022521

THURSDAY, FEB. 25, 2021 VOLUME 95 ■ ISSUE 19

LA VIDA

SPORTS

Concessions adds mobile ordering for 2021 season.

Tech softball ready for competitive season.

PG 2

OPINIONS

ONLINE

Politics, social justice belong in sports.

PG 2

BASEBALL

INDEX

Vote on our poll at www.dailytoreador.com

PG 4

ONLINE

LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU

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SOFTBALL

Photo Courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics

Photo Courtesy of Jeremy O’Brien

Tim Tadlock, Tech baseball head coach, watches his team work during a pre-season practice.

Sami Ward, Tech softball head coach, hits a ball to her team during a pre-season practice.

Tadlock, Red Raiders hopeful after opening weekend losses

By RYAN MAINVILLE Editorial Assistant

After playing 66 games the season before, Texas Tech baseball’s 2020 season was unexpectedly cut short after just 19 games. As the COVID-19 pandemic began running rampant in America, college baseball, as well as many other sports, was put on pause.

Teams are normally hoping to end their season in June with a College World Series appearance, as Tech did a season before. But in 2020, the season was stopped in March, before Tech had even begun conference play.

“Last spring, those 20 minute games we played . . . it’s pretty foggy,” Tech baseball head coach Tim Tadlock said during a preseason media availability on the shutdown. “It was over so fast. It put me in a little bit of a funk, for sure, saying, ‘Hey, our season’s over in March.’”

Even as this season presents bits of normalcy, with Tech slated to play their conference foes as well as 20 home non-conference games, the variance of COVID-19 still lingers. Tadlock and his team have experienced that challenge firsthand.

“We dealt with it pretty good in the fall . . . seems like to me a bunch of guys got it,” Tadlock said on how COVID-19 affected his team.

Tadlock, now in his ninth season at Tech, acknowledges this season will hold unpredictable changes.

“We’ve tried to communicate to the guys the best we can, that things are gonna change daily and just do the best we can,” Tadlock said on the challenges the season ahead holds.

The Red Raiders enter this season with high expectations. Tech was selected as a top-five team by all six major preseason polls, according to Tech Athletics.

At the individual level, the Red Raiders roster holds three Preseason All-Americans. Redshirt freshman infielder Cal Conley, sophomore pitcher Micah Dallas and junior outfielder Dylan Neuse were all named for the award by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

And heading the team is Tadlock, who has collected 301 wins as head coach of the program.

Tadlock’s teams have not only become consistent winners but perpetual contenders. The Red Raiders are one of only three teams to make the College World Series four times since 2014, according to Tech Athletics.

Tech has also filled the trophy room under Tadlock’s lead. Since 2013, Tech has won three Big 12 championships, had 38 All-American players and had 50 athletes selected in the MLB Draft, according to Tech Athletics.

This season’s Red Raider roster is young, with 14 true freshman coming into the program. The class was rated

as the 17th best in college baseball, according to D1Baseball.

The incoming freshman class consists of 11 pitchers, as Tadlock once again prioritizes adding depth to his bullpen.

There’s also four returning freshmen, including the big bats of Conley and infielder Jace Jung.

In only 19 games last season, Jung was second in home runs and third in RBI among the Red Raiders, according to Tech Athletics. Conley was third on the team in home runs but placed second in the Big 12 in RBI, according to Tech Athletics.

The sophomore class adds four transfers, as well as eight Red Raiders who were in the program last season. The additions include former JUCO pitchers Brandon Birdsell, Brandon Petix and Chase Webster.

There are only 11 upperclassmen on this year’s roster, nine of them juniors. The cornerstone of the junior class is Neuse, who was selected as Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year heading into the season.

Last season, Neuse led the team in runs scored and stolen bases, according to Tech Athletics. Neuse was also a reliable glove for the Red Raiders, earning a field percentage of .950 in the brief season, according to Tech Athletics.

Only two seniors fill out the top of the roster, both pitchers: Connor Queen and transfer Patrick Monteverde, who was Tech’s opening day starter.

In 4.0 innings against No. 8 Arkansas, Monteverde allowed only one hit and two walks, while recording five strikeouts, according to Tech Athletics.

Even with the lofty expectations, awards and highly-touted roster, Tadlock remains determined on his team taking a day-by-day approach.

“You’re trying to grow a little bit each day and get a little bit better each day, and nobody has to be perfect,” Tadlock said during a preseason media availability. “It’s a 56-game season for a reason.”

That incremental approach will be vital for a Tech team that started their 2021 season off with threestraight losses.

“I just didn’t feel like, you know, myself, did a very good job at preparing the guys,” Tadlock said after his team was swept in the State Farm College Baseball Showdown, “just weren’t playing at a high level, really the whole weekend, and that’s on me.”

