Monday Morning Matador: Championships and life lessons

You ever wonder about the origins of coffee? As in how did this miraculous drink even come to be? Arabica. It is from an evergreen shrub that produces the coffee fruit, classified under the genus Coffea, and part of the botanical family Rubiaceae. There are several species of Coffea, the finest quality being the Arabica, which today represents somewhere around 59% of the world’s coffee production. Originally this plant comes from Ethiopia but it has influenced so much of the world, just look at the revolutions. Both the French and American revolutions were planned in coffee houses, much like we plan various facets of our life. However the source of the roasted coffee was coming from the slaves’ labor in Haiti. At the time, the coffee was made for these revolutionaries, but then the slaves revolted because of the coffee bean! Wow.

Then the customer looked up and me and said, “OK, can you just give me my cup so I can go to work?”

Ah, we have come so far. Let’s get down to the news.

Men’s basketball falls to Oklahoma State and Kansas

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

This one is difficult for a number of reasons, namely that this is probably the most talented Texas Tech basketball team in program history. In Stillwater, OK, the Red Raiders battled out against a deceptively tough Cowboy basketball team. Keenan Evans, coming back from an injury at Baylor, was unable to play at 100% and only ended the game with two points. Then OSU had an absolutely insane rally of three points right out of halftime and it about did in the Red Raiders who still fought back and finished in a 71-79 loss to the Cowboys. Returning to Lubbock, and also hosting ESPN College Gameday, the Red Raiders looked to sweep the Jayhawks in front of one of the best fanbases this year in college basketball. After learning that Zach Smith was returning to the lineup, it seemed all too locked in until it wasn’t. Merely over a minute into the game Justin Gray’s head made contact on Jayhawk center Udoka Azubuike’s shoulder and was ruled out with a concussion. Kansas was able to rattle off threes at what seemed like on command and left the Red Raiders playing catch up all game. It wasn’t until around two minutes left when the game became tied, but a few errors and one stupid lucky basket by Kansas stud Devonte Graham gave the Jayhawks the last lead they would need. Kansas escaped Lubbock with a 74-72 victory. There’s a lot that could be said about injuries vs health, refereeing, or any number of other things but the result will still be the same and as Coach Beard always says, “the only important game is the next one.” West Virginia will be the next contestant tonight at 8pm.

Texas Tech men’s track and field brings home the Big 12 title

This is the first indoor track and field Big 12 championship claimed by Texas Tech. Notable performers were Andrew Hudson and Divine Oduduru, who were awarded the Big 12 High Point Performer of the Meet award for both of their finishes in the men’s 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Hudson claimed the first Big 12 title for the Red Raiders in the 60m with his 6.62 run, and Oduduru finished in second behind Hudson with a time of 6.68. Oduduru finished No. 1 in the 200m event with a final time of 20.68 and Hudson finished second with his 20.72 run. The ol switcharoo. Senior Trey Culver captured his first-ever indoor Big 12 high jump title with his best and final of 2.31m/7-7. Middle-distance runner, Vincent Crisp, ran a 1:08.90 600-yard race to secure his first-ever Big 12 title. Crisp is also the All-Time NCAA record holder in the 600y with his 1:08.16 run from earlier this year. Overall the team captured 143 points which was good enough for first place and undisputed Big 12 champions of indoor track and field! Congrats guys.

Lady Raider softball decimate Northwestern State in three game series

Texas Tech softball began it’s home slate with a sweeping Northwestern State with a pair of dramatic 2-1 wins Friday at Rocky Johnson Field. After a shift to the weekend schedule moved a doubleheader to Friday, the softball team made the most of it by walking off on the Lady Demons with sacrifice flies in both games. Redshirt freshman Heaven Burton came through in game one, and sophomore Karli Hamilton knocked in the winning run in the tenth inning of game two after the game was sent to extras with a two-out home run from freshman Breanna Russell in the bottom of the seventh. The third game, however, was a whole different beast. The Lady Raiders took off for a season-high 19 hits on its way to run-ruling Northwestern State, 12-4, in five innings Saturday to complete a three-game sweep of the Lady Demons on opening weekend at Rocky Johnson Field. Next up for the softball team is a midweek doubleheader against New Mexico State, starting at 2 p.m.

Texas Tech baseball blanks UTSA in first two games of series

No.3 Red Raiders claimed a 5-0 victory over UTSA on Saturday night at Wolff Stadium. Freshman infielder, and rising star, Gabe Holt recorded his third three-hit outing at the plate against the Roadrunners, sandwiching a pair of singles with a book-rule double. Holt was the only Red Raider with multiple hits on Saturday night, giving him three, three-hit bids in six games this season. Tech’s right-handed pitcher Davis Martin put together a strong performance as well, working 5 scoreless frames against the Roadrunners. The San Angelo native allowed just three hits and struck out a season-high five batters. Sophomore righty Caleb Kilian & senior RHP Jose Quezada finished off the final four innings on the mound for the Red Raiders. Between the two of them, they only allowed one hit. In the second game, John McMillon took the hill to start. The sophomore rattled off a career-high six shutout frames, giving up just three hits & walks, ultimately striking out six. Ty Harpenau came in after McMillon for two innings, did not surrender a hit, walked one and struck out two. Then Caleb Freeman earned the save, his first, after finishing off a scoreless ninth inning. The Red Raiders are still undefeated this year and will take on UTSA in their final game today at noon.

Texas Tech is gonna be allllllllll right, like this coffee.