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ODDS AND ENDS | Lots of links this morning, but there will be little to no context from me.
Here is a bracket where you are all winners, SB Nation's Jon Bois GIF bracket, which is the quest for the greatest animated sports GIF of all time. Go vote!
LADY RAIDER BASKETBALL | Per LAJ's David Just, the Lady Raiders were picked to be part of the WNIT and will host Eastern Illinois on Thursday. This is outcome that we were mostly hoping for at the beginning of the year, but maybe this team can go far in the WNIT.
RED RAIDER SOFTBALL | How about that, a two game sweep of #23 New Mexico, a 9-4 win (official site) in the first game and a 8-5 win (official site) in the second game. Also per the official site, OF Mikey Kenney had her 27th homer, which ties the school record and she's only a junior.
TEXAS TECH BASEBALL | Yuck. Texas Tech lost to TCU 4-7 (official site) and everything was going okay until RHP Trey Masek relieved starter RHP Shane Broyles and Masek, who had almost been un-hittable this year was somewhat roughed up, allowing 5 runs, all earned, in 2.2 innings. The LAJ has a short recap of the game.
Wanted to add some miscellaneous links, here's the link to the video of LF Brennan Moore making a spectacular grab in the first game against TCU and this team is still ranked #27.
LAJ's George Watson has some thoughts on the Red Raider baseball team at the quarter point of the season:
This team has ZERO margin for error, and error is the key word, between winning and losing.
Head coach Dan Spencer has said it repeatedly. There's a fine line between winning and losing. Right now, that line is so fine it's almost invisible.
TEXAS TECH GOLF | Per the official site, the Rawls Course was named the second best in Texas by Golfweek. I don't golf, which may shock some of you, so I try to not comment or link to golf very much.
RED RAIDER BASKETBALL | RP.com's Joe Yeager grades the basketball team and I'm not totally against some of his grades, but I can't say that I agree with "B" grades for Ty Nurse and Javarez Willis.
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL | Finally from the official site, there is a profile of chaplain Steve Grant. I'm sure this will open up the debate of needing a chaplain, but I've got no problem with it. I think that a chaplain can have a positive impact and the hope is that this person can be a person can be somewhat of a mentor. I tend to think that a lot of people at this age, not just student athletes, need a positive person in their life (most of those positive role models may be parents, who are no longer with that student and able to influence them) and my hope is that Grant is that person, regardless of religious affiliation. I'm not in the room, so I don't know, and neither does anyone else unless they're in the room too, but I don't have a problem with having a chaplain as being part of the team.