The Red Raiders’ attention now shifts toward their home opener against Houston Baptist at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26. Tech will then play a two-game series against Texas Southern before heading to Houston for the Shriners Hospital For Children College Classic. @RyanMainvilleDT

Ward, Red Raiders tabbed three wins during opening weekend

By ZACH RICHARDS Sports Editor

In her first year at the helm of Red Raider softball, a veteran roster and team chemistry has fueled Tech to three early wins.

Over four months ago, Sami Ward entered Lubbock as Texas Tech softball’s eighth head coach in program history. Now, she and the Red Raiders are underway a season like no other in her first year at the helm.

Ward came to Tech after her tenure at Loyola Marymount, where she compiled 138 wins, according to Tech Athletics. But her resume is much deeper than that.

A three-time, West Coast Conference Coach of the Year winner, three 30-win seasons and an NISC Regional Tournament title are just a few of Ward’s accomplishments.

But even at the helm of an accredited softball school, Ward still saw Tech softball’s potential from over 1,000 miles away on the coast of California.

“That was a great season in 19, but we want to do more than that, and we’re gonna set the standard for ourselves here,” Ward said. “I mean, that’s what we talk about day in and day out.”

Tech’s 2019 season was historic.

Advancing to its fifth-ever regional final, according to Tech Athletics, and its first since 2011. With 41 wins on the season, only two other teams in Tech softball history had eclipsed that total.

However, in the same year, Tech fell to No. 10 LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional Finals; the same year marked former Tech head coach Adrian Gregory last at the helm. But in came Ward, who has a different coaching style.

And with Ward, there was no drop-off in success, coming from a winning program. Her success on the field is in part to her philosophy off the field, which sees the two merge.

And in the midst of a pandemic, Ward has used it to fuel her point even more.

“This year is gonna be full of a lot of don’t feel greats within the pandemic,” Ward said. “But that’s what life is just in general … we’re just talking a lot about that and approaching softball that way because we have to approach life that way.”

The same approach sees Ward bonding with her team. A trait senior pitcher Erin Edmoundson sees as positive.

“Coach Sami and I, I feel like I’m so much like her, and so we get along super well, and I feel like we’ve been able to establish a good connection really quickly,” Edmoundson said.

No new coaching staff transition is easy, but Ward and the Red Raid-

ers have worked together to make it as fluid as possible.

“The first few months have been great, honestly,” Ward said. “I think coming into it, being in the middle of the year and being in a pandemic, we were kind of expecting the worst, but its been as smooth of a transition as we could’ve asked for in all honesty.”

Another part which aided the transition was the strong foundation of Tech’s team, which hosts a flurry of returners.

The veteran team has had time to build chemistry even dating back to high school and select ball.

“I think we’ve just been playing together for a really long time.

Some of us have been playing since before we came to college. We played against each other in high school and select ball,” Edmoundson said.

“We’ve established a good connection between everyone … I think that helps us with a good transition from one head coach to another.”

Ward said the team has a strong group of returners who have had a lot of successes.

Fast forward just two weeks, the Red Raiders have completed their first weekend event with three wins; two of which over Colorado State and one over Texas A&M on their home turf.

They did, however, lose twice as well.

But the most resounding win was over the hosting Aggies. Ward made a ripple in the history books in just her third game at the helm with Tech, winning in College Station for the first time in 14 years, according to Tech Athletics.

Despite the win, though, Ward still leans back on how her team practices, another strong root in her philosophy.

“We didn’t have the mentality that we needed to while we were preparing, but that was really eye-opening for us coaches to really help the entire team, so we’re not changing the way we do things,” Ward said after finishing the weekend slate 3-2.

A lot was unveiled about Tech softball and Ward following their opening weekend, but none more apparent than her willingness to stand strong and her confidence in the Red Raiders.

“The worst day on the ball field is still better than no day on the ball field,” Ward said. “We’re stubborn and I think, you know, we’re tenacious, and we’re gonna find a way to get everyone on the same page.

“We’ve seen glimpses. We know we’re capable of it, but we’re going to bulldog our way through this for sure.”

Tech softball will return to action Feb. 26 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where they will play a six-game slate starting with a 10 a.m. matchup against North Dakota State. @ZachRichardsDT

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SPORTS

FEB. 25, 2021

WWW.DAILYTOREADOR.COM

SPORTS

Tech softball ready for competitive season

By ZACH RICHARDS Sports Editor

Tech softball is underway, and they have a long way to go before Big 12 play in April.

However, under head c o a c h S a m i Wa r d , t h e potential is there.

“The reality is we’re in the Power Five too, and we’ve got a great opportunity to sneak up on people that aren’t expecting us to right now, so our expectation doesn’t change; we still need to focus on ourselves,” she said.

An already unconventional year for the Red Raiders has been prolonged by a near onemonth wait until they play at home.

Tech will have played eleven matches before opening their home slate against Texas State at noon in Lubbock March 3.

