Baseball's back: Red Raiders set to open season at home

When Tim Tadlock sits down to make out a lineup card this weekend, the Texas Tech baseball coach won't be able to write in "Jung" for the first time in seven years.

"I thought about doing it anyway," Tadlock said. "I was telling their mom that the other day at our banquet.

"Yeah, going to miss those guys. Those guys did a lot for our program and are great examples for our guys. They're up here working every day they're here. It's a great visual for anybody to see, the amount of diligence it takes to be great at something."

Tech had Josh Jung from 2017-19 and Jace Jung from 2020-22, both being all-American infielders and Major League Baseball first-round draft choices.

When the Red Raiders open the season with four home games Friday through Monday against Gonzaga, the Jung name won't be the only familiar one missing.

Tadlock and company have to rebuild the much of the lineup, including the entire infield outside of catcher. The only returning regulars from a 39-22 regional-final team are catcher Hudson White (.260, six home runs, 40 runs batted in), center fielder Dillon Carter (.199-3-21), right fielder Owen Washburn (.277-7-48) and designated hitter Ty Coleman (.318-8-59).

Gone are infielders Cole Stilwell, Kurt Wilson and Parker Kelly and left fielder Easton Murrell.

Of the four pitchers who started at least nine games last season, the only returnee is sophomore lefthander Mason Molina, who went 2-5 with a 3.90 earned-run average. Andrew Morris, Brandon Birdsell and Chase Hampton, drafted in rounds four, five and six, all signed pro contracts.

The Red Raiders' revamped infield figures to have University of Texas transfer Gavin Kash at first base, Weatherford College transfer Austin Green at second base, true freshmen Will Burns or Tracer Lopez at shortstop and redshirt freshman Kevin Bazzell at third base.

Tadlock said the depth chart also has Dylan Maxcey at catcher, Damian Bravo and Ryan Brome (.286-0-5) at first base, Cade McGarrh at second and returning utilityman Zac Vooletich (.279-1-18) at third and in the outfield. Maxcey, Bravo and McGarrh are freshmen.

Drew Woodcox and Nolen Hester are battling for left field. Woodcox transferred back to Tech, where he started his career in 2021, from Rice, where he hit .202 with a homer and 12 RBI last season. Hester, from Rockwall-Heath, started 115 games the past four seasons at Wofford and batted .321 with two homers and 42 RBI last season. There's platoon possibilities, Woodcox being a right-handed hitter and Hester being left-handed.

Tadlock said Carter, Hester and freshmen Gage Harrelson and Jeric Curtis all can play center field — or any outfield position, for that matter. Harrelson, from Warner Robins, Georgia, and Curtis, from Tomball Memorial, impressed pro scouts with their speed.

Kash was considered the state's top first baseman coming out of Beaumont Kelly, but last year as a Texas freshman was stuck behind unanimous national player of the year Ivan Melendez.

"He's a big lefthanded power guy," Tadlock said, "and he's going to keep getting better. He's gotten better, both sides (offensively and defensively). But he's a big, physical body and what you're looking for."

Shortstop will be an interesting competition to watch between Burns, a first-semester freshman from Mission Viejo, California, and Lopez, a freshman from Cameron Yoe.

"Burns is more your Carlos Correa-looking guy, Derek Jeter," Tadlock said. "Big arm, has some power, can really run. Tracer's a smaller guy, left-handed hitter, Fernando Vina (comparison), very strong. He's one of the few kids in the country that played through the spring and summer 2020. They played Georgia during that whole (pandemic). He played in Houston. He's played a lot of baseball."

Last February, Tadlock said Tech could have "the two best catchers in the league" in 2023 with White and Bazzell. White made Big 12 freshman of the year and a couple of freshman all-America team. Bazzell transferred to Tech in January 2022 from Dallas Baptist and redshirted. Now Bazzell will leave catching to White and Maxcey and take over Kelly's old spot.

"He might be the best one (catcher) out of the three," Tadlock said, "but he's willing to play third and just go hit —and he's been plenty good at third. Athletic and good arm and going to hit in the middle of the order."

In Tech's first three games of the season, its starting pitchers will be Kyle Robinson (1-0, 4.63 last season in 12 relief appearances), Molina and Bo Blessie (0-0, 8.22 in seven relief appearances). Tadlock said the Red Raiders have six pitchers capable of starting, the others being Brendan Girton (3-0, 4.08), Trendan Parish (2-2, 8.26, six saves) and freshman lefthander Taber Fast from Centralia, Washington.

Girton and Parish are coming back from injuries that prematurely ended their 2022 seasons. Tadlock said all six will pitch this weekend.

Tadlock had high expectations last year for Robinson, and now the 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore is showing signs of development.

"He's been our most consistent guy from fall to now," Tadlock said.

Blessie is a 6-3, 190-pound senior righthander from Midland Lee who dazzled over the fall and winter with his stuff. This is his second year at Tech after two at Nebraska and one at Midland College.

"Blessie's probably made the biggest jump of anybody we had," Tadlock said. "The stuff is as good as anybody we've had. Like 100 (miles per hour). Up to 99. Now, will he be this week? I have no idea. He might be 92. I don't care, as long as he's hitting the target. But it's the kind of arm, you go, 'Man, you've got to take a shot at it.' "

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Baseball's back: Red Raiders set to open season at home