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1. This season is still a success.
The Red Raiders are the Big XII regular-season champions, and no amount of disappointing losses in the College World Series can take that away. They went 19-5 in conference, beat the two teams most likely to be facing off in the CWS final, eliminated the #1 seeded team in the nation, and only lost one conference series: to Texas.
This loss hurts, but let’s not miss the forest for the trees. This season has been a lot of fun, from beginning to the bitter end. We didn’t make it all the way, and there’s no shame in that. We were in the top five or six teams out of a postseason field of sixty four. That’s a lot of people that had their dreams shattered too.
2. Coastal Carolina is a good team, but I don’t think we lose if we made less mistakes.
I don’t want to say that Texas Tech beat themselves, because Coastal Carolina is in the College World Series for a reason: they’re a good team. However, the Red Raiders made some very uncharacteristic errors that handed runs to the Chanticleers on a silver platter. Eric Gutierrez, who normally is a model of defensive perfection, had two errors. Our fielding wasn’t up to par. Nothing seemed to really work on a night that didn’t go our way.
If Texas Tech makes less mistakes, it’s arguable that they win this game. We can’t make mistakes on this big of a stage and expect to win.
3. I feel awful for Tyler Floyd.
Tyler Floyd was the only senior not drafted to the MLB. His career is likely over. I honestly can’t believe that he wasn’t taken; he’s an amazing defender, especially on pickoffs. If there’s anyone to feel sad about, it’s Gute and Floyd.
4. I don’t know about any of y’all, but I’ll be pulling for TCU and OSU the rest of the way.
It’s more than just being able to claim a championship via the transitive property, it’s about a disrespected conference demanding respect. Very few people were high on the Big XII coming into the tournament, and the conference put three into the CWS and will likely put two in the finals. I don’t know what I’ll do if they face off against each other, but for these next few days I’m going full on Big XII fanboy.
5. In the end, it just wasn’t our night.
A Coastal Carolina player who was batting .130 drove in 3 runs. Gute had not one, but two errors. Powerful hitters were held hitless. Strong pitchers got beat. In a night where nothing went right, Texas Tech was still in it until the end.