ARLINGTON – A combined three-hitter from Brandon Birdsell (0-1) and Trendan Parish wasn’t enough Saturday as the Red Raiders (1-1) fell to the Auburn Tigers (1-1) out of the SEC 2-1 in a 3:30 pm matchup at Globe Life Field.
Birdsell, who passed on a chance at the MLB in 2021 after the Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 11th round, returned to Texas Tech looking to take care of unfinished business after exiting the season early with a rotator cuff injury. The junior out of Willis, TX went 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 4 K for Tech, an effort that matched the Red Raiders’ potent lineup would probably be adequate on another night.
Birdsell was holding at 95- 97mph with his fastball throughout his appearance and showed the fire on the mound fans have come to expect from Red Raider starters.
“I thought Birdsell, it was exciting to see him start a game and threw the ball pretty well,” said Head Coach Tim Tadlock. “It was good to see Parish throw the ball good.”
Parish, a freshman newcomer out of Poolville, TX, making his first appearance in a college game, struck out the side in the fifth and continued rolling allowing only 2 hits, 0 runs, and fanning 3 Tigers along the way. Despite the massive jump from high school to a 2-0 deficit appearance in an MLB ballpark, Parish appeared poised for the challenge and tossed at better than 70% strike-to-ball ratio in his four innings.
“Trendan’s real. He could be pitching in pro baseball right now, he could be pitching anywhere in the country. We’re fortunate that him and his family believed in us – he’s got a bright future.”
Parish was on the draft board of multiple MLB teams in 2021 but opted instead to forego the pro game and bring his talents to Texas Tech, and they were on display Saturday at Globe Life Field.
Beyond the bump, Texas Tech’s defense did flash the leather Saturday. Following a double play that ended the top of the fourth inning, Easton Murrell exited the game after aggravating existing hamstring soreness, according to Tadlock, and Parker Kelly made his first appearance of the season. Kelly charged a short-hopped grounder and threw a dart on the run to end the fourth, proving once again why his defense is always an asset for the Red Raiders at the hot corner.
In the play-of-the-season (so far), a well-struck ball by Auburn second baseman Cole Foster carried well toward the Texas Tech bullpen in right-center field. Dillon Carter gave chase and made the catch over the short wall, despite absorbing the brunt of the hard contact on his left ribs. After putting that star in the scorebook, Carter looked back to the infield telling Parish “I’ve got you!”
Texas Tech didn’t field the only strong pitching in the contest. Auburn starter Joseph Gonzales (1-0) lasted five innings and combined with a committee of four relievers to hold Texas Tech to 3 hits, although the Red Raiders has 13 baserunners reach safely and ultimately stranded seven.
Freshman Owen Washburn continued to impress at the home of the Texas Rangers. After hitting the walk-off single, a rope to right field, on Friday night, Washburn hit a two-out single in the third Saturday and reached on a walk in the sixth. Washburn has now reached in 7 of his 10 opportunities in his young collegiate career.
The Texas A&M transfer Ty Coleman also booked his first hit as a Red Raider. He followed Washburn’s two-out single with one of his own. The shot to left field appeared to have scored Hudson White from second but White was called out at the plate. The broadcast replay appeared to show him beat the tag but official review upheld the call, much to the chagrin of the Texas Tech faithful in attendance.
Kurt Wilson also continued to make noise with a one-out single in the fourth. In the sixth, he notched his fourth RBI of the season on a one-out sacrifice fly to score Washburn against fresh pitcher John Armstrong, accounting for Tech’s lone run of the afternoon.
Jace Jung, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year was held hitless and without reaching on Saturday after going 1-for-2 with 2 walks and an RBI HBP on Friday. After seeing the Michigan Wolverines pitch around Jung, the Tigers took a different approach.
“What you saw today to me is they’re going to show him different looks. You know they went left at least once and they came back with a guy throwing harder. So in other words, maybe not let him see a guy twice late in the game,” explained Tadlock.
In the fourth inning, second base umpire Jon Wolfe appeared to give Birdsell a time warning twice, the second with runners on base.
Tadlock clarified the situation, “it’s just a new rule if you step off in the 20-second clock and don’t make a baseball move it can be called a ball.”
Despite the intent, the warnings each ate up well beyond 20 seconds each time they were issued.
Over the course of time, Tadlock has shown no hesitation in experimenting with the lineup early in the season, but the Red Raiders fielded the same lineup as was seen on Friday against Michigan. Once again, Navarro College transfer Zac Vooletich entered as a pinch hitter and took over left field. Dalton Porter, who tied the game with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly Friday, entered in the ninth again Saturday but grounded out to the pitcher.
Texas Tech will conclude their second consecutive season-opening trip to the State Farm College Baseball Showdown Sunday at 2:30 pm on Sunday against the University of Arizona. The Wildcats reached the College World Series in 2021 falling 14-5 to Stanford and 7-6 to eventual national runner-up Vanderbilt.
The Red Raiders will see a familiar face in the opposing dugout Sunday in former teammate Tanner O’Tremba. The junior from Parker, CO joined the Wildcats last season after transferring from Tech following the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