They will then have 13 more non-conference

matches before beginning conference play against Baylor at 6 p.m. March 26 at Rocky Johnson Field.

Tech will enter its 48th overall matchup with Baylor when they meet next.

The Red Raiders have had the hand over the Bears of late, winning their last four matchups against Baylor dating back to 2018, according to Tech Athletics.

The most recent outing saw Tech win 11-6.

Baylor will have a chance to redeem itself in late March when the two teams meet for a threegame series in Lubbock.

The second game will take place at 4 p.m. March 27, and the teams will then conclude the series at noon March 28.

The Red Raiders will then take a three-day break before another series against the Longhorns in Austin.

Tech will make its trip

to battle Texas April 1-3 with the game times still having yet to be determined, according to Tech Athletics.

The two teams have had back-and-forth, lowscoring affairs of late, with Texas winning the most recent matchup 2-0 and the Red Raiders winning the match prior by a score of three runs to two.

However, the Red Raiders have historically struggled against Texas, having lost 11-straight games between 2016 and 2019.

They will take one step closer to evening the lopsided series this year.

The Red Raiders will play one last home matchup against Oklahoma State April 9-11 before beginning their road trip.

The matchups will take place at 6 p.m., 4 p.m. and noon, respectively, according to Tech Athletics.

The Red Raiders and Oklahoma State have a

closer historic rivalry, with the Cowboys winning 24 matches to Tech’s 10, according to Tech Athletics.

The Red Raiders have, however, lost the five most recent matchups.

After an opportunity to break a five-game losing skid, Tech will begin its longest road trip of the season against Kansas and Oklahoma.

Their series in Lawrence, Kansas, will take place April 16-18, according to Tech Athletics.

Friday’s game will be at 6 p.m., Saturday’s at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s at noon, according to Tech Athletics.

They will then have a five-day break before their final road game of the season in Norman, Oklahoma, against the Sooners. Times for the Tech, Oklahoma threeday series have yet to be determined, according to Tech Athletics.

Tech’s final homestand will

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Texas Tech softball players high five each other in-between innings during theTexasTech softball game against Marist College on March 7, 2020, at Rocky Johnson Field. The Red Raiders defeated the Red Foxes, 2-1. be against Iowa State April 30-May 2, according to Tech Athletics, with the games taking place at 6 p.m., 4 p.m. and noon.

The Red Raiders have the lead in the overall series with 23 wins to Iowa State’s 13, according to Tech Athletics.

Success has been especially in abundance of late, with Tech

winning three of its last four games against the Cyclones.

This will be a final shaping match for the Red Raiders before they travel to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the Phillips Big 12 Championships May 14-15, according to Tech Athletics. Times have yet to be determined for the event. @ZachRichardsDT

SPORTS

Concessions adds mobile ordering for 2021 season

By NATALEE GOMEZ Staff Writer

Concessions play a large part in baseball culture, with the 2021 season in full swing there are a few changes to be aware of this spring.

“The main change this year will be how the food is handled and contactless ordering for people

who want to do it that way,” Robert Giovannetti, senior associate athletics director for external operations, said.

Mobile ordering is a big thing that athletics is trying to encourage this season, people can order it and then come just pick it up at the counter, he said.

Giovannetti said one of the biggest factors in

aiding social distancing efforts will be the lines marked on the pavement to maintain space as well as plexiglass put up at the counter for the safety of those attending the game and those working.

“Mobile ordering can be done through the Texas Tech Athletics app,” Giovannetti said. “Down on the left side, you’ll see

the game day tab and then a section where you can do mobile ordering.”

As for food options, Giovannetti said the options will remain the same at least for the beginning of the season, but later on, they might introduce some new options.

For alcohol, concessions still will be serving beer and wine at all stations as well

as separate stands located around the field, he said.

One main perk for attendees is that fan-friendly concession prices will still Of course we want be in effect. More affordable things to run as close prices can really enhance to normal as possible, the game-day experience, Giovannetti said. but our main priority is “Of course we want the health and safety for things to run as close to everyone involved. normal as possible, but our ROBERT GIOVANNETTI main priority is the health and safety for everyone involved,” Giovannetti said. @NataleeGomezDT

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

BASEBALL

SPORTS

Page 3 Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021

Tech baseball placed among sturdy Big 12 conference

By BISHOP VAN BUREN Staff Writer

The Big 12 has developed into one of the best college baseball conferences over the past few years, rankings wise, and the Texas Tech baseball team has developed into one of the nations’ best teams right alongside it.

Though viewed as the current favorite, multiple good teams stand in the way of the Red Raiders and their first Big 12 Championship since 1998.

Coaches from each Big 12 team took part in a preseason teleconference, and Tech head baseball coach Tim Tadlock had some high praise for the Big 12 as a whole.

