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Track and Field NCAA Championships Continue. A couple of Red Raiders have qualified for the finals, including Cierra White qualified for the 200-meter dash finals and Le'Tristan Pledger is going to the finals in the 100-meter hurdles. Shanice Stewart finished the first day of the heptathalon and is sitting 17th overall and will finish today. Also on tap for competition today, Bradley Adkins and JaCorian Duffield will compete in the high jump along with Kole Weldon in the discus and Kennedy Kithuka in the 5,000-meter run.
Sadberry A Star. Pretty good look at a handful of players from the MLB's JIm Callis that are expected to star in the College World Series, including LHP Chris Sadberry:
Chris Sadberry, LHP, Texas Tech -- The biggest surprise in Omaha, the Red Raiders are making their first CWS appearance without a stud prospect on their roster. Drafted in the sixth round by the Marlins, Sadberry is a redshirt junior who had Tommy John surgery while at Louisiana Tech, and also pitched at Grayson County (Texas) CC before arriving in Lubbock this season. 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he doesn't have a true plus pitch, but he throws four offerings (88-91 mph fastball, curveball, slider, changeup) for strikes and mixes them well.
Smith and Bush Being Noticed. Brian Broaddus is one of the best about writing about the Cowboys and he singled out Dartwan Bush and Will Smith as guys that have impressed. Broaddus says that Smith is likely to impress even more when the pads are on, and has this to say about Bush:
Bush is a lot like the defensive linemen that are rolling with the twos and threes on this front that might not have outstanding height, but the motor runs full time. It is one of those signings that might not show up now but in camp, open a few eyes.
Hayward Proud. Pitching coach Ray Hayward, an Enid Native, says that he is proud of the job he has done and credits head coach Tim Tadlock for the players he has assembled, but he also says that he's proud of the job he did and the pride in the fans faces:
"What moved me was seeing the pride in so many fans faces," he said. "I didn't know who they were, but some had been following the program 30 to 40 years and they had tears in their eyes while they were thanking you."
10 Things About the CWS. Nothing great here, but there is a 10 things to know about the CWS teams and there is this about Texas Tech:
The pitchers deserve lots of credit for leading Texas Tech to its first CWS. In six NCAA tournament games, the Red Raiders have scored a total of nine runs and are batting .208 with one homer. Seven pitchers, however, have combined for an 0.65 ERA in 55 innings, with opponents batting .166.
Horned Frogs Have Pitching. As good as the pitching has been for Texas Tech, the TCU Horned Frogs have been even better as their team ERA is almost a full run lower than Texas Tech's ERA and sit at 2.19, which is best in the nation.
Players on Tadlock. The players love what head coach Tim Tadlock has done for the team and the effect he has had on the players:
"(It is) the way he carries himself. He does everything right. It is unreal. (He) is what we needed for this program," said junior shortstop Tim Proudfoot. "We just know how much he loves us and if we just trust in him - he obviously trusts us a lot and so far we have been unstoppable. Hopefully we can do that in the World Series."
