Tim Tadlock calls an 8-year low forecast for Texas Tech baseball 'fuel for the fire'
Being picked fourth in a 13-team conference might not seem like much of a slight. But for the Texas Tech baseball team, fourth is the lowest the Red Raiders have been slotted in the Big 12 preseason poll in eight years.
"It's fuel for the fire for sure," Tech coach Tim Tadlock said Friday. "It's definitely something that you can look at."
The Big 12 released the poll of the conference's coaches on Thursday. TCU is the favorite, followed by Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Kansas State. TCU received 11 first-place votes, and Texas got the other two.
Tech was slotted fifth in 2016. Since then, the Red Raiders were picked to win the Big 12 four years in a row from 2018 through 2021 and to finish third the other three times.
"It's absolutely fuel for the fire," Tadlock said. "Anytime you're not picked first and you feel like you've had a really good program for a long time, yeah, it could absolutely motivate some guys."
The start of the season for the Red Raiders is three weeks away at the Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington. Tech faces Tennessee at 7 p.m. Feb. 16, Nebraska at 3 p.m. Feb. 17 and Oregon at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 18.
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After a day off, the Red Raiders play twice more at Globe Life Field, against Texas-Arlington at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 and Oregon State at noon Feb. 21.
"It's going to be exciting for the guys to go to Globe Life and play the first five games," Tadlock said. "It's really cool that we're going to get to stay down there five or six days and play."
Tadlock hinted at a potential game-one starter. Kyle Robinson threw five strong innings apiece against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament and at Florida in the NCAA Gainesville Regional. He struck out eight in five scoreless innings in relief against the Cowboys and gave up two runs on four hits in the start at Florida, getting no decision in a game Tech won 5-4.
The 6-foot-6 righthander subsequently was named to the Team USA roster for the Collegiate National Team summer program.
"You're probably opening up with him opening day," Tadlock said. "And you're going to have guys coming out of the bullpen behind him that have gotten every bit as good of stuff and every bit as much pitch-ability."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Tim Tadlock calls 8-year low forecast for Texas Tech 'fuel for the fire'