“I do think our league is the best in the country,” Tadlock said. “We have eight teams worthy of getting into regionals; it’s just a matter of that proving itself.”

Tech is nationally seen as the best team in the conference and ranks the highest among Big-12 teams in all six major preseason polls released. Baseball America, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game all gave the Red Raiders the No. 3 spot in their polls, while the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and USA Today placing them a spot lower at No. 4 in their polls.

The Red Raiders high rankings should come as a surprise to no one, as Tadlock has led his teams to a College World Series four times in eight years (excluding last year’s canceled season). Led by Tadlock and key players such as Dylan Neuse and Micah Dallas, fans should expect to see the Red Raiders come playoff time.

The only other two teams to have top ten rankings in any of the previously mentioned major preseason polls are the Texas Longhorns and the TCU

Horned Frogs. The Longhorns are the No. 9 ranked team by both the NCBWA and D1Baseball, with USA Today ranking them No. 10. Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs’ were ranked No. 10 by D1Baseball for their sole top ten ranking.

The Texas Longhorns have surprisingly high expectations after finishing last year’s shortened season unranked, yet storming out to a 14-3 record after the season was canceled due to COVID-19. The NCAA leader in College World Series appearances, the Longhorns, will look to return to Omaha for the first time since 2018.

After the TCU Horned Frogs also had their 2020 season cut short by COVID-19, they will have eight of their players returning for another season as they aim for a championship one last time. The Horned Frogs have a good problem on their hands ahead of the 2021 season as they attempt to mix a group of experienced players with young and talented upstarts.

The Texas Longhorns and the TCU Horned Frogs began their season at the same event as the Red Raiders, after the three Big 12 teams were invited to the 2021 State Farm College event.

The two teams in Oklahoma have gained a bit of national attention as well, with the Oklahoma State Cowboys still defending their Big 12 Championship from 2019. Oklahoma State’s head baseball coach Josh Holliday has led the cowboys to the postseason each year since he started his role in 2012, and has finished lower than third in the Big 12 standings only once during that time.

The Oklahoma University Sooners are looking to replicate the success of their state rival. Since Skip Johnson became the head coach of the Sooners three years ago, he boasts an 85-52 record, with

his squad last year going 14-4 before the season was canceled. The Sooners have only gained rankings higher than their state rival in the preseason polls by Baseball America and the NCBWA, but which Oklahoma team will come on top should be an exciting storyline to follow throughout the 2021 season.

The West Virginia Mountaineers are the only Big 12 team not yet mentioned that has appeared in any of the major preseason polls, with both Baseball America and D1Baseball ranking them at No.14 while the NCBWA and USA Today placed them at No. 21 and No. 22 in their polls, respectively. The Mountaineers also got out to a hot start in the COVID-19 shortened season, climbing out to their best 16 game start since 2009 (11-5). With 25 players returning from that roster, the Mountaineers will be a formidable team in a competitive Big 12 conference.

The only Big 12 teams to not get ranked in any of the six major preseason polls were Baylor, Kansas and Kansas State. Though Baylor went unranked in these polls, they still have plenty of potential with one of the league’s best players in Jared McKenzie returning for his second season after becoming a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2020. After winning the Big12 Championship in 2018, Baylor’s head baseball coach Steve Rodriguez shouldn’t be counted out with a roster full of young talent.

Kansas and Kansas State both enter this season with likely the lowest expectations of all the Big 12 teams, and rightfully so after neither team has finished with a winning record against Big 12 opponents since the Kansas Jayhawks went 15-9 in 2014.

Though both teams seem to

Photo Courtesy of Tech Athletics

Redshirt freshman infielder celebrates his run with teammate Jace Jung. Texas Tech will play Houston Baptist at Dan Law Field at 2 p.m. on Feb. 26. be lacking in talent, they both feature some promising pieces on the mound, such as Kansas’ right handed ace pitcher Everhett Hazelwood and one of the best arms in the nation in Kansas State’s left handed ace Jordan Wicks.

The Big 12 has risen in College Baseball as a conference largely due to the talent that has come out of it in recent years, and with the 2021 Preseason All-Big 12 Team filled with young talent, it seems the Big 12’s future is secure as well. Tech’s outfielder Dylan Neuse headlined the awards after being selected as the Preseason Player of the Year, and the Preseason Pitcher of the Year award was given to both Kansas State’s Jordan Wicks and the University of Texas’ Ty Madden.

The Longhorns also produced the winners of the Newcomer of the Year award in Mike Antico and the Freshman of the Year in Tanner

Witt. Longhorn Outfielder Mike Antico spent his first four seasons with St John, where he was a 2019 unanimous first team All-BIG EAST selection. Meanwhile right-handed pitcher and infielder Tanner Witt joins the Texas Longhorns after two all-state seasons in his four years starting for Episcopal High School in Houston.

