Texas Tech baseball will head into the 2019 season at No. 3 in the D1 Baseball Preseason Top 25, the publication announced Monday.

This is the third preseason top-five ranking for the Red Raiders as Collegiate Baseball Newspaper tabbed Tech at No. 4 and Perfect Game ranked the Red Raiders at No. 5.

It marks the second-straight year Texas Tech has started No. 3 by D1 Baseball. The Red Raiders were ranked third by three outlets to start the 2018 season, the highest preseason ranking ever by a Red Raider squad.

A unanimous top-five team entering 2018, Tech navigated through their slate to its fourth-straight 45-plus win season behind a 45-20 record, including a 15-9 conference mark en route to a No. 9 national seed. The Red Raiders returned to the College World Series for the third time in five years last season.

Now in his seventh year as head coach, head coach Tim Tadlock returns 16 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including All-American third baseman Josh Jung and Freshman All-American Gabe Holt.

Six teams on Tech’s 2019 schedule were represented in the poll, including nonconference foes Mississippi State (No. 14) and Michigan (No. 17). The Red Raiders are the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the poll.

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.