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3 One Plus One Equals... A BIGGER ONE Loic TyreetheReadyFouonjitoTakeNextStepWilsonis a Disruptive Force from the Edge Plenette Pierson is NotebookRecruitingMakingZachCurrieReconnectingMarusakKittleyHisMark Red Raider Sports (USPS 0013-768) is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, Octo ber and December. Annual Red Raider Club mem bership dues of $500 or higher include a one-year subscription to Red Raider Sports Magazine. Red Raider Sports is a publication of TRI Produc tions, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Peri odicals postage is paid in Lubbock, Texas. Address all editorial-related correspondence to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Red Raider Sports is not an official publication of Texas Tech Postmaster:University.Sendaddress changes to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. For subscription inquiries contact the Red Raider Club at 806.742.1196. Give old and new addresses and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. ©2022 TRI Productions. All Rights Reserved. Managing Editor Aaron Dickens Cover Photo Elise Bressler Photographers Elise KatieMichaelaArtieElizabethBrandonBresslerBriegerHertelLimmerSchumacherPerkins Writers Ben BrandonAlCaseyTerryGolanGreenbergMontavloPickettSoliz RED RAIDERsports Volume 28 • Issue 1
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For this project, though, Athletics expects to take on some debt. How much? Depends on how much is raised. Fundraising is critical.
The $200 million project becomes the largest – and final piece – of the Campaign for Fearless Champions. Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt launched the campaign in 2014. More than two-dozen facilities have been completed impacting all 17 Tech sports. Those have been completely funded by more than $200 million in dona tions from generous Red Raider donors – none of which is included in the additional fundraising for this new project.
Excitement over Head Coach Joey McGuire also helps.
Fundraising was sparked by Dusty Womble’s $20 million gift to turn the Football Training Facility into the second “Womble” on campus and former Red Raider Cody Campbell’s $25 million toward the South End Zone proj ect. Other donors, including Gary Petersen, Mike Wallace, John Sellers and more have added another $30 million for a total of $75 million. That put the spurs to the project.
Plans to build the Womble Football Center and then revamp the South End Zone are now one stunning project planned for the 2024 football season.
Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director, echoed Hocutt’s comments: “It’s amazing how our donors continue to step up to help us build the best facilities in the country – part of what makes Texas Tech a place
“He’s elevated the belief and confidence as to where Texas Tech football is going. That has made a difference in people getting involved with these projects. People have bought into the future of Texas Tech football with Coach McGuire leading the way,” said Hocutt.
A
BY
“This will be the premier football facility in the Big 12 Conference and na tionally and is what we believe is needed for Texas Tech football to be successful on the national stage. To have Dusty and Cody step forward has elevated and expedited this project in a way that would not be possible without their trust and confidence,” said Hocutt.
TERRY GREENBERG
One plus one equals... AONE.BIGGER One one equals...
Two projects became one when people involved thought outside the foot print of the existing football building. There was no way to expand in any direction, except up. “But even with a second story there was not enough square footage to create the world-class facility we were looking for,” said Jonathan Botros, Senior Associate Athletics Director. Huckabee, whose Texas firm exclusively creates educational facilities, said, “This was probably one of the most difficult project puzzles I’ve worked on. We don’t have much of a footprint to work with and a huge square-foot need.”
Huckabee’shighlights:marriage to wife Robin – they met at Tech – depends on it, he said. “I’m a longtime Red Raider, my wife’s a Red Raider and we’re sensitive to make sure we honor traditions. When took this job, said if I want to maintain my 30-year marriage we have to be sensitive to the scoreboard,” said architect Huckabee. How Two Became One “The project’s going to be incredible,” said McGuire. “We can be as good as anybody in the nation when it comes to facilities.”
The
• The South End Zone will have a field-level club area the team will use to enter Jones AT&T Stadium through the middle of the end zone – not from the southwest corner. Above it will be premium seating options on two levels. Sandwiched between those levels will be coaches’ offices, connected to the Womble.
What developed was making football staff offices and other meeting rooms part of the South End Zone project connected to the rest of the Womble by a “WeTouchdown.skybridge.justkeptpushing until this solution evolved. It came from saying let’s do world-class facilities. Let’s create a new gateway. Let’s maximize all our • The Womble Football Center – much like the Womble Basketball Center – becomes a two-story, state-of-the-art home for the Red Raiders, including a high-tech walkthrough room.
6 where the best student athletes want to come compete. This project will give us one of the best football facilities in the country and will continue to build upon the momentum we are experiencing,” she said. “It is going to take all of us – we need all Red Raiders to give and be a part of this historical project.”
• A special area dedicated to recruits.
“I don’t think there’s anything like this in college football. The way this is going to be hooked together from the game day experience with our fans and recruits with a recruiting lounge, all the way to how the student ath letes are going to be able to interact in this building,” he said.
• The existing South End Zone seats will not be available during the 2023 season as work will start after the 2022 football season.
So Athletics leadership, football staff, donors Womble and Campbell, Huck abee and the team at Populous – which worked on the basketball center – pushed for a solution.
McGuire described having the Red Raider defensive line and linebackers in the room facing Oklahoma’s offense on the video board.
The Game Day Experience Fans will enter the stadium through a new gate in the South End Zone with additional concessions, expanded concourse and ground-level sight lines to Cody Campbell Field at Jones AT&T Stadium unique to college football.
“I haven’t been to any facilities that link the game field to the practice fields so there’s really zero travel,” he said, saving student athletes with busy schedules valuable time.
The stadium’s video board and sound system will also be updated.
The Womble Football Center Moving offices and meeting rooms focuses the new Womble on student athletes.
“We have a good rehab/recovery room, but it’s outdated,” said the coach. With all the advances in equipment and treatment techniques, more space is needed.
Recruits will see the quality of football life Red Raiders have in the new fa cility – how they recover, how they’re being fed, how they live, McGuire said.
The next level up will be – as of now – a mix of loge boxes, club seats and what Hernandez calls living room boxes.
LSU and NFL teams have such a video walk-through room, said Hernandez.
“We always put the player and their well-being first and this just magnifies that a bunch. All of this is being done to help you become the best version of yourself and play your best football,” said McGuire. Facility improvements send a message. “It says this place wants to win. They’re committed to improving everything for the student athlete,” he said.
“Those kids ask a lot of questions. Their parents ask a lot of questions,” said McGuire. The football program has a presentation for recruits covering these areas.
