chip on his shoulder I can assure you that.”

Quick Hits

Tight end Simon Gonzalez is getting stronger and adjusting well on campus, according to Yost. He is headed in the right direction and could someone who makes an immediate impact this season.

Defensive back Jaylon Lane is listed on the Texas Tech roster and is back with the team after being away from the program last season. He is expected by some to be an impact player along with sophomore defensive back Adrian Frye.

Red Raider Nation will be able to see this new staff in action in three open scrimmages this spring. First, the Red Raiders will host Lubbock fans at Jones AT&T Stadium on March 30 for a 2 p.m. scrimmage. As it has done in the past, Texas Tech will then travel to Midland on April 5 for a scrimmage under the lights beginning at 7 p.m. Rounding it out will be another trip to Frisco for the team’s spring game at The Star that is slated to start at 2 p.m. on April 13.

Tony Bradford, Jr.

Austin McNamara

Quinton Williams

Alante Brown

Dadrion Taylor

Simon Gonzales

Jon Garibay

Jaylon Lane RedRaiderSports.com

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