Eighteen players were selected for the 2021 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, with players coming from every Big 12 school except TCU. With four players selected, Tech has more members on the team than any other Big 12 school. Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Baylor each had three players on the team while Oklahoma and Texas only had two. Finally, Kansas State’s Jordan Wicks was the only Wildcat to earn a spot on the team.

Tadlock elaborated on his previous comments about the

Big 12 conference, noting the depth of talent in the league in the coaches’ teleconference.

“On paper everyone has depth, everyone’s got experience,” Tadlock said. “Our group is excited about the possibility of the competition being as good as it can be, and being ready to embrace that.”

The Big 12 is loaded with lots of talented teams, each with their own fair share of talented players and will likely be one of the most exciting conferences in College Baseball this year. Tech is currently the favorite to win the conference in each of the major preseason polls that have been released so far, but the Red Raiders will need Tadlock to get the most out of a young and talented roster to live up to those expectations with the rest of the conference waiting for a chance at their top spot.

DTbishopvb

OPINIONS

Page 4 Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021

COLUMN

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

Politics, social justice belong in sports W

e are fast approaching the one year anniversary since COVID-19 made its way into the City of Lubbock and when everything sports and academic related was put on hold.

Then over the summer, we saw the rise of many social movements from BLM to transgender rights, and we saw some of these movements make their way into sports.

The Lubbock community even witnessed the Tech men’s football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s soc-

Mateo Rosiles is a junior journalism major from Lubbock

cer teams hosted a walk to show their solidarity for racial injustices. They were given praise for their unity during such a turbulent time, but they were given hell for it as well which raises the question, do politics belong in sports?

Yes, they do and if you don’t like it, then don’t watch sports. There is

an argument to be made against it. You can say that you watch sports for entertainment, a means to escape the real world but can you not say the same for movie and TV celebrities?

You go to the movie to escape, but we know that celebrities have political and social platforms that they advocate for and that you may not necessarily agree with. So why would you not expect the same thing from athletes? Why hold them to a different standard?

One where they should be scandal free and not have an opinion about anything, or if they do, to

not speak up about it.

Just like celebrities and internet-famous people, they have a social contract with the public. We give them power and influence over us, and in turn, they should use it for the good of our society.

That means they should be advocating for equal rights and social justice. What is the point to be given a platform and not use it to bring awareness to great causes that will help improve the lives of those who do not have a voice?

Who are we to say that athletes can not take a

knee because they do not agree with the racial injustices going on around the country. We should be applauding them for their courage and using their platform for good.

Yes, they do and if you don’t like it, then don’t watch sports.

Instead, fans get up in arms and call for players to be fired and threaten players online.

With America’s pastime

starting to come back after a year-long break, I hope that some athletes start taking a stand and continue the fight that other athletes have courageously fought for.

Baseball has broken many racial boundaries by being one of the first sports to be racially integrated however they do contribute to the systematic racism found in the world of sports.

They have made improvements over the years, but there is always a way for an organization to improve. @MateoRosilesDT

CARTOON

COLUMN

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Sports can learn from NBA’s bubble Nico Sanchez and Zach Richards

America’s pastime resides in sporting events and everything surrounding the millennium-old spectacle of humans performing competition-based athletic events, but when COVID-19 struck in 2020, for the first time since the world wars, it was all put on pause.

Fast forward one year, the pandemic-riddled country of America has surpassed half-a-million COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC. And despite the constant rise in both cases and deaths, a clear message was demonstrated in the U.S.: Americans need their sports; and so the nation played on, but at what cost?

The decision to play sports during the pandemic held a gigantic risk, and America was willing to take it.

One of the biggest developments came in the NBA, a league which introduced “The Bubble”.

This was essentially a gigantic resort for professional basketball players to be housed, and to play in, so they would not be exposed to COVID-19 while still participating in basketball.

The biggest difference, which was immediately noted, was the lack of fans, both by players, coaches and spectators.

Empty arenas, limited noise and no depth of field played a big role in the advancement of the season, as the league saw

unorthodox performances from a host of players that flourished from their new environment.

The new format unfolded, and people adapted to a new lifestyle of sports, which they would go on to see for months on end.

But entertainment aside, the biggest takeaway from The Bubble was not the outstanding individual performances, the playoff race, MVP race or even the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers led by the greatest player of all time in Lebron James.

It was the fact that throughout months of play and close contact, not a single COVID-19 case entered the NBA Bubble.

Led by science, facts and people who bought into the system, The National Basketball Association conquered COVID-19.

It began with a near, 100-page document the league sent out to every NBA Bubble participant which outlined guidelines, procedures and protocols they must take to remain safe.

The whole ordeal was a high-risk, high-reward proposition for the NBA, which based its bubble in one of the most infested COVID-19 areas in the nation at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

We think the NBA took the challenge, and persisted with a level-headed approach to complete its season. But the bigger picture is the cooperation on all ends.