“The more guys in the building, even relaxing, the more we have a chance to have a better locker room and team chemistry,” said McGuire. This will connect – via the skybridge – to the program’s meeting spaces, in cluding individual position rooms and the Spike Dykes Team Meeting Room in the South End Zone.
A video board can project an opponent.
Texas Tech will maintain its football strength and conditioning, sports med icine and equipment areas on the main level.
“You can put up run plays, pass plays. It’s being run at you and you’re walking through your defensive ‘fits,’” he said. This follows learning the defensive “install” in the meeting room, but before doing it on the practice field.
“It’s a huge deal when you’re talking about how we’re going to grow these kids into the best version of themselves football-wise,” he said.
As high school programs also keep up with advances in recovery, training and nutrition, more recruits come in with expectations, he said.
The field level is a unique view, said Hocutt, adding, “It will be one of the best views in all of college football.”
This floor will also feature a revolutionary 6,000-plus square foot multi-pur pose walkthrough area. square footage. It was a very different process than how we would tradi tionally design a building,” said Huckabee.
“The more times you see it, the faster you can play,” said the coach. The room can also be set for individual players to improve their skills.
“All of it will have a huge impact in recruiting,” he added. The team will have a player’s lounge on the first floor, where the locker room will also be.
“You always look to expand your game day offerings and those offerings provide a first-class experience for your fans. When you add the promi nence of this project as it relates to one of the primary entry points for our campus, it becomes an extremely important project for the university, Athletics Department and football program,” said Hocutt.
“Logistically, there won’t be a finer facility in the country. You have places that have great stadiums, but they have to bus to their practice facili ty. We’re going to have great facilities right next to each other and that doesn’t exist anywhere in the Big 12,” he said, adding national football powers like Georgia and Clemson don’t have the adjacencies Tech will have. That pleases McGuire.
Now the walkthrough is done in the Sports Performance Center using cans to represent the opposing team.
“We’ve got the best dietitian in the country in Hannah Petersen,” said Mc Guire, who knew her from his time at Baylor and wants to have enough space to help players eat right with plans for nutrition stations in the Womble, the South End Zone and Jones AT&T Stadium.
“We have four fields right next to each other,” he said of Jones AT&T Sta dium field, the Sports Performance Center indoor field and the grass and turf fields south of the football building.
“Ours will be as good,” he said.
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Antonio Huffman, Associate Athletic Director/Football Adminis tration and Red Raider defensive back who played in the mid2000s, has been very involved in helping create the new Womble, said McGuire.
“Probably a sofa seating area – a more relaxed way to watch the game. A loveseat, chairs and a coffee table – like a living room where people would watch a game,” he said.
“Fans have been asking for a mix of seating options so we are putting together a plan to be able to offer a variety of choices with different ame nities and price points,” added Tirey. Above the level with football offices and meeting rooms would be premium suites.
The Board of Regents loved the idea, he added. Tony Hernandez, Deputy Director of Athletics said the design change –which literally linked the projects – allows Tech to have the best set up in college football.
Even though the project has a big price tag, doing it at once saves the cost of mobilizing for construction twice, said Botros. And even though Athletics now knows it has one project, not all the details have been finished, said Hocutt. “We’re finalizing the design stage,” he said.
“The whole building is centered around the players with more – from recov ery to nutrition to strength training,” said McGuire.
Home and visiting locker rooms on the field level accompany a 7,200 square-foot club area welcoming the Red Raiders onto the field and give fans in this space one-of-a-kind interactions with the team.
The entire project shows student athletes how much Texas Tech cares for them, he said.
There are similar video boards in the Womble Basketball Center where Red Raiders and Lady Raiders can – for example – practice free throws with video of an opponent’s student section trying to distract them.
“I thought I was done with my public service,” he said.
“That means we have $5 million more a year that can go toward the student athlete experience, or taking on debt for a very important project,” he said.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a Director of Athletics who has pushed for all of the prior projects in the Campaign for Fearless Champions to be funded 100 percent by philanthropic gifts,” he said. Timing is also key, he said.
Botros has focused on paying down debt not backed by gifts, so the de partment’s debt service, which was about $12 million, has dropped closer to $7 million.
“We’re really going to develop what we call 6th Street,” he said, with the Frazier Alumni Center and tailgating nearby. “It’s going to be a Theredraw.”have also been discussions about having the visiting team enter from the north side, closer to where their fans sit in the northwest corner, Huckabee added.
“Not all debt is bad,” he said. “Debt” backed by philanthropic gift pledges is smart debt because Athletics can earn interest on the gift.
Play With The Same Passion...
Sound is louder for people sitting closer to the speakers in the North End Zone, but harder to hear on the other side of the stadium.
The coach recently told his team about traveling all over Texas to meet Red Raider fans since taking the job last year.
In October of last year, the Board of Regents reviewed what became the Red Raider Facilities Foundation and Huckabee became the chair. He was also the only member, since joined by Alan Hassenflu and King Scovell – both Red Raiders with extensive development experience. Scovell also played for Tech from 1998-2001 as did his dad and two of his brothers. This new process, Huckabee said, does not make sense for most university construction because that’s funded by a mix of public and private dollars. The football projects would all come from private sources.
“We’ll enhance our video boards and install one or two on the South End Zone,” said Hernandez. The new sound system will distribute sound more evenly around the stadium.
McGuire is thankful for the donors who’ve raised $75 million toward the project – “I can’t thank them enough” – and is also thankful and apprecia tive for the passion he’s seen from the Red Raider Nation.
“It made sense because it could be done a little more efficiently than under the state procurement method. We can be more nimble in responding to our donors. We have two regents who have been extremely generous to the university in many ways and are very interested in sports facilities. This al lows them a stronger voice in how the project is developed,” said Huckabee.
Then Womble and Campbell called with the idea of doing the two foot ball projects under a private development model, not through Texas Tech’s Facilities Planning & Construction department in the Texas Tech University System. They discussed the pros and cons and Huckabee agreed to develop a set of standards.
“They don’t have the luxury of acting like a private developer,” he said.
The massive video board on the north side of the stadium is almost ten years old and technology has improved.
The Finances When Botros started at Tech in 2016, Athletics had about $113 million in facilities debt. When this fiscal year ends August 31, that debt will have dropped to about $53 million, he said.
As Clemson won national titles in 2016 and 2018, the impact on revenue and gifts allowed the South Carolina-based school to build new facilities for many sports.
