Originally scheduled for a seven-game series, the Red & Black series wrapped up today as the Red team dominated their way to a 26-3 win in the finale over the Black team.

The Texas Tech baseball team cancelled its original game three last week due to cold and rainy weather, which led to the decision to shrink the series to a three-gamer and quickly wrap up the preseason gig.

Although the series was cut short, Tech baseball coach Tim Tadlock was happy with what he saw in the three games played at Rip Griffin Park.

“It felt like the guys really practiced with really good intent throughout the fall,” Tadlock said, “if you just said the whole group. You’re probably not going to get all of them to practice the way you want them to practice, but for the most part, through the 45 days and the 35 practices that you had, the guys did a good job of having a purpose each day and coming out and work on some stuff.”

With the departure of seniors and drafted players, some talented freshmen entered the roster and cracked the starting lineups through the trio of contests. Tadlock talked about who he liked and who stood out this series.

“I would say Jace (Jung) had a pretty good fall,” Tadlock said. “You kind of saw some of that today. He has some power, and we saw glimpses of that. Dillon Carter really has the ability to separate balls and strikes, has the ability to defend, and we haven’t seen a few of them. Steven Vazquez threw today. He hadn’t thrown a lot. That was his third outing of the fall. Threw the ball really well throughout the fall. (Jared Cushing) played really well. When we went down to Frisco (TX), I think he played day-one, had some really good at-bats, played good defense. (Nate Rombach) had a really good presence at the plate. Hadn’t had a lot to show for it, but he’s separating balls and strikes really well. Probably leaving some guys out, there are some older freshmen in (Cal Conley). He’s held his own out there. I think Cushing will give him a run for his money when it’s all said and done. I think both of those guys bring a lot to the table.”

“We shut eight guys down about a week ago. On the mounds, we’ve seen enough out of them, and (Andrew Devine) was one of those guys, freshman right-hander. Really honestly, in Frisco, I’d seen enough. It’s like, okay, let’s get to the spring with this guy. He’s going to compete, he’s going to command pitches, and he’s got above average stuff.”

Tadlock noting how well the bats were for the Red team this afternoon:

“They came out and swung the bats really good,” Tadlock said. “They really laid off some close pitches there in the first inning. All those guys probably went to a full count, Carter, (Dylan Neuse), and (Braxton Fulford) set the thing up, and then Jace got a pitch to hit and hit it out. Then, they kind of kept in going when we had to switch pitchers.”

“Impressive day for the Red team, but really it’s all set up by putting good at-bats together and laying off—being able to separate balls and strikes. Pretty fun to watch.”

On the downside, the pitchers and pitching staff might have been living a minor nightmare watching the Black team give up so many runs, including 13 in the third inning. However, Tadlock said that is just the outcome and you cannot control the ability to swing.

“We probably had a few guys when something bad happened,” Tadlock said, “they probably let it carry over to the next pitch, and the ability to move on is what you need. You’re not going to be perfect when you pitch. And so really it’s the mental side of it as much as anything.”

Tadlock talked about the corner spots including Neuse at third base and TJ Rumfield and Cole Stilwell battling at first base. He said he liked what he saw from the first basemen throughout the fall.

“By the time you think one guy’s going to show up every day the other guy has a great day," he said. "They both have good attributes: playing defense and – Cole really had a good fall, offensively. I think my team would probably call me crazy if he wouldn’t sit somewhere in the lineup because he’s got some presence. He has some intent to do some damage when he goes to the plate, which is good. Again, shortstop’s a position. You got Cal and Cushing there. Jace played third base really well at times. Probably like the way Dylan defended the bunt a little better.”

“In general,” Tadlock continued, “we’ve thought we knew things at this point and made decisions what we thought, and exact opposite happens. The thing I’ve learned over the years is the fall, it can show you some things, but it’s not going to define anybody, who they are. I think as far back as 1999, I had a guy hit about a buck-eighty (.180) in the fall. He ended up hitting 22 home runs and hit nearly .400…”

Tadlock said as freshmen, they don’t bounce back as quickly as they should, and the fall will show that. He said the ability to show up every day and prepare the right way is what one can be hunting at for the guys.

Over the weekend, Tadlock was inducted into the Grayson College Hall of Fame, which is the first class of inductees into the honor. In his nine seasons there, Tadlock posted a 435-127 record and led the team to back-to-back JUCO world series championships. Tadlock was named NJCAA National Coach of the Year in both of the title runs, according to Tech Athletics.

“It was special,” Tadlock said. “You get to see your name rolled out there on the fence. That’s pretty cool. The thing I thought about probably the most is I was there when Danny Darwin’s number got retired and was there when John Lackey’s number got retired, and those guys were players, they were great players in your own right, but mine represents a little bit more, if you ask me. It represents all the guys that rolled through there and had built that program, and I didn’t do much than write the lineup out. I mean, it’s just pretty cool that you can put your name on the wall that represents nine years of guys that have played baseball there because without them, I wouldn’t be up there. Pretty cool.”