The rules were set in place, but the players, coaches and everyone in The

Bubble were the key components to making sure the season finished successfully.

If even one person was out of place, The Bubble could have easily turned into a super-spreading nightmare; a disaster for the league, players and numerous other parties that risked vast components to make it all happen.

The Bubble should be used as a beacon for what works in society, not only COVID-19 related, but on a broader spectrum as well.

It takes a group effort to make change and to make things work.

Obviously, with millions of people roaming around it is easier said than done, but the statement stands.

Robert Redfield, Prevention Director for the Centers for Disease Control, said the pandemic would be under control within a matter of weeks if everyone wore face coverings and followed basic protocol.

Redfield said this in July of 2020, and the news trickled throughout media.

We saw it, and surely had the same idea as many others of, what difference can one person make?

For those who have been anywhere but their own house at any point in the pandemic, it is clear that America does not have 100 percent cooperation in stopping COVID-19.

There are still people walking around maskless, throwing parties and doing numerous other things that just throw gas on the fire that is COVID-19.

And why not? Those

opposing mask wearing protocols have no reason to wear them. They have not been heavily enforced, and we do not live in a society where the government can force citizens to do much of anything as it relates to their person.

Now, in America, there are a lot of fingers to point in terms of the government as it relates to the handling of COVID-19, but just like The NBA Bubble, it takes more than one person.

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It was the fact that throughout months of play and close contact, not a single COVID-19 case entered the NBA Bubble.

What the NBA did reflected what every country that has tackled or vastly reduced its CO VID - 19 number has done – cooperate; plain and simple.

As we said before, it is easier said than done, but many Americans know what they have to do, they just will not do it.

One standout aspect of this pandemic is how America has adjusted, specifically in the sporting realm, to those who have not and will not cooperate.

Limited attendance, mask requirements among many other policies have led to sports being resumed in as healthy a manner as possible.

Many leagues have taken the approach of The NBA Bubble in limit-

ing fan attendance and isolating players.

The increase in testing has also helped.

We remember when the pandemic first started it was extremely rare to get a test, now athletes get upwards of five per week, and one prior to each competition.

Perhaps athletes have more incentive to partake in COVID-19 guidelines, but one thing is for sure, they are reaping the rewards of following the rules.

According to CBS Sports Insider Jon Rothstein, as of Feb. 24, over 97 percent of teams that opted to play college basketball are up and running. A number that has increased throughout the year.

We think this reflects the absolute discipline that is necessary to combat COVID-19, but also how effective it can be if followed closely.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic we are living through, but The NBA Bubble, college basketball and numerous other sports have clearly reflected that cooperation is all it takes to get past this.

Like we said before, this is all easier said than done, and the terrible virus that has torn through the world and left many defenseless is still in our midst, but it is possible to get past it.

Optimism, togetherness and collaboration are all necessary to get past the pandemic, but as seen, it is possible. @TheDT_Sports

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Page 5 Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021

Tech baseball drops three in season-opening weekend

By NICO SANCHEZ Staff Writer

The State Farm College Classic was a tough opening weekend for the Red Raiders, who have tumbled from no. 3 to no. 10 in the national rankings, according to D1 Baseball.

Against Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State respectively, the Red Raiders lost three contests in similar fashion.

The last time the Red Raiders were this far below .500 this early in the season was 2007, when they started 1-4.

Let’s start with opening day. Against Arkansas, the Red Raiders started off hot behind a strong start from new transfer, redshirt senior pitcher Patrick Monteverde.

Monteverde tossed 4.0 innings of 1 hit baseball, striking out 5 along the way, a solid start.

Unfortunately, things went downhill once the starter left the game. Following Monteverde came a plethora of relievers, headlined by sophomore Brandon Birdsell, junior Ryan Sublette, freshman Levi Wells and freshman Andrew Devine.

Birdsell was the first Red Raider out of the pen, and he struck his first batter out on a whizzing 99 mph fastball.

From there, Birdsell struggled mightily. He walked two of his next three batters, allowing a single in between to load up the bases for Razorback star Christian Franklin.

Soon, on a full count pitch to Franklin, Birdsell froze up the right-handed in spectacular fashion, striking him out while looking on a slider that landed perfectly on the outside corner of the plate.

Just when it seemed like things were looking up for

the Birdsell, he walked in a run and just like that, his day was done.

Birdsell finished the day with only two thirds of an inning pitched, throwing only 13 strikes on 30 pitches.

“I would say Birdsell executed pitches well to their first hitter and then you see 99 up on the board and I think it became about throwing hard at that point,” said Tadlock in a news conference following the game.. “Totally natural for that to happen; guys got to stay within themselves, and I’ve got a lot of confidence in Brandon.”

It was a tough debut, but there is still room for improvement and reason for optimism for Tech fans.