One more improvement will be changes allowing fans to walk all the way around the stadium, he added.
“That’s a good representation of what the power of the sport of football can do for an entire athletics department,” he said. “And we’re further cementing ourselves as it relates to facilities that we’re going to be in the upper echelon of college football,” Botros added, as Texas Tech gets ready to compete in a reconstructed Big 12 Conference.
The area between the stadium and the Sports Performance Center will be a walkway to further enhance the game day experience, said Huckabee.
Huckabee has high respect for the Tech System’s facilities group, but they must follow stringent guidelines even if a project is privately funded.
“I think back to the vision Coach (Athletic Director Emeritus Gerald) Myers had when they built the West Stadium Building as we were entering the Big 12 Confer ence. It reminds me a lot of where we’re at right now. We believe we can compete at the highest level on the field – especially with hiring Coach McGuire,” said Botros. Even though the Red Raiders have not played a game yet, Botros men tioned how well McGuire and his staff have done recruiting. He also referred to an article about the “Dabo Swinney effect” at Clemson.
“I know even more people will step up. This building is a result of how much they care about this university. That’s why I wanted to be here,” he said.
A Different Process Huckabee was coming off his time as chairman of Tech’s Board of Regents and had also served on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
“How awesome would it be if we play with the same passion that our fans and alumni have for this university?” he said he told the team. “If we have that mindset every day, then we’ve got a chance to be really special.”
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This is the only project the Red Raider Facilities Foundation is doing. When it’s finished, Huckabee said, they’ll perform an audit to see how this project performed compared to others on campus. “Did we do it faster? Did we do it cheaper? told them I don’t think we’ll do either of those things. But we should evaluate it and then decide if we want to do additional projects this way,” said Huckabee.
“I didn’t agree to chair it, I just agreed to write the standards to make sure it was done correctly,” he said.
Again, how much depends on what’s raised from donors and what kind of revenue comes from the new South End Zone seating options, Botros said. He’s expecting the debt to be close to half the project’s cost.
12 13 NCAA RULES EVERY RED RAIDER NEEDS TO KNOW 806.742 . 3355 @RedRaiderRules HELP US PROTECT OUR FEARLESS CHAMPIONS
Student-athletes, recruits or their coaches, family or friends may not be invited to your suite or club seats as this constitutes special seating. Game tickets, apparel, equipment or awards may not be traded for or purchased from student-athletes, and items autographed by current student-athletes may not be sold. A student-athlete’s name, picture or appearance may not be used in a commercial advertisement, business promotion or product endorsement.
Boosters may not communicate with recruits or their families on behalf of Texas Tech by phone, in person or in writing (includes social media). Free or discounted items or services may not be provided to student-athletes or recruits unless the benefit is available to the public or all Texas Tech students. Boosters may not provide academic assistance of any kind to a student-athlete or recruit (e.g., test prep, SAT/ACT fees, academic expenses, tutoring, editing completing coursework, etc.).
BY AL PICKETT
“That is a little easier with football,” Fouonji stated. “I want to work in the tech field. I am open to Althoughanything.”headmits he would love a shot at the National Football League someday, his first pri ority remains working in the technology industry.
Interestingly, Fouonji was named the District 2-6A Co-Offensive Player of the Year as a high school senior, an honor he shared with quarterback Donovan Smith of Frenship. Now, the two are roommates at Texas Tech. He won’t predict who will win the Red Raiders’ starting quarter back job this fall, his roommate or one of the other two quarterbacks who are battling for the job, only saying, “We will see.”
Fouonji said he “laid low” this summer, rehab bing his shoulder and “learning the offense and learning the brand.” Now, he is healthy and ready to go this fall. He said he doesn’t have any specific personal goals.
“I will still be doing a lot on the special teams,” he Whileadded.Fouonji will have an expanded role on of fense on the football field this fall, he continues to excel in the classroom. A straight-A student in high school at Midland Lee, he earned a 3.8 grade-point average as a freshman and a 3.6 GPA as a sophomore, garnering Academic AllBig 12 first-team honors. He recently changed his major from computer engineering to information technology.
When Texas Tech junior wide receiver Loic Fouonji was first introduced to the game of foot ball, he had a simple goal: run as fast as he could and try not to get touched. Years later, not much has changed. That is still a good philosophy for a wide receiver. Fouonji was born in Cameroon. His family moved to the United States when he was eight and end ed up in Midland where his father Alexis Fouon ji is an oilfield services senior consultant. Like most youngsters from Africa, soccer, not foot ball, was his sport of choice.
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“The sky is the limit for Loic,” new Tech offen sive coordinator Zach Kittley said. “I am excited for him and his future. He has untapped poten tial for a guy that is that big, physical and fast. He can run by people.”
“My best friend (Tech linebacker) Trent Low talked me into joining a youth football league in Midland,” Fouonji recalled. “I started out as a running back. I ran as fast as I could and tried not to get tackled. I learned (the game of foot ball) and enjoyed it. I thought I can do that, just use my hands instead of my feet.”
Now, as he begins his junior season at Texas Tech, Fouonji expects as expanded role in the Red Raiders’ offense this fall.
Fouonji appeared in nine games as a backup at the outside receiver spots as a freshman, catch ing five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, a 31-yard reception against Oklahoma State. His playing time increased last season. Al though he missed three of the last four games with a shoulder injury, Fouonji still appeared in 10 games and made his first collegiate start. He caught eight passes for 168 yards and one touchdown, a 69-yard strike from Henry Colombi in the third quarter against Texas. Fouonji was a key contributor on the Red Raid ers’ special teams, too, with 85 snaps on the
“My role will be 10 times bigger,” he exclaimed. “My goal is to be the best I can play on the field. I am more comfortable now with the plays and the offense in general.”
kickoff coverage and kickoff return teams. That included a season-high 43 snaps against West Virginia, a game in which he also had 50 receiving yards.
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, with outstanding speed, Fouonji became a wide receiver at Mid land Lee. He gave up high school soccer after his freshman year and became a starter on the football team as a sophomore, finishing his high school career with 40 touchdown catches. As a senior, he had 73 receptions for 1,471 yards and 22 touchdowns in leading the Rebels to the Class 6A Division I regional finals.
“Not necessarily,” he said, “just be the best I can be every day. Our team goal is to win every game, to take it one day at a time.”
As for Fouonji, that philosophy he first adopted in youth football of running as fast as he can and not getting touched is still a pretty good game plan.
