Change in store for Texas Tech baseball players Kevin Bazzell, Austin Green
Kevin Bazzell and Austin Green were middle-of-the-order regulars in the Texas Tech baseball lineup last season. They'll likely be so again this season, though in other positions.
Bazzell, the Red Raiders' third baseman last season, has moved to catcher. Green, the second baseman last year, could be a corner outfielder this season.
MLB Pipeline has Bazzell at No. 47 among top prospects for this year's draft. With catcher Hudson White transferring to Arkansas after last season, Bazzell is back behind the plate, where he played as a senior at Rockwall-Heath.
"He's a really talented baseball player," Tech coach Tim Tadlock said Friday. "Can really catch. Can really throw. Can really hit."
The Red Raiders have a logjam of middle infielders with returnees Tracer Lopez and Will Burns joined by redshirt freshman Travis Sanders and freshmen T.J. Pompey from Coppell and Landon Stripling from Lawrenceville, Georgia. The Boston Red Sox chose Sanders in the 14th round of the 2022 draft. He sat out last season with a back problem.
Pompey, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound shortstop, was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 82 prospect in the country and the No. 1 shortstop in Texas. Stripling, a 6-foot, 195-pound second baseman, was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 76 prospect in the country.
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Their presence has freed up the Red Raiders to try Green in the outfield.
"He's made some really nice plays out there," Tadlock said. "He's probably got an above-average arm out there, seems like he's playing it really good. Generally, you get a guy that's played some middle infield and you stick them out there, it gets a little bit easier, and it seems like that's happening."
Taking over at third base will be Gonzaga transfer Cade McGee, who in an injury-shortened 2023 batted .293 with six home runs and 20 runs batted in in 20 games. McGee started all 20 games he played and was charged with no errors in 41 chances. The year before, he hit .298 with 10 homers and 31 RBI.
"He's a guy that's going to put together good quality at-bats," Tadlock said, "going to do everything in his power to play good defense.
"He seems to really like playing baseball. Last summer, in the recruiting process, there were many days where he was up coaching a (youth) baseball game at 7 in the morning, because they play so early out in Arizona. So he's kind of a baseball rat."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Change in store for Texas Tech baseball players Kevin Bazzell, Austin Green
