Texas Tech baseball’s Tim Tadlock on UC Irvine series, Las Vegas event
Texas Tech baseball faces Illinois, Texas and Washington at the Las Vegas Classic. Red Raiders are 1-5 after losing two of three to UC Irvine
In the first week of March 2024, on the eve of the Big 12 opener, Texas Tech baseball coach Tim Tadlock said if he could schedule Texas “next year (in) Week 4, I think you’d sign up for it.”
Close. The Red Raiders and the Longhorns are playing this season in Week 3, though not necessarily by mutual arrangement. The former Big 12 rivals just happen to be at the same location this weekend — the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic, where they’ll square off at 6 p.m. CST Saturday.
The Red Raiders (1-5) open the multi-team event against reigning Big Ten champion Illinois (5-2) at 4 p.m. CST Friday and close against Washington (3-6) at 5 p.m. CST Sunday. All of the games are at Las Vegas Ballpark, a 10,000-seat venue opened in 2019 and home to the Las Vegas Aviators, the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate.
Since Texas and Oklahoma left the Big 12 last summer to become members of the Southeastern Conference, athletics director Kirby Hocutt, among other Texas Tech personnel, have expressed a desire to keep playing Texas as nonconference opponents.
When asked Thursday if he’d had much discussion or gained any traction on keeping alive the series with Texas, Tadlock said, “No traction. Some discussion, but no traction.”
The two teams went 2-2 against each other last season, the Longhorns winning two of three in the Big 12 series in Lubbock and Tech beating UT at the conference tournament.
When asked in early February who on a challenging early schedule he most looked forward to facing, Red Raiders catcher Dylan Maxcey said, “I’m just super excited, really, to go to Vegas and play Texas. I think all of us are really excited for that. We’re going to be kind of with a mentality that if we don’t run-rule ’em, then we lost. … And I would say Arizona coming here is going to be pretty cool, really cool and also a very good challenge for us.”
Tadlock mostly downplayed the game against the Longhorns, especially given the Red Raiders have another game before then. Under 20th-year coach Dan Hartleb, Illinois won the Big Ten in 2011, 2015 and 2024. The Fighting Illini were 35-21 last year and 18-6 in the conference.
“Illinois looks like a really good team to me,” Tadlock said. “Some older guys, look pretty physical.”
Texas Tech baseball makes change to starting rotation
Tech has altered its starting rotation for this weekend. Junior righthander Zane Petty will make his 16th career start but first of the season on Sunday. He’s replacing Jack Cebert, who’s not lasted past three innings in his first two starts and has a 10.80 ERA.
“He’s throwing the ball really good this spring,” Tadlock said of Petty. “He’s tried to push his way into the conversation and Jack might have pushed his way out of the conversation a little bit, based on two starts.”
How to follow Texas Tech baseball at Las Vegas College Classic
When: Texas Tech vs. Illinois, 4 p.m. CST Friday. Texas Tech vs. Texas, 6 p.m. CST Saturday. Texas Tech vs. Washington, 5 p.m. CST Sunday.
Where: Las Vegas Ballpark, Las Vegas, Nevada
Records: Texas Tech 1-5, Illinois 5-2, Texas 6-1, Washington 3-6
Rankings in USA TODAY Sports Top 25 coaches poll: Texas No. 14; Texas Tech, Illinois, Washington unranked.
Starting pitchers: Friday, Texas Tech RHP Mac Heuer (0-1, 9.39 ERA) vs. Illinois RHP Tyler Schmitt (1-0, 3.86). Saturday, Texas Tech RHP Lukas Pirko (0-0, 4.82) vs. Texas LHP Luke Harrison (1-0, 0.93). Sunday, Texas Tech RHP Zane Petty (0-0, 1.69) vs. Washington RHP Tommy Brandenburg (0-1, 4.22).
Online streaming: All three games on D1Baseball.com. Subscription required.
Texas Tech results, upcoming schedule
Home games in ALL CAPS. All times CST.
∎ Feb. 14: at North Carolina, L 5-1
∎ Feb. 15: at North Carolina, L 8-3
∎ Feb. 16: at North Carolina, L 4-2
∎ Feb. 21: UC IRVINE, L 6-4
∎ Feb. 22: UC IRVINE, W 15-12
∎ Feb. 23: UC IRVINE, L 11-10
∎ Friday: vs. Illinois, 4 p.m. at Las Vegas
∎ Saturday: vs. Texas, 6 p.m. at Las Vegas
∎ Sunday: vs. Washington, 5 p.m. at Las Vegas
∎ Tuesday: UC SAN DIEGO, 6:30 p.m.
∎ Wednesday: UC SAN DIEGO, 6:30 p.m.
∎ March 7: at Grand Canyon, 7 p.m.
∎ March 8: at Grand Canyon, 7 p.m.
∎ March 9: at Grand Canyon, 2 p.m.
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