The Red Raiders will line up in multiple fronts de fensively, according to Wilson, whether it is a 4-25 or a 3-4 alignment. Regardless of what defense Tech is in, Wilson knows is job is to be disruptive force from the edge. He was named the Defensive
“I like it a lot,” he said. “You can see stuff easier, what the offensive line is doing, and pass read or run read. It is easier to get off the ball.”
Last season, Wilson seemed to really come into his own, earning honorable mention allBig 12 honors.
17 By Al Pickett
Wilson called those back-to-back sacks in the Liberty Bowl his personal highlight of the season, although he also remembered back-toback sacks against Kansas State that “gave us a chance to beat K-State for the first time in a long time.” Unfortunately, Tech dropped a 25-24 heartbreaker that day to the Wildcats. He was one of only four defensive players to start in all 13 games last season, joining line backers Colin Schooler and Riko Jeffers as well as defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings. Wilson finished the season with 38 tackles (26 solo), and was the team leader for both tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (7.0).
“It is a change of position,” Wilson acknowl edged. “I am still on the edge, but it is more of standup defensive end, and in some plays I will have pass coverage.”
“I came in late (just in time for the preseason camp in 2020),” he recalled. “I got thrown in the Texas game.” He made his Red Raider debut in the Big 12 opener against Texas, recording a nine-yard sack of Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger early in the fourth quarter to go along with a quar terback hurry. Wilson ended up starting the last four games of the 2020 season, totaling 11 tack les and 1.5 sacks.
One of Texas Tech’s top defensive players is changing positions this fall – sort of. Tyree Wil son has been a defensive lineman throughout his collegiate career, but he is listed as an outside linebacker on this year’s Red Raider roster.
“Theredifficult.weresome situations at A&M that I thought it would be best to go elsewhere,” he explained. “Tech’s defensive line coach reached out to me, but that was right in the middle of COVID. I couldn’t visit campus because every thing was in quarantine. It wasn’t the best time to transfer. I was taking a chance on Tech.”
is a disruptive force from the edge
But Wilson said it has turned out well for him.
Wilson was an Associated Press Class 3A sec ond-team all-state selection after making 126 tackles, including 38 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries as a senior at West Rusk High School in East Texas, helping his team to a 10-2 record. Heavily recruited, Wilson signed with Texas A&M out of high school. He red-shirted in 2018 and then played in all 12 games for the Aggies in 2019, totaling 12 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
In August of 2020, however, Wilson decided to transfer to Texas Tech. That, of course, was right in the middle of the pandemic, which made things
“I really became more familiar with the defense and more preparation,” he said, “slowing the game Wilsondown.”hasalready earned his bachelor’s degree in university studies and will begin work on his master’s in integrated studies this fall. Even though he is listed as a senior, he still has an ad ditional season of eligibility remaining if decides to use it, thanks to the extra year the NCAA granted athletes because of COVID.
“Our team goal this season is to win the Big 12 championship,” Wilson stated. “I want our de fense to be the most dominant defense in the league. Personally, want double-digit sacks and to help us get to the Big 12 championship game.” And he will be working to accomplish those goals all from a standup position on the edge of the Red Raiders’ defense this season.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound Wilson is excited to be in a standup position on defense rather than a down lineman.
MVP of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl after notching four tackles versus Mississippi State, including a pair of key sacks. Both sacks came on back-toback plays in the third quarter, giving the Red Raiders the ball back in their own territory with a 13-point lead. Texas Tech then scored on the en suing drive to blow the game open.
GREENBERGTERRYBY
Pierson credits Sharp’s program, Texas Tech and the Lubbock community for helping a young woman from Houston mature.
IS RECONNECTING
Pierson joined Head Coach Krista Gerlich’s staff as an assistant coach this summer, leaving the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx staff.
“I remember Bill saying, ‘nobody’s taking charges.’ Gotcha coach. ‘Nobody’s getting down on the floor for loose balls.’ Gotcha coach,” great feeling. That’s what you want when you play a team sport. You want to play for each other. You want to excel at the highest level,” she said.
She’s the sixth-leading scorer in Lady Raider histo ry and is ranked in the top ten in four other areas. Her favorite home game was “all of them” with sellout crowds.
“There was still dirt on the floor,” she said.
“In all of my career playing basketball, I have never worn red and black since leaving,” she said.
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“You have to work so hard just to get to the NCAA Tournament. We wanted to get our own national championship,” said Pierson, referring to the 1993 Lady Raiders, led by Sheryl Swoopes and Gerlich.
And back to Lubbock. Coming to Tech
• Phoenix • Detroit • New York • Tulsa • Dallas • Minneapolis • South Korea • Italy • Slovakia • Israel • Turkey • Poland • Russia
“We came close. Our team really banded togeth er. We were connected on all levels and it was a
Pierson scored 12 points in her first game as a Lady Raider – also the program’s first game in the new arena – a 56-49 win over LSU.
“It felt like everyone was part of my family. Every one in the community was invested in the Lady Raiders. That’s what I was looking for,” she said.
The Lady Raiders made the NCAA Sweet Six teen all four of Pierson’s seasons at Tech and two trips to the Elite Eight. The team went 10230 during those years.
The WNBA Pierson was the fourth pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2003 WNBA Draft. During all her years in professional hoops, Pierson stayed in touch with Sharp whether it was talking, texting or seeing each other at a WNBA game.
When Plenette Pierson considered coming to Tex as Tech to play basketball for Marsha Sharp, Unit ed Supermarkets Arena was still being finished. She had to wear a hardhat while getting a tour, during a visit.
The coaching staff and community sold Pierson on becoming a Lady Raider 23 years ago.
“Being Sixth Woman of the Year means you’re coming in and doing things somebody else is not doing, you’re doing it great coming off the bench and your coach depends on it,” she said. Her coach that year was former Detroit Piston Bill Laimbeer.
She was proud to win the first WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award in 2007, while playing for the Detroit Shock.
PLENETTE PIERSON
Pierson played and coached in the WNBA for 20 years and during the offseason played in seven different countries. Her career has taken her to:
Now – after a globetrotting professional career that included being part of three WNBA title teams – Pierson is back in Lubbock ready to help Lady Raiders much like she was helped two decades ago.
“I drove 17 hours straight,” from Minneapolis to Lubbock, excited to come home.
“I bleed red and black,” said Pierson, happily dressed in Texas Tech gear in a Womble Basket ball Center conference room.
