On the Gridiron

Texas Tech preemptively canceled their spring game slated for Saturday in Midland. There’s an 80% chance of rain and instead the team will close spring practice with a closed practice on Saturday. Makes sense and it is supposed to be raining heavily and there’s no point to get people out in the rain and lightning.

Three players have entered the transfer portal this spring:

• DT Tre’Darius Brown (6-3/300): A 3-star originally from Louisiana, Brown was part of the 2023 class.
• RB Bryson Donnell (5-11/204): A 3-star from Tyler and part of the 2022 class.
• RB Anquan Willis (6-0/220): A 3-star from Wichita Falls and part of the 2023 class.
• DB Landon Hullaby (6-0/200) A 3-star from Mansfield and part of the 2022 class.

I recalled that when Zach Kittley was interviewed in the last media scrum that he only mentioned Cam’Ron Valdez and Cameron Dickey (5-10/220). Don’t forget that JMaury Davis (5-11/185) is on the roster as well and just a redshirt freshman as well as J’Koby Williams (5-9/180) who is still in high school along with Tahj Brooks of course.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams talked to current graduate assistant coach and former Texas Tech footballer Jah’Shawn Johnson:

Johnson said Tech secondary coach Marcel Yates gives him and defensive quality control staffer Ryan Conry a lot of responsibility. Yates coaches his young understudies. They split up running individual drills and, during spring practice, even get their chance to lead a meeting room and offer players more individual instruction.

“That’s been really good to be able to get some experience running my own meeting room,” Johnson said. “Put together (video) cutups for the guys weekly. I do receiver breakdowns weekly. I do some reports weekly for the games as well, so I’m pretty involved with a lot of the stuff. That’s only to kind of teach me in the right direction, so it’s been really good learning under him.

“Some of the man (coverage) stuff that he teaches is really good, that I didn’t know in the past as far as eye placement and some of the (footwork) stuff, so he’s a really good coach and I’m blessed that I get to learn from him.”

On the Diamond

Softball is in Stillwater to face No. 6 Oklahoma State.

The Red Raiders (26-13, 6-9) will travel to Stillwater to take No. 6 Oklahoma State (36-8, 13-5) following their series win over Kansas last weekend. Game one will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday and a 1 p.m. start for the series finale on Sunday. The Cowgirls are coming off a 6-5 win against Wichita State on Wednesday night for their 36th win of the season. Historically, Tech is 25-48 against Cowgirls. Oklahoma State took the series 2-1 last year in Lubbock, but the Red Raiders were able to upset the No. 7 Cowgirls 4-3 thanks to a walk-off single by Arriana Villa in the eighth inning.

Texas Tech baseball is in Lubbock to host the No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers. This would be a good series to win.

GAME ONE:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (26-13 9-9 Big 12) vs. No. 22 West Virginia (23-13, 11-4 Big 12)
DATE: Friday, Apr. 19, 2024
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Rip Griffin Park at Dan Law Field (Lubbock, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: LHP Ryan Free (4-0, 5.50 ERA) vs. RHP Aidan Major (3-2, 4.56 ERA)

GAME TWO:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (26-13 9-9 Big 12) vs. No. 22 West Virginia (23-13, 11-4 Big 12)
DATE: Saturday, Apr. 20, 2024
TIME: 2 p.m.
LOCATION: Rip Griffin Park at Dan Law Field (Lubbock, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Kyle Robinson (3-4, 4.13) vs. LHP Derek Clark (4-0, 2.15 ERA)

GAME THREE:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (25-9, 8-7 Big 12) at TCU (20-11 5-10 Big 12)
DATE: Sunday, Apr. 11, 2024
TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Rip Griffin Park at Dan Law Field (Lubbock, Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Mac Heuer (3-3, 5.50 ERA) vs. TBA