Texas Tech Baseball:
As most of the Big 12 teams were playing for the right to play post-season baseball, Texas Tech was not, and LAJ's George Watson talked with Dan Spencer and Trent Petrie, looking back at this season and looking forward to this season. I go ahead and tell you now to read the whole thing. It's really worth your time and it's revealing as well. As early as the Missouri series, Spencer knew that theRed Raiders were not a complete team:
"The baseball gods were smiling on us that day. The wind was blowing out and we got going late and scored runs and won," Tech's head coach designate said. "We still had some holes and the things we did, we overcame those in some areas during those first nine games of conference. But early there were some things jumping out at me. I wasn't convinced we were a regional team, I was just hoping to get into the Big 12."
This of course, was the beginning of the end of the season for Texas Tech as the Red Raiders struggled in conference play.
Spencer and Petrie both say, and I tend to trust these guys, that help is on the way and according to Watson, only Willie Rueda and Monk Kreder can feel safe about their spot, and rightfully so about Rueda.
Spencer talks about the team's needs:
This is your Texas Tech baseball 2008-2009 signing class (although there may be more players, as noted by Hyatt), all of these notes about each player were prior to the start of the 2008 season:
HIGH SCHOOL SIGNEES
Justin Berry, INF, Austin, Texas/ Austin High
Picked up back-to-back All-District honors his sophomore and junior years and was named Newcomer of the Year his sophomore year...Was named team captain as a junior...hit .385 last season with 37 hits, 10 doubles, two home runs and 12 stolen bases...tallied a .875 fielding percentage playing shortstop...appeared in 20 innings on the mound as a junior posting a 1.14 ERA with two saves.Colton Farrar, RHP, Royse City, Texas/First Baptist Academy
Was named Second-Team All-State in 2007...went 9-2 on the mound last season...Posted an impressive 1.7 ERA with 48 strikeouts and only 10 walks in 14 appearances.Kenneth Fleming, OF, Louisa, Virgina/Louisa High
Multi-sport athlete was named All-District and All-Region in baseball, football and indoor track...hit .407 last season with four home runs, 12 doubles, and four triples...walked seven times with a .491 on base percentage and 15 stolen bases...a solid fielder earning a .993 fielding percentage.Louis Head, RHP, Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch
Won All-District as a sophomore and a junior...was named team MVP in 2007...made 24 appearances on the mound in his sophomore and junior years posting a 10-5 record with a 2.01 ERA, 109 strikeouts and 34 walks...hit an impressive .436 with 44 hits, 10 homeruns, 14 doubles and two triples in two years on varsity...also posted a .486 on base percentage with eight stolen bases and a .944 fielding percentage in his last two seasons.Randy Henry, INF/RHP, Arnett, Oklahoma/Arnett High
Was named to the B.E.S.T. World Series All-Tournament Team...earned the Pueblo Gold Glove Award and was named Pueblo Most Promising Player...batted an astounding .633 last season with 38 hits, seven home runs, 13 doubles and 16 stolen bases...his 35 walks helped him post an impressive .739 on base percentage...equally impressive on the mound earning a .81 ERA after posting a 7-1 record...tossed 107 strikeouts with 35 walks and one save in 11 appearancesMason Macnoll, OF/LHP, Abilene, TX/Wylie
Earned All-District honors as a junior last season...batted a monster .467 last season with 67 hits, three home runs, 14 doubles and four triples...recorded a .467 on base percentage with 23 walks and 12 stolen bases...posted a perfect 7-0 record on the mound with a 2.14 ERA in 15 appearances...recorded 58 strikeouts with 16 walks and three saves...was named District 7-3A Newcomer of the Year after helping lead Wylie to baseball state semi-finals...also was All-District in basketball and made the All-Tournament Team after leading Wylie to the 3A state championships game.Garrett Totten, INF, Brier, Washington/King's
Was named All-State and Team MVP in 2007...ranked No. 22 in Washington's Class of 2008 Top 100 high school baseball players.Scott LeJeune, INF, Austin, Texas/McNeil
Earned First-Team All-District honors in both 2006 and 2007...in 2006 his honors came as an outfield while in 2007 he was honored as a first baseman...owns three school records at McNeil (RBI's, hits and on-base percentage)...last season he hit .420 with a school record 36 hits, two home runs, 12 doubles, 15 walks, 26 RBI's, six stolen bases and a .500 on-base percentage.Kevin Whitehead, Catcher, Tacoma, Wash./Franklin Pearce
Picked up First-Team Seamount League Honors in 2006 and 2007...was a Second-Team All-State selection the last two seasons...earned his the Coaches Award from his high school in 2007...hit .461 with 39 hits, four home runs, 11 doubles, one triple, drew 16 walks and had an on-base percentage of .611.Duncan McGee, RHP, Austin, Texas/Anderson
Letterwinner at Austin Anderson High School...right-handed pitcherJUNIOR COLLEGE SIGNEES
Jason Gurka, LHP, Chappellhill, Texas/Angelina College
Earned First-Team All-State and All-District honors while at Brenham High...was also named District MVP.Michael Reed, OF/INF, McKinney, Texas/Grayson County College
Last season was named NTJCAC First-Team All-Conference, NJCAA All-Region and All-District...batted .410 last season at Grayson with one home run, 16 doubles, six triples, and 68 hits...his .574 on base percentage and 52 walks led the conference...hit .464 with one home run, 12 doubles, four triples and 11 walks in his senor year at McKinney North...was named All-District three times earning the District MVP his senior year...earned 4A All-State and Dallas Morning News All-Area honors in 2006...awarded the McKinneysports.net MVP and FABNine Player of the Year.Daniel Simon, RHP, Susanville, California/Lassen Community College
Posted a 6.168 ERA in 47.2 innings to go 5-5 with 37 strikeouts and 16 walks his junior year at Lassen High...also batted .316 with 15 RBIs and 31 hits that same year.