“That environment was just something unheard of – you don’t find that very often in women’s basketball,” she said.
(Note: This interview was done in mid-June. The situation may change by the time this issue comes out.)
Playing Overseas
“We always said practice had to be harder than the games,” she said. It built a bond. “Every obstacle we had to face we faced it to gether as a team. It didn’t matter what was go ing on outside those four lines. When we stepped inside the four lines of that court, we were sis ters and we were not letting anybody mess with any of our sisters,” she said.
Pierson was also attracted to three key words Gerlich uses for the program – purpose, passion and pride.
“I always told people wanted my career to end the way I wanted it to be. But I never told people what that was. But it was always to go out on top,” she said.
“Everything she’s building here is about the com munity. She’s always talking about grit. The West Texas community is grit. You think about farming, the oil industry, everything is blue collar. It’s hard work,” she said, saying the former Lady Raiders want to bring the program back to the national prominence it had under Coach Sharp. “And then we can propel it even further,” Pierson added.
“I didn’t mention retirement to anybody,” she said. But during the season at an event to auction off jerseys to raise money to fight breast cancer, she said people may want to bid on her jersey be cause this was going to be her last season.
The Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks in five games and Pierson has her third WNBA title.
“Earlier in the season I messed up my shoulder. I probably should have surgery, but you do what you have to do,” she said. “I took medicine just to be able to play ten minutes when it was what I needed to do for my team.”
Her first title was with the Shock the year before. “You play a sport to win championships. Then you get over the hill you’ve fought your whole life to get over. That’s when realized how hard it is and how you have to keep learning and grow ing your game to get to that point,” she said. Pierson talked about how the Shock players pushed each other in practice.
Russia was on the other end of the spectrum. The Russian cold was hard for the Houston native. Plus, the Russian people didn’t seem happy.
“I still had so much love and passion for the game. I knew I wanted to help change the tra jectory of the women’s basketball – especially at the collegiate level,” she said.
“He would trash talk me as if he was a player on the other team. He knew if he could get me mad enough I would play super aggressive. Oh man, it was a mess,” she said, laughing. The coaches would pit the starters against the bench players in practice. Laimbeer would tell the starters they should destroy the other team and Mahorn would tell the bench players “we ain’t getting killed today – we’re going to whoop them,” she said. That was the model of making practice harder than “Everygames.dayin practice we were at each other’s throats. It was a battle, it was fun and it was in fectious,” she said.
“I want to help mentor young ladies through life. When got to Texas Tech, that’s when grew up and matured into the woman I am now,” she said. Now that she’s back in Lubbock, she can see former teammate Jametra (Clark) Hill and other friends
“They don’t really smile much. They go to work and work hard. That’s what kept me there because I’m a hard worker. You find the beauty in all of it. I’m a glass half-full type person. like to think ev ery place I went was a learning lesson and you find little moments to enjoy each one,” said Pierson.
“My Twitter handle is PiersonPassion,” she said.
“That’s a sad situation,” said Pierson, who played in a WNBA All-Star game with Griner. “You never want one of your sisters to be in the position she’s in – especially in a foreign country not being able to communicate adequately. I hope she’s able to come home soon.”
She played 12 minutes and scored six points in the Shock’s game three win to sweep San Antonio for their second crown. Pierson had a torn labrum but did not have surgery.
Pierson loved her time in Italy and Israel.
In Detroit, Pierson not only played for Laimbeer, but his assistant coach Rick Mahorn, also one of the Pistons’ “bad boys” which won back-to-back NBA titles in 1989-90. They were known for their physical – and mental – play. Mahorn would tell her things like the other team was taking her to dinner because they were going to eat her for lunch.
Reconnecting with Texas Tech
WNBA player Britney Griner – detained in Rus sia since February of this year – makes about $221,000. She was making a $1 million in a season in Russia before she was held on drug charges. The U.S. government has been advocating for her release, saying she’s been wrongfully detained.
Playing for the Bad Boys
20 she said. “You’re finding the little crevices and cracks within the game and make an impact even if you’re not in the starting lineup.”
“It was just a moment that came over me,” she said.
The coaches also told her how to watch their op ponents in warm-ups.
“It was just like family to me,” she said.
Pierson would love to be a Division I head coach. After retiring and before joining the Lynx staff, Pierson coached at Division II Wayne State in Detroit.
The average WNBA salary is just more than $128,000, according to HerHoopStats.com. The average NBA salary is $7.3 million, according to USA Today – 57 times what women pros make. That’s why many play overseas in the offseason.
“Italy’s just beautiful. You can’t even put into words how beautiful it is. loved Israel. It’s different, not something you see everywhere else,” she said, add ing she enjoyed learning the Jewish culture.
The second Detroit Shock title in 2008 was blissful – and painful.
“Players play for years and never get one. I was fortunate enough to play for 15 seasons and get three – and retire after winning,” she said. like Steve and Debbie Maines, who she credits with helping her during her Lady Raider days.
“I liked hearing what she had to say and her vi sion of where she wanted Lady Raider basketball to go,” she said. She was coaching and scouting for the Lynx and was able to make a few scouting trips to Lubbock and connected further with Gerlich.
“I was happy about that championship because that was me being selfless and understanding what my teammates needed,” she said. Nine years later, Pierson was thinking about re tiring when she got a call from Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, who’d been an assistant coach when Pierson played for Detroit. Reeve asked Pierson if she was in for another season and she said yes. Her former Lady Raid er teammate Jia Perkins was also on that team and it was the only time she played with a Lady Raider teammate.
“Watch their shooting form. Are they favoring one leg more than the other? Watch how they turn to get their shot. You learned how to hone in and figure out an advantage for yourself,” she said. When the WNBA was playing in the “Bubble” in Florida during the COVID pandemic, Pierson sat in on a Zoom call Gerlich held with former Lady Raiders after she as hired.
“My brothers have influenced a lot of sports on me and Emerson, too… My parents of course as well, but if I would have to pick younger people, it would definitely be that group. They are always pushing me to be my best, to take care of myself, to read my Bible, drinking water and eating well. They always text me to make sure I’m doing good,” Currie said.
“All of our six commits minus Dylan [Hoskins] went to an official visit,” Currie said. “We all experienced it together and I just fell in love with it. It was after I committed, but it just made me love it more. I love the people I’m with and this is my freshman class.”
