The Florida Gators are set to host UConn, Texas Tech, and Florida A&M inside Condron Family Ballpark for the 2023 NCAA Regional Tournament from June 2-5.
Gator Country breaks down the competition in the Gainesville Regional.
NO.3 SEED TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech enters the Gainesville regional as a three seed, claiming a 39-21 (12-12 Big 12) record in 2023. The Red Raiders won their first two contests in the Big 12 Tournament before dropping back-to-back games to No.18 Oklahoma State, eliminating them from championship contention.
Notable series victories include 2/3 from TCU and 2/3 from Oklahoma State. Texas Tech also split a two-game road set with No.6 Stanford. The Red Raiders lost their lone SEC matchup 2-4 against Texas A&M after a 16-inning battle.
Much like UConn, Texas Tech is a great hitting ballclub, holding a team batting average of .309, which ranks 20th in division one baseball. The Red Raiders are one of just 38 teams to hit at least 90 home runs this season.
Tim Tadlock’s squad reaches base at a .417% clip, which marks the 15th highest on base percentage in the country. This is due to a combination of their high batting average and patient approach at the plate. Texas Tech has drawn 353 walks throughout the 2023 season, the sixth most in college baseball.
Texas Tech doesn’t have the speed or aggression UConn has on the basepaths as they’ve totaled just 28 stolen bases on 35 attempts. They’ve also allowed 88 stolen bases this season, which could work in the Gators’ favor shall Florida face the Red Raiders this weekend.
The most important offensive statistic of them all is runs scored, in which Texas Tech ranks 9th in the country with 510 runs across 60 games, an average of 8.5 runs per game.
Statistically, Texas Tech’s pitching staff ranks very similarly to Florida’s. Holding an ERA of 5.01, the Red Raiders rank 65th in ERA, just three spots behind Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad.
Command has been a major issue for Texas Tech as they’ve averaged 4.83 walks per nine, which ranks 180th in the country. For context, Florida walks 4.55 batters per nine, ranking 140th in college baseball.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
LHP Mason Molina – The California native was the only consistent weekend starter for Texas Tech throughout 2023 and should serve as the Red Raiders’ ace in the Gainesville Regional. Molina worked to a 5-2 record while posting a 3.72 ERA across 77.1 innings. The true sophomore struck out 88 batters while holding opposing teams to a .219 batting average.
RHP Brandon Beckel – The relief pitcher appeared in 21 games this season, tossing 42.2 innings while holding a 2.01 ERA, the lowest on the Red Raiders in 2023. Beckel struck out 64 batters while holding opposing teams to a .212 batting average. The Texas native will be one of the first calls to the bullpen this weekend. The right hander has also served as Texas Tech’s closer this season, recording a team-high six saves in 2023.
First baseman Gavin Cash – The 6-3, 210-pound first baseman blasted a team high 24 home runs this season, ranking eighth in the country in that category. The lefty batter earned a slash line of .333/.406/.699 while starting in all 60 of Texas Tech’s games.
Outfielder Nolen Hester – Hester doesn’t have the power that Cash has, but he’s one of the best in the country at getting on base, holding an on base percentage of .536, ranking sixth in all of college baseball. His batting average of .374 is a team high and ranks 83rd amongst all college baseball players. The Texas native has worked 58 walks on the season, which ranks eighth in the country. Hester has also been hit by a pitch 15 times in 2023.
ANALYSIS
Texas Tech is a sneaky three seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the question marks within their pitching staff lead me to believe Florida’s offense should capitalize given the opportunity. However, it’s hard to disregard how good Texas Tech has been at getting on base and scoring runs. Much like UConn, Texas Tech has a copious number of players with offensive statistics that jump out at you. Six players hold a batting average over the .300 mark while six posted an OPS of 1.000 or more.
The common theme in the Gainesville Regional is OFFENSE.