Texas Tech baseball will head into the 2019 season ranked third in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) preseason poll, the organization announced Monday.
The No. 3 ranking is the second for Texas Tech this preseason and matches the highest position in program history. The Red Raiders were also slotted third by D1 Baseball on Jan. 14 and received the ranking three times entering the 2018 season.
Five of the six preseason polls have selected the Red Raiders in their top-five. Along with No. 3 rankings from NCBWA and D1 Baseball, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the USA Today Coaches Poll had Tech No. 4 and Perfect Game chose Tech at No. 5. Baseball America is the lone publication with Tech out of its top-five, at No. 8.
Texas Tech is the highest of five Big 12 teams in the poll, which extends through 40 teams. A total of eight teams on Tech’s 2019 schedule made the poll, including nonconference foes Mississippi State (No. 13) and Michigan (No. 23), Duke (25) and San Diego State (39). Kentucky, Oregon and Stetson were listed as also receiving votes.
The 2019 NCBWA poll voters come from among 35 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. This is the second-straight year Tech has been ranked No. 3 in the NCBWA preseason poll.
Now in his seventh year as head coach, head coach Tim Tadlock returns 16 letterwinners from a squad that captured Tech’s third-straight 45-plus win season, earned a No. 9 national seed and went to the College World Series for the third time in five seasons.
Returners Josh Jung, Gabe Holt and Caleb Kilian have combined for six preseason All-American honors ahead of the 2019 season. Tech’s 2019 squad, tabbed the preseason favorite to win the Big 12, will feature the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year in Jung, the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year in Bryce Bonnin and the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Max Marusak.
The Red Raiders open the season with an eight-game home stand, featuring a four-game series against Oregon starting Friday, Feb. 15, at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The home stand continues against Kentucky Feb. 22-24 followed by a Feb. 26 tilt against New Mexico State.
2019 PRESEASON POLLS
No. 3 – National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
No. 3 – D1 Baseball
No. 4 – USA TODAY Coaches Poll
No. 4 – Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
No. 5 – Perfect Game
No. 8 – Baseball America
(Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Communications Department)
