Texas Tech Football
Looking Back at K-State
RRS.com's Joe Yeager is continuing to take a look back at each game from last year and up next is the Kansas State win. Ahhh, good times:
STAR OF THE SHOW: As noted above, this contest was a monster game for Graham Harrell. Not only did he pass for 454 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions, he also eclipsed Kliff Kingsbury to become Tech’s all time leading passer with 12,709 passing yards. It could be a very long time indeed before a future Red Raider passer overtakes Harrell’s career passing mark.
The Non-Conference Schedules
ESPN's Tim Griffin looks at the best and worst non-conference schedules and Texas Tech checks in at #9:
9. Texas Tech: North Dakota, Rice, at Houston, New Mexico
Mike Leach's nonconference schedule won't be as bad as last season's trip to the pastry wagon, but not by much. North Dakota is transitioning into FCS status this season after ranking 137th among the 148 Division II passing teams last season. Sounds like target practice for Taylor Potts, doesn't it? Rice won't be nearly as tough as last season without James Casey, Jarrett Dillard and Chase Clement gone. The trip to Houston will be Tech's biggest challenge and Case Keenum will test Tech's rebuilt secondary in the first battle between the old Southwest Conference rivals since 1995. And New Mexico will have had several weeks to work under Locksley's system, making them a tougher challenge for the Red Raiders in early October.
You could probably argue endlessly about where Texas Tech would rank, probably ranking a number of places, but I didn't understand how Texas didn't rank last. At least K-State is playing UCLA and Iowa State is playing Iowa, while Texas' schedule consists of La. Monroe, Wyoming, UTEP and Central Florida. I know, we're nit-picking here, but Texas' schedule is reminiscent of Texas Tech's 2008 non-conference schedule. Easy.
Texas Tech Baseball
MLB Draft
Texas Tech had no players taken in the first day of the MLB Draft, but had three players and two commitments get drafted yesterday. The MLB draft continues with rounds 31 through 50 today, so we're not completely out of the woods yet, especially with commitments. Let's start with LAJ's George Watson (as an advisory, my browser, Firefox, crashed twice while trying to view this article) who talked with 1B Chris Richburg about being drafted in the 23rd round by the Cincinnati Reds:
"I wish I actually could have seen my name (first)," said Richburg, one of several players with ties to Texas Tech or Lubbock who was selected Wednesday in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. "But any way is a good way. It’s something I’ve wanted to do and something that’s been a goal at the end, for me to get a chance to play pro baseball. Now it’s here, and I’m glad this part is over with and I can get this knot out of my stomach and look forward to getting going again and start playing."
Richburg is a senior and DTN certainly wishes him the best moving forward.
Junior P Nate Karns was picked in the 12th round by the Washington Nationals and from all accounts I think that Karns is going to play professional baseball next year and won't be back with Texas Tech. Same goes for Karns, we wish him luck.
Senior P A.J. Ramos was picked in the 21st round by the Florida Marlins and he sounds like he's ready to start working:
"It’s a great feeling … especially since some people said I wasn’t supposed to be back this season," Ramos said. "All day today I was nervous, my stomach was in a knot wondering when that call would come. This was one of my biggest goals was to get drafted and the hard work I put into it is what this has led to. But I also know that getting drafted is just part of the process and I have to work even harder now to make it up to my ultimate goal."
The two Texas Tech commitments that have been picked are LHP Jay Johnson in the 25th round by the Baltimore Orioles and RHP Brandon Petite in the 30th round by the Houston Astros. Texas Tech head coach Dan Spencer had this to say about whether or not Johnson and Petite will be in Lubbock this fall:
"I do … as confident as you can be without them being here standing at your door," Spencer said. "I think it’s an honor for them to get drafted and that’s great. But both should come to school and I think the money will dictate that."
I'm not as confident as Spencer after reading some quotes from Petite and Johnson. Up first, Kevin Barrett of the Daily Gleaner (I know, sounds strange) talked with Johnson who sounds like he has no problem going professional:
"It didn't really matter with me because with my injury, I wasn't going to be able to get a contract until I pitched this summer and people saw me again," he said. "It makes you feel better if you went higher but the 25th round is good enough."
Being selected by the Orioles was an added bonus.
"Baltimore is my dad's favorite team," Jay said of his father Bill. "When we were young, we were always watching them and Cal Ripken."
Who else isn't feeling very comfortable?
Brandon Petite talked with Dale Woodard of the Lethbridge Herald and T.J. Colello of The Cape Breton Post, who sounds like he's interested in playing for the Astros:
"I was at school," said Petite, who has committed to Texas Tech in Lubbock this fall. "I waited longer than I expected to wait, but it came through and I got drafted. It was a good feeling. It was a big sigh of relief because a lot of teams had been scared off by my commitment to Texas Tech. So they didn’t know if they should take me and take the chance on losing a draft due to a kid that’s going to college. It was a guessing game. So it was a big relief."
Like Inch, Petite chatted up the team that drafted him on Wednesday.
"I talked to Houston right after I got picked," he said. "They were telling me what kind of situations we’re going to be in and what they see in the future. They’re going to wait over the summer to make me my offer and watch me play with the Lethbridge Bulls.
They’re going to see it out and make sure they’re giving me the right offer. So it’s not close to being done yet."
And this (emphasis mine, and yeah, that's a direct quote):
"I wasn’t expecting to wait so long, but it happened," said Petite, who watched the draft unfold on the computer at school. "The initial thought was ‘you got to be kidding me’ because I was in the draft slot as a seventh to 12th rounder, but my commitment to Texas Tech kind of scared off a few teams because they didn’t know if they would draft me in the seventh to 12th rounds that they’d lose me if I went to school.
"But then Houston kind of nutted up and went after me. It was a long day."
Petite attended the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball in Vauxhall, Alta., playing for the private school’s Vauxhall Jets. The 6’3", 210-pound right hander was then named to Team Canada’s roster for the 2008 World Junior ‘AAA’ Baseball Championship in Edmonton.
Not done yet, but it sure sounds like he's excited to play professionally and if given enough money, he wants to play professionally. I understand that a lot of this is posturing by these guys and it's all a part of the game. I just hope that Spencer is calling these guys and letting them know that they can significantly improve their draft status if they end up staying committed to Texas Tech.