Tim Tadlock acknowledged Friday night his Texas Tech baseball team needs to be “around .500” at least to add to the program’s streak of making seven consecutive NCAA tournaments.
The Red Raiders have fallen below that bar, putting themselves into a precarious position.
No. 23 Oklahoma beat Texas Tech 7-5 Saturday at Dan Law Field/Rip Griffin Park behind strong pitching from Kyson Witherspoon and four runs batted in from third baseman Anthony Mackenzie.
Oklahoma led 6-0 before Tech got a solo homer from Kevin Bazzell in the sixth, a two-run single by Gavin Kash in the seventh and a two-run homer from Tracer Lopez in the ninth.
Texas Tech is in danger of being swept in a Big 12 series for the second weekend in a row. Kansas took three from the Red Raiders last weekend. Tech (30-19, 12-14) will try to end a five-game conference losing streak in the series finale against conference-leading Oklahoma (28-17, 17-6) at 2 p.m. Sunday.
“We really like this group of guys, and we trust them to go play the game,” Tadlock said. “No reason to start doubting them now. We’ve just got to put them in position to have success.”
Tech last failed to make an NCAA regional in 2015, the year after the program’s first of four trips to the College World Series.
Asked after an 8-0 loss Friday about his team’s postseason chances, Tadlock said, “I think you better figure out a way to be around .500 (in the Big 12), absolutely. I think you need to win this series, and I think you need to win the next series. … Do that, you should be in, right? If you don’t, you’re obviously putting yourself in jeopardy.”
Tech, tied with TCU for eighth place in the Big 12 after Saturday, finishes conference play next weekend at No. 16 Oklahoma State.
“I think he’ll make the (NCAA) tournament for sure,” said Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson, a best friend of Tadlock’s since they were Little League teammates in Denton. “He’ll make that up for sure. His teams usually play really good at the end of the year. They’ve had a really good team. I could see them going to Omaha (site of the College World Series).”
Around the conference:Can Oklahoma baseball hold off a pack of pursuers? | Big 12 baseball power rankings
Friday night recap:Texas Tech baseball drops series-opening game to Oklahoma in Big 12 Conference action
Texas Tech bats remain cold
OU’s Braden Davis and Will Carsten threw a four-hit shutout Friday, and Kyson Witherspoon kept it going. The hard-throwing righthander extended the scoreless innings streak to 14 2/3 before giving up Bazzell’s homer.
“He’s got a good arm,” Johnson said. “He can really pitch, he’s really competitive and we’re glad he’s on our team.”
Witherspoon (5-3) gave up four hits, struck out seven and left with a 6-1 lead and two outs in the seventh. Kash then singled home two runs charged to Witherspoon’s line.
Witherspoon’s fastball ranged from 93 miles per hour early in the game to 96 as he went along.
“He does that,” Johnson said. “He’ll get stronger as the game goes on.”
Sooners have their way with Kyle Robinson
The Texas Tech righthander put together five quality starts in six Big 12 outings from March 15 to April 21, but was rocked for the second start in a row, giving up six runs on eight hits.
In an 11-2 loss the week before at Kansas, he gave up eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Robinson (4-6) was pulled after the first four batters reached in the fifth. Bryce Madron hit a leadoff homer and Anthony Mackenzie finished Robinson with a three-run drive.
Robinson gave up four consecutive hits in the first, including run-scoring singles by Easton Carmichael and Mackenzie.
