2017 College Preseason Top 25 Capsules: No. 25 Texas Tech

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25. Texas Tech

2016 Record (Ranking): 47-20 (7). RPI: 14.
Coach (Record at school): Tim Tadlock (149-95, 4 years).
Postseason History: 11 regionals (active streak: 1), 2 CWS trips (active streak: 1), 0 national titles.

Texas Tech won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time. Picked to finish fifth in last year’s preseason poll of Big 12 Conference coaches, the Red Raiders went out and won the league’s regular-season title and reached the College World Series. While that team might’ve been undersold given the holdovers it still had from Tech’s first Omaha team in 2014, there’s no more flying under the radar in Lubbock, not with two CWS trips in three years fresh in the country’s mind.

“As far as expectations go, and things of that nature,” head coach Tim Tadlock said, “I think you’ve got to embrace that stuff. I don’t think you can run from it.”

If Texas Tech is going to challenge preseason No. 1 Texas Christian and the rest of the top of the Big 12, much of its hopes ride on a deep, experienced pitching staff. Davis Martin, who earned Freshman All-America honors, and Steven Gingery are back to front the weekend rotation after excelling last year, and Tadlock is confident in Tech’s ability to shorten games with its bullpen. The Red Raiders leaned heavily on two relievers last year, Robert Dugger and Hayden Howard, and even though both of them are gone, they have high hopes for Parker Mushinski, Jacob Patterson and Ryan Shetter taking steps forward after getting experience last year.

Freshman Jake McDonald has been up to 94 mph, and two-way talents John McMillon and Josh Jung could contribute out of the bullpen as well, owning mid-90s fastballs themselves. Tech also gets back lefty Dylan Dusek, who went 8-0, 1.94 as a freshman starter in 2014 but has been limited by injuries ever since, including missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery. His role for this season was still up in the air.

“I think we’ve got a chance to have some shutdown guys. I really do,” Tadlock said. “Swing and miss guys that’ll command the strike zone good enough. I think you could line them up the sixth (inning) through the ninth, it’s just a matter of, are we smart enough to line them up? That’s going to be really the key.

“Last year, it was Howard and Dugger, for the most part. Those were our guys. Maybe (we won’t need) quite as many appearances for these guys, which should be good down the stretch. It means guys are going to be fresh.”

Tech returns leading hitter Tanner Gardner, who narrowly missed out on the Big 12’s batting title last year and should continue to anchor the lineup as a hitter that puts up quality at-bats as consistently as anyone. Much of his supporting cast will have a new look, however, as he’s the only one of Tech’s top five hitters from last season to return.

Once again, Jung and McMillon will be key, along with fellow freshmen Michael Berglund and Clay Koelzer, who’ll share the catching duties. McMillon has all kinds of power and was No. 252 on last year’s BA500, choosing college over signing as a 21st-round pick of the Rays. When he’s not on the mound, he’ll take his cannon arm to right field, with Jung taking over the hot corner.

Among the other returners, Hunter Hargrove slides over from third base to first to replace departed First-Team All-American Eric Gutierrez, and while Hargrove isn’t yet the defender Gutierrez was, he otherwise fits a similar mold as a righthanded bat with power. The middle infield combo of Orlando Garcia and Michael Davis is also back to provide a steadying presence on both sides of the ball, though Tadlock expects another freshman, Grant Little, to push for playing time in those spots as well.

2017 LINEUP
Pos.	Name, Yr.	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	SB
C	Michael Berglund, Fr.	HS—Corpus Christi, Texas
1B	Hunter Hargrove, Sr.	.305	.379	.457	2	28	2
2B	Michael Davis, Jr.	.268	.346	.384	3	37	6
3B	Josh Jung, Fr.	HS—San Antonio
SS	Orlando Garcia, Jr.	.265	.378	.425	6	30	6
LF	Ryan Long, Sr.	.225	.339	.265	0	26	1
CF	Tanner Gardner, Jr.	.379	.484	.549	3	35	6
RF	John McMillon, Fr.	HS—Jasper, Texas
DH	Zach Rheams, Jr.	Tr.—Cisco (Texas) JC
Pos.	Name, Yr.	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	SV
RHP	Davis Martin, So.	10	1	2.52	89	61	2
LHP	Steven Gingery, So.	4	2	3.18	68	63	0
LHP	Erikson Lanning, So.	3	4	5.02	52	36	0
RP	Ryan Shetter, So.	4	2	4.02	31	18	1