Tech foes to have makeshift dressing arrangement for '23 season

Texas Tech football opponents playing in Lubbock this year will dress in trailers in the east parking lot of Jones AT&T Stadium, Tech athletics officials said, as a temporary work-around during the major ongoing construction project on the south end of the stadium.

Tech players will suit up at the Football Training Facility in the locker room they use every day during the week. Both teams will enter and exit the field using the ramp at the southeast corner of the stadium, Tech athletics officials said.

For decades, the Red Raiders' home locker room has been at the southwest corner of the stadium, and the visitors' locker room has been at the southeast corner, but those are being eliminated by the construction project that began when last season ended and will continue into 2024.

Tech announced Thursday that the northeast corner of the stadium has been chosen as the location for the new visitors' locker room. It won't be done for this season, however. Thus, the need for the makeshift setup in the stadium's east parking lot.

Though that part of Thursday's announcement came as a surprise to some Tech fans, the Avalanche-Journal reported in August and again in December that the northeast and southwest corners of the stadium were the locations under consideration for the permanent visitors' locker room.

A Tech athletics spokesman said consideration was given to having visiting teams use the Sports Performance Center before and after games this season. That idea was rejected, however, because of the logistical problems presented by the heavy post-game pedestrian traffic in that relatively narrow, confined area.

Texas Tech's permanent locker room will be in the new four-level south end zone building that is the centerpiece of the $220 million project. At that point, the Red Raiders will enter the field from a walkway that opens onto the field directly behind the south end zone goalpost.

The south end zone project is scheduled for completion in time for the 2024 season.

Football

Former Tech safety Hut Graham announced Friday he is having his name entered into the NCAA transfer portal.

Graham, a high-school standout at Gunter, was the first player to commit for Texas Tech's 2022 recruiting class and redshirted last season as a true freshman. Tech took Graham off the roster on April 1.

Men's golf

Fourth-ranked Texas Tech was in 11th place out of 12 teams nearing the end of Friday's first 36 holes of the Thunderbird Collegiate being hosted by Arizona State in Phoenix.

The Red Raiders shot even par in the first round at Papago Golf Course and were 3-over in the second round with their players in the middle of the back nine.

Tech's Tyran Snyders, after shooting a 2-under 69 on his first 18, was at 3-under for the day through 14 holes in his second round. Ludvig Aberg (71) was even for the day through 13 holes in his second round. Matthew Comegys (70) stood 2-over for the day, and Calum Scott (74) and Jack Wall (74) both were 5-over.

The field includes seven teams ranked in the most recent top 25 by Golfweek. No. 3 Arizona State was 25-under, followed by No. 2 North Carolina at 18-under and No. 20 Oklahoma State and No. 16 Arizona, both at 17-under. All had players still on the course.

Men's basketball

Texas Tech's Pop Isaacs, the team's third-leading scorer this past season as a freshman, announced Thursday he plans to stay with the program.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound sophomore guard from Las Vegas (Nevada) Coronado averaged 11.5 points and 2.7 assists per game. He led the team in 3-point goals made (62) and attempted (164) and led Red Raider regulars in free-throw percentage (89.6). His playing time of 28.7 minutes was fourth-highest on the team.

Robert Jennings, a 6-7, 225-pound sophomore who played in 30 games mostly off the bench this past season, announced earlier this week he will stay with the Red Raiders as well. Jennings had explored his options via the NCAA transfer portal.

Softball

Texas Tech, swept by powerhouse Oklahoma in a three-game Big 12 series last weekend, hosts No. 18 Baylor in another conference series this weekend.

Tech (28-15, 2-7) and Baylor (31-9, 2-4) were under way in the series opener Friday night. The remaining games are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday at Rocky Johnson Field. .

Oklahoma, now 37-1 and on a 29-game win streak, beat Tech 3-0, 6-0 and 7-0. However, the Red Raiders were the first Big 12 team other than Oklahoma State since 2019 not to be run-ruled by the Sooners in a series.

Tech first baseman Ellie Bailey (.342, 13 home runs, 38 runs batted in) leads the Big 12 in homers and is tied for fifth in RBI. Designated player Makinzy Herzog (.390-7-30) is tied for third in the conference in hits with 53, and catcher-outfielder Kailey Wyckoff (.410-8-29) is sixth in that department with 50.

Left fielder Peyton Blythe (.344-8-25), center fielder Arriana Villa (.318-7-25) and second baseman Alanna Barraza (.284-7-22) are other contributors to the Red Raiders' 64 home runs, second in the Big 12 to Oklahoma's 70.

Among pitchers, Tech sophomore righthander Sage Hoover (14-1, 2.19 earned-run average) is the conference victories leader.