Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock held a press conference with the media on Wednesday to discuss the team’s upcoming three-game series at Globe Life Field and provided his outlook for the team this season.

The State Farm College Baseball Showdown is set for this weekend and Texas Tech will open their 2022 campaign against Michigan on Friday, Auburn on Saturday, and Arizona on Sunday.

Despite the tough slate to start the year, Tadlock noted that this is still a baseball game, and they haven’t given too much thought into who they’re facing but instead, they’re focusing on going out and playing the game the right way.

“I’ve got all the respect in the world for all three of those programs,” Tadlock said. “These teams have really good coaches, really good players and a great venue. Our guys are really excited about this weekend."

Tadlock added that he feels good about the current state of the team, and he thinks this a group that's prepared and ready to get after it.

“I think we’re as prepared as we’ve been in a while,” Tadlock noted. “School started a week earlier, and it’s allowed us to practice for pretty much five weeks going into the season.

“I’ve been able to get guys on the mound every week and guys have seen plenty of pitches. They’ll be ready to go on Friday.”

This 2022 Texas Tech team will feature a lot of new faces around the locker room due to the high amount of turnover from last year’s roster. The Red Raiders will need contributions from a number of young players on this year's team. Tadlock mentioned a few of the younger guys that he thinks could make an impact early on in Lubbock.

“It’s hard to pick just one or two guys out,” Tadlock said. “I think Hudson White’s got a chance to play every day behind the plate.

“I think the young man out of Katy, Texas, Ryan Brome has a chance to get in the lineup every day.

“Owen Washburn has been really good as an outfielder. It seems to me that with those three guys, you already know what you’re getting with them day in and day out.

“Then on the mound obviously we’re really excited about that whole group of freshmen.

“This is as it sits right now. What we hope is that somebody I didn’t mention, ends up hitting right in the middle of the order or helping you a lot on the mound.”

Washburn is the son of former major league pitcher Jarrod Washburn. He hit .746 with 9 home runs, 73 RBIs, 52 runs scored, and stole 22 bases last year at Webster High School in Wisconsin. Washburn also had 100 strikeouts with a 1.00 ERA in 42 innings pitched.

Washburn can hit and pitch at the division-one level, but Tadlock noted that he’ll focus more as a hitter this season.

“We haven’t thrown him much,” Tadlock said. "We threw him a little bit at the end of the fall. I think if this team had a need for right-handed pitching, we would have to do that based on where he is and his experience pitching.

“He’s got a real good feel for pitching. He likes hitting too but it's hard for him to do both, so we're focusing more on the offensive side.”

One of the biggest voids the Red Raiders will have to fill in 2022 is at the catcher position. Replacing the offense and defense of Braxton Fulford will be no easy task, and Tadlock noted that this team may never see a guy who throws as well as Fulford again.

“Replacing Fulford is going to be tough,” Tadlock said. “Putting a freshman back there is going to be tougher.

“At the same time, we’ve always believed that there’s really no age on being a baseball player, you either are one or you’re not. You don’t have to be a year older to be one.

“Hudson White has been a really good player his whole life. If you’re picking teams and you’ve got a bunch of guys from the state of Texas, then most of us would pick him to play on our team. I’m really excited about watching him.”

There are a lot of question marks surrounding the Texas Tech baseball team heading into the season. Tadlock noted that this Red Raider team has a lot of guys that have been around the sport mixed in with a lot of new guys that haven’t been around.

“The story of this season will be how they play together, and the way they go about playing the game,” Tadlock said. “Where they create the energy needed to get through nine innings and how they go about doing that.

“We feel like we have a chance to really pitch and have a chance to be solid offensively. Defensively, it’s got a chance to be as good of a team as we’ve ever had.

“I think right now there’s an opportunity for everybody on our roster to impact the spring at some point with injuries or Covid. Having guys understand that there’s always going to be an opportunity in front of them is something that I think is important.”

Tadlock noted that the pitching this season is a major reason that this team has a chance to be the best defensive baseball team he’s had at Texas Tech.

“I think it’s starts on the mound,” Tadlock said. “If they’re not hitting rockets at you, then you have a chance to defend a little better than if they’re hitting rockets at you. I think we’re going to be able to really pitch, and we like what we’ve got behind the plate.

“Kurt Wilson has a good first step and is really rangy. He’s a guy who should be able to take some hits off the board.

“Dillon Carter has always done that. Our corner outfield spots, those guys could play center.

“Jace turns the double play as good as anybody I’ve ever coached.

“Stilwell has evolved as a really good first baseman. He’s been behind the plate some and has been very good back there.

“We’ve got some options. Obviously, we’ve all seen Parker (Kelly) defend at third and Easton (Murrell) is also settling in over there (third) and playing really well.

“Pitching ahead in the count, and the ball not getting hit really hard. That’s a big part of it.”

The Red Raiders are back to playing a full schedule in 2022 after playing fewer midweek series and non-conference games in 2021. Tadlock said he’s looking forward to being back with Red Raider Nation this spring.

“Obviously we’ve seen it through basketball season, but if we don’t have the best fanbase in the country, then I’d like for someone to show me who does,” Tadlock noted. “We absolutely welcome all that support here at Rip Griffin Park, and we’d love to see them. Our guy’s love playing in front of them.

“We’re excited about playing in front of our fans, and we’ve always wanted to be able to share our team and our program with our fans. I’m looking forward to it.”