The Red Raiders began their season with perhaps the toughest strength of schedule across the nation, playing three currently ranked topfive teams in succession.

Wells, the next Tech reliever to make an appearance, started his day on a high note as well, getting the Red Raiders out of a bases loaded jam by way of a fielder’s choice in the 5th. From there, Wells failed to record any outs in the next inning. After plunking his first batter, he walked the bases loaded and was subsequently pulled out of the game.

Sublette was called upon then to get the Red Raiders out of their latest jam. Unfortunately for Sublette, he could not get off to the start the first relievers were blessed with.

Sublette gave up a two-run double to kick off the inning and by the time his day was done he’s given up all of Wells’ runners and 4 of his own in 2.0 innings pitched.

Through all of these struggles on the mound, the

Red Raiders still managed a 9-8 lead going into the top of the 9th. Devine then came in for the save opportunity.

Just four batters into the inning, the lead was gone. When it rains it pours seemed to be the theme of the night for Red Raider relievers, and Devine was no exception. By the end of the 9th, Tech had surrendered five runs and Devine had to be substituted with freshman Derek Bridges.

The final in that game was 13-9 and all 13 runs were given up by the bullpen.

Game two was a different but similar story. Sophomore Micah Dallas, who had not started for the Red Raiders since his freshman season, made his highly anticipated return to the weekend rotation. His day started off well, grinding through the first two innings with ease.

But then came the 3rd.

After surrendering our 2-0 lead to a two-run home run from Ole Miss, the inning spiraled out of control. Dylan Neuse surrendered a huge error in deep center field, and the Rebels would not miss their opportunity to pounce on Tech. A couple base hits and another error later, the lead had ballooned to 5-2. 5 runs were given up by the end of the inning, and only 2 of them were earned.

The bullpen that day was stout, tossing 5.1 scoreless innings from there on out.

The Red Raiders, unfortunately, were unable to recover the deficit, falling 5-4.

“We [still] feel good about our team, man. If we didn’t play these two games we’d feel good and this happened to be we came up on the wrong side of two games,

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[but we] get a lot of feedback from these types of games. I think these games are going to serve us well, hopefully, moving forward,” said Tadlock after game two.

Game three was the most lopsided of the weekend.

Sophomore pitcher Mason Montgomery got the start, and he had a fine opener.

Montgomery surrendered one lone run in his 4.0 innings pitched, striking out two along the way. Once he was pulled, the Mississippi State offense became relentless.

Freshman Chase Hampton, freshman Jamie Hitt and sophomore Chase Webster all came in to try and keep the game close, but each surrendered multiple runs along the way, and Tech wound up collecting their third loss in as many games by a final score of 11-5.

Coach Tadlock did not seem too concerned with the way the team started this weekend, however.

“I do think some guys threw the ball well out of the bullpen. I think there’s some guys down there that can definitely give you some length at the front end of the game, and pitch off the fastball on both sides of the plate which is kind of where it starts with fastball command,” said Tadlock Sunday.

“I thought [that] Jamie Hitt did a good job [Sunday] and I thought [Girton] did a good job [Saturday]. I think after all, these guys under me, the thing is there are some certain spots you have to execute pitches in the middle of the order against those guys. I think, you know, a few times this weekend we got caught in just trying to throw a strike and stay executed”.

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Queen and Hayden Key were the only pitchers of the weekend to give up no earned runs while pitching at least one full inning for Tech.

Again, the competition was unusually stout for Tech to start a season. All three of the teams that bested Tech opening weekend are currently ranked in the top 5 by

D1 Baseball.

The Red Raiders will be back in action this Friday with a prime opportunity to rebound against Houston Baptist in a three-game series Feb. 26-28. The games will begin at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m.

Sunday. @NicoSanchezDT

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FEB. 25, 2021

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Tech baseball plagued with pre-season injuries

By BISHOP VAN BUREN Staff Writer

Texas Tech Baseball started their season on the wrong foot last weekend, going 0-3 in the 2021 State Farm College Baseball Showdown.

Unanimously, a top four ranked team in the nation ahead of the season’s start, it seemed missing three of their top pitchers and a pair of outfielders was too much to handle for the Red Raiders.

Tech is far from the only team with injury issues, however, as injuries seem to be plaguing the Big 12.

The latest injury to the Tech baseball Team has ended RHP Hunter Dobbins’ junior season before it even started, with a UCL injury sidelining the RHP who had reportedly reached 98 mph on his pitches last month.

During the shortened 2020 season, Dobbins developed into a dependable midweek starter, recording a 1.35 ERA and only three runs allowed in 20 innings pitched (third fewest among qualifying Big 12 pitchers), according to Baseball-reference.

Dobbins was also a solid piece for the bullpen, going 3-0 and pitching a scoreless frame in all three relief appearances last season.