“Growing up, our parents didn’t force sports on us, but they definitely put us in a position to build on being competitive,” Currie added. “They didn’t hesitate to put us in sports, which I love because I believe that a kid should experience at least two sports whenever they’re growing up just to see if they enjoy that. But, we grew up picking on each other and having fun with each other.”
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The Amarillo native is excited to get her freshman year going. Leaving her with a piece of advice as she sets off to Lubbock, Currie is ready to create her own story here at Texas Tech just like her family did.
“My parents told me to go in with an open mind,” she said. “Be positive, don’t be negative. If something happens, it’s happening for a reason and God has a plan for you… It’s not an accident, it’s supposed to happen. That’s what my family tells me.”
In addition to Solano’s volleyball influence on Currie, her family has been the biggest support system for her. During the pandemic when the Maru sak’s were stuck in their house, Currie and her family decided to get a weight room bench set in their backyard and have family workouts every single day, constantly pushing one another to get better.
A lot of student-athletes commit to Texas Tech University for its culture and family-oriented feel, but for freshman volleyball player, Currie Marusak, the family aspect meant even more to her than most.
Coming from a very sports-ori ented family, competitiveness is pretty second nature for the Marusak’s. Currie, who credits her Max to be the most competitive of the family, usually hangs out with her brothers finding ways to beat one anoth er in whatever it may be.
It was extremely rare to make the varsity volleyball team as a freshman at Amarillo High School. In fact, the last player to make the varsity as a freshman was former Texas Tech libero, Emerson Solano, four years prior to Currie’s freshman year of high school. After a year of going to private lessons four times a week and getting extra reps in her training as much as she could, Currie walked into high school tryouts aiming to make the freshman A-Team or the junior varsity, but something even better was on the horizon for her.
Both of Currie’s parents met while at Tech. Her father, Dean, was on the football team while her mother, Cyd, competed in track and field for the Red Raiders. Her oldest brother Braden, was the first of the three children to attend Texas Tech, making the football team. Max followed, committing to Texas Tech for baseball and making the 2019 College World Series with the Red Raiders. Currie is the last of the Marusak’s to leave the nest and go off on her own, choosing to wear the Red & Black just like her family. At one point, her father even thought about purchasing a house in Lubbock when Braden committed for football, but eventually decided not to just in case Max and Currie decided to go somewhere else.
matter what,” said Currie. “I enjoyed the competitiveness – even though volleyball wasn’t a sport I enjoyed at first, I would do it just to be compet itive. When we went to the city championship, that’s when it really clicked for me and was like, ‘Wow, I really love this.’”
“My whole family has been sports-oriented for as long as I can remember, so I literally tried out every school sport possible and I would play it know
Coming to Texas Tech has always been a dream to Currie, so much so that she manifested it with her dream board that she made when she was young er. Going through the recruitment process in high school, Currie eventually was put in touch with Texas Tech with the help of her high school coach at Amarillo High School, Mike Moffitt.
“When I got into contact with Texas Tech, I was like, ‘No way this is happen ing right now.’ I have a dream wall [in my room] that has where I wanted to go to college and it has Texas Tech on it,” Currie said. “Tech was a big pri ority because my mom, dad and brothers went there. I wanted to be there because I wanted to follow in my family’s footsteps, but also, just love the atmosphere at Tech and everything it had to offer.”
Knowing he’s a boy, I know he’s probably going to beat me, but I was like, ‘No, you’re not going to beat me.’ We always wrestled and messed with each oth er all the time. We would play volleyball and my brothers would tell me, ‘I’m going to spike it on you’ and I was like, ‘No, you will not do that.’”
“A lot of it is just taking care of myself mentally and physically and being 100 percent every single day no matter if I’m having a bad day – I want to be there for my team and for myself. The Red Raider Club has given us a lot of opportunities and the resources are a huge benefit to us,” Currie added.
“Helping the athletes stay healthy, giving us the nutrition, we need, getting us everything we need to be physically and mentally prepared, they have done a great job in doing that.”
Preparing for her time in college, Currie has worked a lot on her time man agement skills to be ready for her first season. The biggest challenges Currie foresees in her first season are being able to stay present and taking care of her body and mind, which she attributes the Red Raider Club as a key resource to helping with.
CURRIE MARUSAK
“I was at tryouts, and they put me on the middle courts, which is where the varsity possibilities were at,” Currie said. “I was super nervous because I was with the older girls. After tryouts, I get pulled into a room and I’m like, ‘Why am I here? What’s going on?’ because all the older girls and the whole varsity team were there. As soon as walked into through those doors, they were all like, ‘Currie, you made varsity! We’re so proud of you!’ This was a big thing for me.” Currie had a dominant high school career, making some adjustments along the way – from hitting a growth spurt and reaching 6’0 to moving from the setter position to the outside hitter spot, she made the most of her time at Amarillo High, including overtaking Solano’s single-season kills record.
BY CASEY MONTAVLO
“We are super competi tive. I used to play video games with my brothers, and we were super into it,” she said. “My brother would say, ‘I’m going to beat you.’
Currie had visited Texas Tech’s campus many times growing up but didn’t get the chance to have an official visit prior to her commitment because of COVID.
Growing up, Currie played many sports in addition to volleyball, includ ing basketball and track and field. She began volleyball around the fifth grade, but surprisingly, didn’t take a liking to it as much as she thought she would. But her competitive-nature and family encouraged her to stick with it. Eventually, Currie made the A-Team during her seventh-grade year at Crockett Middle School, where the team advanced to the city champion ship. From then on, Currie made the decision that volleyball was going to be her thing and wanted to see where she could go with it.
“Whenever [the kills record] became a thing, I saw it and wanted to be in that record book… I don’t care if it was for digs, if it was for assists, I just wanted to be on there,” added Currie. “I think it was very wholesome that me and Emerson are so close and that I was able to be the person who beat it. Whenever I did, Emerson was so proud. She said, ‘I wouldn’t want anyone else to break it but you.’ She’s been such a great role model to follow.”
“It really started with my parents going to Tech,” Currie said. “My parents met at Tech and it just went from there. My dad is from Arlington, Texas and my mom is from here in Amarillo. From there, they got together and got married, then had my brothers and me. My parents really started it for this family and that was a huge thing.”
Zach Kittley admits he hasn’t really had time to sit back and reflect on the meteoric rise of his career that has brought him back to his alma mater as the new 30-year-old offensive coordinator at Texas Tech.
So what is Kittley looking for from his offense this season?
“We will not have a true two-quarterback system where one alternates series,” Kittley responded.
