Texas Tech University Athletics
Baseball Holds First Spring Practice
January 27, 2017 | Baseball
The Red Raiders begin team practices on Friday in preparation of 2017 season.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech baseball held its first practice of the spring on Friday, Jan. 27, at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park in preparation of the 2017 season.
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After meeting with the media, head coach Tim Tadlock and the Red Raiders hit the field for their first organized team practice of the year, three weeks before the start of the 2017 campaign.
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The Red Raiders return 17 letterwinners from last year's squad, a team that posted a 47-20 overall record, clinched the program's fifth conference title in school history and earned its second trip to the College World Series in three years. Tech's 19-5 conference record helped secure Tadlock's first Big 12 championship and propelled the Red Raiders to a No. 4 finish in the year-end polls. The 2017 season marks the fifth under Tadlock, who owns a 149-95 record in Lubbock.
Tech will start the year ranked in the top 25 of three preseason polls. The Red Raiders have been ranked as high as No. 14 by D1 Baseball, while also checking in at No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 25 by Baseball America. Â
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Tadlock garnered Coach of the Year honors from the Big 12 last season, as he was joined by four other returning Red Raiders who earned All-Big 12 accolades last year. Pitcher Davis Martin and outfielder Tanner Gardner were both unanimous selections to the conference first team, while pitcher Steven Gingery and second baseman Michael Davis earned All-Freshman & honorable mention nods, respectively.
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The conference accolade was the first of several awards for Martin, who racked up four Freshman All-America honors after his first season donning the scarlet & black. He joined former outfield standout Barrett Barnes (2010) as the only players in program history to earn Freshman All-America status by four different publications. Martin was recognized by Perfect Game, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Baseball America.
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Martin posted a 10-1 record through 14 starts, putting together a 2.52 earned-run average. His 10 wins tied for the most in the conference as well as nationally among freshmen, with his 10th coming in Tech's first ever victory at the College World Series against No. 1 Florida.
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He was joined by Gingery in receiving Freshman All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Gingery recorded a 4-2 record behind a 3.18 ERA over 68.0 innings pitched. Last season, he rung up a team-high 63 batters and pieced together a spotless 3-0 performance in Big 12 play, with an ERA of 1.85 over eight starts.
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Tech's other unanimous All-Big 12 first team member Gardner finished the season with a team-leading .379 batting average. He racked up a team-high 89 hits in 2016, including 19 doubles, six triples and three home runs, plating 35 RBI, while scoring 55 runs. In conference play, he tallied a .363 clip with 33 hits.
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Davis also piece together a strong season, starting in all but one of Tech's 67 games in 2016. Davis recorded a .268 batting average with 67 hits, 37 RBI and 44 runs scored.
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Along with Tech's returning stable, the Red Raiders welcome in another strong class of 16 newcomers comprised of freshmen and transfers.
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The Red Raiders open the 2017 slate on the road with a pair of two-game series against Mississippi State and Western Illinois beginning Feb. 17 in Starkville, Mississippi.
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After meeting with the media, head coach Tim Tadlock and the Red Raiders hit the field for their first organized team practice of the year, three weeks before the start of the 2017 campaign.
Â
The Red Raiders return 17 letterwinners from last year's squad, a team that posted a 47-20 overall record, clinched the program's fifth conference title in school history and earned its second trip to the College World Series in three years. Tech's 19-5 conference record helped secure Tadlock's first Big 12 championship and propelled the Red Raiders to a No. 4 finish in the year-end polls. The 2017 season marks the fifth under Tadlock, who owns a 149-95 record in Lubbock.
Tech will start the year ranked in the top 25 of three preseason polls. The Red Raiders have been ranked as high as No. 14 by D1 Baseball, while also checking in at No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 25 by Baseball America. Â
Â
Tadlock garnered Coach of the Year honors from the Big 12 last season, as he was joined by four other returning Red Raiders who earned All-Big 12 accolades last year. Pitcher Davis Martin and outfielder Tanner Gardner were both unanimous selections to the conference first team, while pitcher Steven Gingery and second baseman Michael Davis earned All-Freshman & honorable mention nods, respectively.
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The conference accolade was the first of several awards for Martin, who racked up four Freshman All-America honors after his first season donning the scarlet & black. He joined former outfield standout Barrett Barnes (2010) as the only players in program history to earn Freshman All-America status by four different publications. Martin was recognized by Perfect Game, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Baseball America.
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Martin posted a 10-1 record through 14 starts, putting together a 2.52 earned-run average. His 10 wins tied for the most in the conference as well as nationally among freshmen, with his 10th coming in Tech's first ever victory at the College World Series against No. 1 Florida.
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He was joined by Gingery in receiving Freshman All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Gingery recorded a 4-2 record behind a 3.18 ERA over 68.0 innings pitched. Last season, he rung up a team-high 63 batters and pieced together a spotless 3-0 performance in Big 12 play, with an ERA of 1.85 over eight starts.
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Tech's other unanimous All-Big 12 first team member Gardner finished the season with a team-leading .379 batting average. He racked up a team-high 89 hits in 2016, including 19 doubles, six triples and three home runs, plating 35 RBI, while scoring 55 runs. In conference play, he tallied a .363 clip with 33 hits.
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Davis also piece together a strong season, starting in all but one of Tech's 67 games in 2016. Davis recorded a .268 batting average with 67 hits, 37 RBI and 44 runs scored.
Â
Along with Tech's returning stable, the Red Raiders welcome in another strong class of 16 newcomers comprised of freshmen and transfers.
Â
The Red Raiders open the 2017 slate on the road with a pair of two-game series against Mississippi State and Western Illinois beginning Feb. 17 in Starkville, Mississippi.
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? Day one is in the books - https://t.co/RzmKpAZx6t #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/mwnmZCZ1cR
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) January 27, 2017
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