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Tech Baseball has hit a historic mark already this season and is looking to hit many more: the Red Raiders are 5-1 in Big XII play for the first time since 1999.
WATCH: Radio highlights from #TexasTech's 6-1 victory tonight against Oklahoma. #WreckEmhttps://t.co/0COWOBle9f
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) March 26, 2016
The Red Raiders accomplished this by means of a furious comeback against Oklahoma yesterday. At one point Texas Tech was down 6-1 before storming back for a 13-7 victory. The win marked a sweep of a very solid Oklahoma squad that pushed the Red Raiders to 2-0 in series play and 4-1 in Big XII play on the season. The Red Raiders had a difficult preseason, traveling to Cal (most of the series was later cancelled), and hosting Cal State Fullerton. This arduous preseason has pretty obviously prepared the Red Raiders for the rigors of the Big XII conference well.
In 2015, after starting the season ranked as high as #5 in the nation following a College World Series run, the Red Raiders faltered slightly, falling in the Big XII tournament to Baylor and failed to make the postseason. It's fairly obvious that last year's failures have at least slightly energized this Texas Tech squad, as they are playing some very inspired baseball currently.
Youth has been a key part of the Red Raider's attack so far, with sophomore Tanner Gardner and freshman Davis Martin already collecting Big XII Newcomer honors after the series against Baylor. If Texas Tech is to keep up this pace, they'll have to rely on their young players as well as decorated veterans Tyler Nelsony, Stephen Smith, and Eric Gutierrez.
Texas Tech's road to the postseason only gets more difficult from here. They head to Las Vegas, Nevada to take on the Rebels of UNLV in a midweek 2-game series on Monday and Tuesday, then have a slight break before a weekend series vs. Kansas State at home.