BY AL PICKETT
Of course, the question most fans want to ask is who will be Red Raiders’ starting quarterback this fall.
“But I believe before the season is over you will see all three play.”
So Kittley is now back home to see if he can cre ate that same success again at Texas Tech. What will his offense look like?
The Hilltoppers closed the 2021 season as the FBS leader in passing yards per game (433.7) and first downs (384) and ranked second for both scoring offense and total offense. Zappe broke the NCAA FBS records for single-season passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62). Last spring, Zappe was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
It is more than just statistics. Kittley is also looking for intangibles.
“I want a team that plays hard, protects the ball and makes sure we are heading in the right di rection,” he said.
Now, just five years after leaving Tech to make his own mark in guiding several of the nation’s top offenses, Kittley is back home in hopes of restoring the Red Raiders as one of the top offensive teams in the country.
“It has been a whirlwind,” he said. “I have been very blessed in my career. Vic Shealy gave me the unbelievable opportunity to take control of the offense at Houston Baptist at age 26. Then I got to work with a great staff at Western Kentucky.”
“We will be very multiple,” he replied. “We will have lots of formations and personnel groups. We have the philosophy that if we need the big boys up front to pound it, we will run the ball. The next week, if our opponent has great edge rushers, we will need to get the ball out quickly. How many times we run the ball or pass the ball will change on a weekly basis, depending on our opponent.”
“We have three really good ones (senior Tyler Shough, sophomore Donovan Smith and redshirt freshman Behren Morton),” Kittley said. “Going into the spring, I said there was not a proven starter, and wanted them to battle it out. Un fortunately, no one took the reins this spring. Each did a good job, and each brings something different to the table. So it will be a battle in the first three weeks of camp this fall. They know that, and we will see who separates himself and gives us the best chance to win football games.”
Kittley, of course, is the son of national champi on Texas Tech track coach Wes Kittley, but the younger Kittley chose football coaching instead of track as his career path. In just nine short years, he has gone from a student assistant at Tech to taking the reins of the Red Raiders’ of fense as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Kittley spent the 2013-17 seasons at Tech working in various roles with Kliff Kingsbury, rising from a student assistant to graduate assistant and assis tant quarterbacks coach his final three seasons. Working with Kingsbury, he helped tutor future NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes II into becoming the nation’s leading passer in 2016 and eventually a top-10 selection by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was then hired at Houston Baptist, helping build one of the nation’s top offenses at the FCS level in his three years with the Huskies. When Kittley was hired at Western Kentucky, Houston Bap tist quarterback Bailey Zappe transferred with him. Behind Zappe’s arm, Kittley transformed Western Kentucky into one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, averaging 44.2 points and 535.3 yards total offense.
“I have had the opportunity to work with great quarterbacks, and players who make things go,” Kittley said. “I got to coach two of the best. We all know what Patrick has done at the next lev el, and Bailey Zappe is on that scale. Both were great to work with. They love their teammates and work hard.”
“I want a natural leader, someone who the team gravitates to in tough situations,” he said. “Who ever wins the job has to understand what we want to do and protects the ball.” Will he play more than one quarterback?
Freelon, a 6-foot-1 guard, arrives in Lubbock following her high school career at Mullen in Denver. She was a dual-sport athlete, according to Tech Athletics, in high school competing in basketball and track. She averaged five points four rebounds and one assist per game her senior year.
Kessner signed with Tech following a career at Kilgore College. Kess ner led Kilgore to a quarterfinal appearance last season and was a NJCAA Academic All-American in 2019. Gerlich was also active in the transfer portal, bringing in Ash ley Chevalier, Jazmaine Lewis, Katie Ferrell and Emilia “JoJo”ChevalierNworie.spent her first year of college hoops at Texas. She was ranked No, 86 in the class of 2020 Mark Adams and the Red Raiders headed into the 2022 off season needing to replace a good chunk of their team. Four transfers were added to the roster in Fardaws Aimaq, Ker win Walton, De’Vion Harmon and D’maurian Williams. All four give the Red Raiders scoring options with Walton, Harmon and Williams also providing depth on the Red Raider bench.
Kicking off the commitment party was Byrnes (S.C.) linebacker Miquel Dingle Jr. Dingle Jr. is the son of for mer NFL running back Mike Dingle, and chose Texas Tech over an offer from Charlotte and interest from Wake Forest, North Carolina and Syracuse. Dingle Jr. is a very athletic prospect whose most impressive feat to date might be his 13.56 time in the 110 meter hurdles, which made him the South Carolina 5A state champion.
Clear Springs (Texas) offensive lineman Nick Fattig was a bit under-the-ra dar when he joined Texas Tech’s class but that is no longer the case after becoming the 2022 National Olympic Weightlifting Champion this summer. Fattig committed to Texas Tech on July 1, and shortly after picked up an offer from Michigan. Fattig is 6-foot-4, 274 pounds and has played both tackle spots and both guard spots for his high school team.
Heading into the summer months the Tech coaches still had a couple of needs on defense, but they were in a tricky spot. May 1 was the NCAA deadline for recruits to enter the transfer portal and still be eligible for the 2022 season, and that date was long gone. With the situation in front of them, they chose to pursue Arkansas State transfer defensive tackle Vidal Scott, who had already verbally committed to Eastern Michigan. The Tech coaches were able to get Scott on campus for an official visit and landed his commitment a few days later.
The Red Raider basketball program expects to continue its success on the court while the Lady Raiders look for their newest transfer portal additions to provide an immediate impact to help Krista Gerlich in her second season as head coach. The hopes of the Tech base ball program are always set on Omaha and, while those dreams was cut short last season, Tim Tadlock is looking to reshape his team around some fa miliar names and new faces to reach col lege baseball’s grand stage once again.
Walton, a North Carolina sophomore transfer, led the Tar Heels in threepoint percentage his freshman year and should bolster a Red Raider team that struggled behind the arc last season.
“Keyon will add another veteran presence to our second ary, giving us even more depth in a room felt was really strong this spring,” McGuire said per Tech Athletics. “Keyon is a talented defensive back that can play multiple positions for us, namely at our Star spot. We look forward to him arriving to Lubbock in the coming week to join our football family.”
Joey McGuire built a lot of recruiting momentum during his first offseason as the Red Raiders’ head football coach. Those efforts have fans excited for the future. But what do the newcomers for this upcoming season bring to the table? The season starts at home for Texas Tech against Murray State but the road only gets tougher as McGuire tries to take the program to the next level.
