RECAP: Tech goes 1-2 at the Shriners Classic

Over the weekend, Texas Tech Baseball went 1-2 in Houston at the Shriners Classic, losing to Rice 3-2, beating Michigan 10-7, and losing Sunday/into Monday to Texas A&M 4-2 in 16 innings.

There is a lot to unpack. This weekend was a long one for Tech Athletics, and other than the Michigan game, was a weekend to forget for most of us.

I’m going to start with the marathon game. This game was absurd. I don’t really know how else to put it. Tech lost 4-2 in 16 innings and you saw some bad pitching, some really good pitching and some bad hitting. So crazy was this game, that at one point from the top of the 5th to the top of the 14th, the Red Raiders threw a 9 inning no hitter. A&M didn’t have a hit in between those innings. Tech walked in the tying run in the 9th, after Damian Bravo walked 4 batters in the inning.

Dillon Carter had a 2 RBI single in the 6th, and Tech didn’t score again. They went scoreless for 10 consecutive innings. A lot of questions can be asked about the use of the roster in this one, pitching decisions, lineup questions, all of it. I don’t pretend to know better than Tim Tadlock. He’s probably forgotten more than I’ll ever know about baseball. But you look at the game from the 11th on when A&M brought in Aschenbeck, a power lefty who was making our left handed hitters look ridiculous. With the way Tech pinch hit in the late innings, you had 6 of the 9 batters hitting from the left side after the 11th, yet you finished the game without Dylan Maxcey getting a swing. I know Owen Washburn is left handed, but a chance to get something new going was there. Woodcox didn’t get an AB until the 16th.

Again just questions, and I’m sure there are reasons for those decisions.

I’ll be honest folks, I’m tired and after a weekend of travel and all of the drama in the Tech Athletic Department.

Here’s the bottom line: Tech struggled from the plate this weekend. They had 0 home runs, they had only 14 runs over three games. The problems of hitting with RISP reared its ugly head after not being an issue until now. Pitching couldn’t locate in the A&M game other than Robinson and Crowley. Tech got lucky A&M couldn’t hit with RISP either. Walks killed you and errors ended up giving the Aggies the game. I’d look for Tech to get back on track quickly against New Mexico on Tuesday and Iowa at home over the weekend.

The Red Raiders take on the Lobos on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at Dan Law Field on ESPN+, and the Texas Tech Sports Radio Network.