Prior to the season, baseball coaches from each Big 12 team took part in a preseason teleconference, and the Red Raiders’ head baseball coach Tim Tadlock shed some light on how the loss of Hunter Dobbins affected his team as they start this season.

“Dobbins’ injury threw a kink in our plans as far as how we’re gonna start the weekend, and anytime you don’t know how you’re gonna start the weekend, that’s really shuffled things,” Tadlock said. “We don’t know yet who’s gonna step up.”

Two more of the Red Raiders’ pitching staff will miss the entire 2021 season, with RHP Austin Becker and RHP Jacob Brustoski out for the

year as they will both rehab and recover from Tommy John surgeries. Becker and Brustoski are talented pitchers and both will likely red shirt this season to preserve a year of their eligibility.

With both Becker and Dobbins set to miss the season, the only returning starter this season is LHP Mason Montgomery.

Montgomery, a sophomore from Leander High School, led all pitchers on the team in wins last season with three. Montgomery will be expected to maintain this production with injuries riddling the pitchers around him.

Unlike Becker and Dobbins, Brustoski was primarily a relief pitcher for Tech.

Brustoski transferred from Sinclair Community College to Lubbock ahead of the 2020 season, where he was immediately viewed as the best left-handed option in the bullpen for the Red Raiders.

Without Brustoski for the 2021 season, returning relievers Micah Dallas and Ryan Sublette, both among D1Baseball’s Top 150 Players, will be expected to carry this unproven bullpen.

The only non-pitchers the Red Raiders will be missing as they start the 2021 season are outfielders Dillon Carter and Cody Masters.

The nature of Carter’s surgery was never announced due to privacy reasons, but he is expected to be out until April after undergoing surgery during the offseason, according to a release. The freshman from Argyle started 16 of a possible 19 games during last year’s shortened season and Tadlock will have a tough task on his hands in replacing his production.

Carter provided strong defense at left field, with only one error on 29 chances good enough for a .996 fielding percentage. Base running is where Carter truly thrived though, finishing second on

the team in stolen bases last season (7-of-8) and sixth in the Big 12.

Like Carter, Masters is one of the fastest players on this year’s Red Raider squad and his base running abilities will be surely missed. Dealing with an injury issue that has frequently plagued him in the past, the junior will likely not see the field until mid season.

The Red Raiders still have plenty of talent in the outfield, however, with All Big-12 Preseason Player of the Year Dylan Neuse locking down center field.

Dru Baker will likely start alongside Neuse after successfully transitioning to the outfield last season, starting 16 games of the shortened season and helping Tech go 16-3 before the season cancelation.

Tadlock has plenty of talented players to choose from for Carter ’s replacement, such as a pair of returning outfielders in Masters and sophomore Max Marusak.

Another option is Braydon Runion, a transfer from Walters State (Tenn.) Community College who hit .348 with 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 2019 and has experience at both third base and in the outfield.

In the previously mentioned preseason teleconference, Tadlock praised Runion’s performance since getting to Lubbock when discussing the outlook of the outfield this season.

“There’s a bunch of guys all those guys are gonna push each other for playing time,” Tadlock said. “Braydon Runion has played some infield and outfield, a junior college transfer but just in our short time ... Runion has been as good as anybody.”

Tech is not the only team suffering from injuries this year, with big names all over the Big 12 expected to miss time. Projected Big 12 Freshman of the Year Cade Horton, a pitcher and infielder for

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TOP: Sophomore left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery throws a circle change during the game between Texas Tech and Northern Colorado at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. BOTTOM: Sophomore pitcher Hunter Dobbins pitches during the Texas Tech baseball game against Rice University on March 8, 2020. Dobbins is injured going into the 2021 season, he will miss the entirety of the season.

Oklahoma, will now miss the 2021 season due to a UCL injury. Horton was expected to standout in his first year, but will now spend his first season in college recovering from Tommy John Surgery.

In early February, West Virginia head baseball coach Randy Mazey announced that the Mountaineers will be without two of their starters for the entirety of the 2021 season in shortstop Tevin Tucker and pitcher Ryan Bergert. Mazey declined to disclose the nature of their injuries, but he did say that

Tucker had surgery in late January, and Bergert also had surgery in December.

After last season’s cancelation after less than 20 games, the NCAA was faced with the issue of deciding the fates of many students and their eligibility status moving forward. Because of this, the roster limits for college baseball teams has been raised to take account of seniors returning for their additional year of eligibility.

The extra roster spots this season will assist Tech this year as the baseball team

prepares for a season without two of their top pitchers and a reliable starter in the outfield. Tadlock will work to find the right players to replace the injured and has a large selection of young talents to choose from.

The Red Raiders are far from the only team in the Big 12 dealing with injury issues, however, the Red Raiders will have to win the war of attrition this outlier year in order to live up to their high expectations. @DTbishopvb