Both Scott and Blankenbaker arrive in Lubbock with one season of eligibility remaining. While the transfer additions were much needed, Tech also continued to add to the 2023 class following a big official visit weekends in late June. In total, Tech added five high school com mitments between June 21 and July 4.
Texas Tech also received some fourth of July fireworks by way of Arlington Bowie wide receiver Kelby Valsin, who held over 30 offers when he chose to be a Red Raider. Some of his other options include Boston College, Min nesota, Stanford, TCU, Utah and Washington. Valsin put up 49 catches, 831 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, and he was named an All-District selection in both football and basketball. With the class filling up and spots tight, look for Tech to look at potentially adding another running back, defensive lineman and defensive back to the 2023 class.
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Captain Shreve (La.) cornerback Marquez “Macho” Stevenson committed to Tech over Grambling State, Indiana, Mississippi State and New Mexico State. Stevenson was named District 1-5A 2nd Team All District as a wide receiver and is the Loui siana 5A state champion in the 400 meters with a time of 47.18 seconds. He also plans to run track at Tech. Woodville (Texas) defensive tackle Braylon Rigsby was the next recruit to pledge to the Red Raiders in June. Rigsby chose Texas Tech over Kansas State, Louisiana, Sam Houston State and Washington State. The district 113A defensive lineman of the year, Rigsby checks in at 6-foot-3, 287 pounds with 34-inch arms and an 82-inch wingspan. He also participates in track and field where he throws the shot put and discus.
Texas Tech, along with the rest of the nation, is quickly approaching a new chap ter and clean slate with the 2022-23 academic year right around the corner.
As for Williams, he transferred to Tech after two years at Gardner-Webb. He played in 31 games in 2021-22, shooting 41 percent and averaging nearly 15 points per game. Williams will provide Adams and the Tech staff with a shooter off the bench capable of going on scoring streaks alongside Harmon.
“As we crept closer to summer workouts, we knew we wanted to add another experienced piece to our defensive line and we found just that in Vidal,” Tech head coach Joey McGuire said per Texas Tech Athletics. “Vidal will be a great addition to our defensive line room with his experience and his ability to impact the game up the middle.”
The staff was also looking for a defensive back, and found a very experienced one in Wyoming transfer Keyon Blankenbaker. In four seasons as a Cowboys he played over 1,750 snaps, and gives defensive co ordinator Tim DeRuyter a plug-and-play option at multiple Blankenbakerspots.is a 5-foot-10, 185-pound versatile de fender in the secondary who has played both nickel corner and safety in his time in Laramie. Expect that to continue as a Red Raider.
RecruitingNotebook
The Lady Raid ers signed three prospects -- Bailey Maupin, Kilah Free lon and Tara Kess ner – through the traditional recruit ing Maupin,process.aGruver High School graduate, is a 5-foot-11 guard that led her team to the UIL Class 2A State Title during a 33-0 season. Maupin was named the 2021-22 Dave Campbell’s Texas Basketball Miss Texas Basketball Player of the Year following her senior year.
Football BY BEN GOLAN AND BRANDON SOLIZ
Expect the 6-foot-2, 268-pound Scott, who put up 42 tackles, 9 tacklesfor-loss and 3 sacks at Arkansas State, to be a key factor in the rotation among the defensive line.
Harmon adds to the Red Raider backcourt following a productive season for Oregon a year ago. He started in nearly every game for the Ducks, averaging 11 points, three rebounds and one steal per outing. Harmon also brings Big 12 experience to the table as he played two seasons with Okla homa prior to his stint in Eugene.
Basketball Women’s Basketball Aimaq, who transferred to Tech following three years at Utah Valley, is expected to start for the team this season. He averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds per game last year and should provide Texas Tech with much-need ed help down low competing against the bigs in the Big 12.
Gerlich went out this offseason and brought in some highlight additions to a team looking to reach the NCAA Tour nament for the first time since 2013.
The Red Raiders, of course, lost Kurt Wilson, Parker Kelly, Easton Murrell, Colin Clark, Cody Masters, and Cooper Swanson to graduation. Kelly was signed to an undrafted free agent contract with the Colorado Rockies, joining Becker.
“JoJo is the perfect piece to complete our roster,” Gerlich said in a Tech Athletics news release. “She has great size, length and athleticism. She can really run the floor, protect the rim and her footwork is elite. We love her work ethic and goals that she has set for her self. JoJo is a great addition to our post unit and a huge sign for us. We are excit ed to coach her and for Lady Raider Na tion to meet her.” Baseball
by espnW Hoop Gurlz, according to LewisfromshotperthreeShecontests.twostartedgamespearedvalierTexas,Athletics.TechAtCheap-in28andinofthoseaveragedpointsgameand38percentthefield.comesin from Houston where she spent the last three sea sons. She is a 6-foot-4 forward with 68-games of experience. She started in 17 games and averaged three points and two re bounds per game. Following a four-year career at UT-Ar lington, Ferrell joins Gerlich’s roster after leading the Lady Mavericks in three-point percentage a year ago. She posted solid numbers per game with five points, six rebounds and four rebounds and two blocks per game.
After a disappointing end to the season at the Statesboro Re gional where the Red Raiders’ Big 12-leading offense went quiet, Texas Tech has acquired more hitting in the transfer portal. Tech has brought in Texas 1B Gavin Kash, Wofford OF Nolen Hester and Oregon State INF Jake Dukart through the portal. The Red Raiders lost LHP Jamie Hitt to Oklahoma and INF Lauden Brooks to Cincinnati in the transfer portal.
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The Red Raiders have added Matt Hickey, a transfer from Tar leton State, via the transfer portal but he was drafted by the St. Louis Car dinals in the 15th round of this year’s draft. Along with the additions to the roster through the portal, the Red Raiders No. 12 recruiting class has stayed mostly intact after the 2022 MLB Draft. The Red Raiders only lost three play ers to the draft from the class and will see speedy outfielders Gage Harrelson and Jeric Curtis make it to campus. Tech will also see Perfect Game top-500 infielders Cade McGarrh, Ben Lumsden, Tracer Lopez, and Damian Bravo make it to campus. From the roster, the Red Raiders saw a lot of pitching get draft ed along with the fourth first-round pick in program history in Jace Jung. Reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Brandon Birdsell, along with Andrew Morris, Chase Hampton and Austin Becker were selected in the draft.
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