Texas Tech Peaking at Right Time, Run-Rules Kansas to Return to Big 12 Title Game
“We’re peaking at exactly the right time.”
That was Gerry Glasco’s message after No. 3 Texas Tech dismantled Kansas 14-0 in five innings Friday afternoon at Devon Park, sending the Red Raiders back to the Big 12 Tournament championship game for the second straight season.
And through two games in Oklahoma City, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
Texas Tech has now outscored Baylor and Kansas by a combined 21-0 in the tournament while looking every bit like the team that stormed through this event a season ago behind dominant pitching and relentless offense.
“It feels a lot like last year,” Glasco said.
Friday’s latest statement started with Kaitlyn Terry.
The junior two-way star tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts while also going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI as Texas Tech improved to 52-5 on the season.
Even with the game well in hand entering the fifth inning, Terry still had another gear left.
After Kansas put runners on the corners with one out, Terry punched out back-to-back hitters to preserve the shutout, stomping and screaming toward the sky after the final strikeout.
“Yeah just the shutout, leaving the runner at third,” Terry said afterward when asked what that extra bit of emotion was. “Honestly, getting to the championship game, too.”
Her dominance has become routine this season.
But Glasco made it clear postgame he believes what Terry has done this year still hasn’t received enough recognition nationally or even within the conference.
“The year she’s had was totally overlooked,” Glasco said. “When you’re top 10 in ERA and top 10 in batting average with 50 RBIs and 10 home runs, that’s a phenomenal year.”
Terry entered the postseason as the only player in the country ranked among the national leaders in both ERA and batting average, yet was not named the Big 12 Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. USA Today, however, did honor her with its Big 12 Player of the Year recognition earlier this week.
The offense around her looked just as dangerous Friday.
Jasmyn Burns set the tone early with a three-run homer in the opening inning, continuing another timely postseason surge for the senior. After seeing her 11-game hitting streak and four-game home run streak snapped against Baylor on Thursday, Burns immediately started a new streak Friday, going 2-for-3 with the first inning blast that gave Texas Tech a quick 3-0 lead.
Texas Tech erupted again in the third behind home runs from Jackie Lis, Taylor Pannell and Desirae Spearman.
Lis’ blast marked her second home run in as many games at the Big 12 Tournament and continued what has been one of the biggest offensive developments of the season for the Red Raiders.
The power has always been there.
The patience is new.
“I’m getting deeper in the count a lot, which has just allowed me to see a lot of pitches,” Lis said. “And then just knowing that I’m not going to let this pitcher throw the ball by me.”
Glasco jokingly refused to take credit for her growth afterward.
“Jackie’s doing generous, because I haven’t done anything to help that kid hit,” Glasco said after Lis credited Glasco’s approach as a coach for her growth this year. “You give her grandpa and her dad credit.”
Her dad and grandpa both being former professional baseball players. Lis laughed afterward admitting her old approach used to be much different.
“My dad always yells at me, swing at the first pitch,” Lis said. “And it worked a little bit, but also a lot of times it would kind of get — I would get myself out.”
Now, she says she trusts herself enough to work deeper counts and wait for the pitch she wants instead of trying to attack immediately.
By the fourth inning, Texas Tech had completely buried Kansas.
Mihyia Davis delivered a two-run triple, Mia Williams added an RBI double and the Red Raiders pushed six runs across in the inning to stretch the lead to 14-0.
The final out only added to the feeling building around the program right now.
Texas Tech looks confident. Loose. Dangerous.
And most importantly for Glasco, it looks familiar.
Last season, the Red Raiders shut out every opponent they faced in the Big 12 Tournament on the way to the title game. Through two games in Oklahoma City this year, they’ve done the exact same thing again.
“The pitchers know when we go out, we want a shutout,” Glasco said. “As long as we get a shutout, we’ve got a really good chance of winning.”
Texas Tech will face the winner of Oklahoma State and Arizona State in Saturday’s Big 12 Tournament championship game.
First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. on ESPN.
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