Legendary Tadlock Set for 10th Season as Manager

Tim Tadlock, the Texas Tech baseball manager, is set to begin his tenth season in Lubbock this weekend at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field.

The Red Raiders are seeking their fifth College World Series appearance under Tadlock and first since the back-to-back appearances in Omaha in 2018 and 2019, according to Tech Athletics.

Tech’s first CWS appearance came in Tadlock’s second season as manager, where he completed the second-biggest turnaround in Big 12 history, according to Tech Athletics. The manager took his team to the CWS and 45 regular-season victories after winning 26 games the season prior.

Tadlock has won two National Coach of the Year awards during his tenure at Tech, the first coming after that historic 2014 season, according to Tech Athletics.

Tadlock has led the Red Raiders to three Big 12 conference championships in 2016, 2017, and 2019.

The Tech legend was signed to a “lifetime contract” in late May.

Tech has had 59 MLB draft picks during his tenure, but Tadlock has taken the Red Raiders to a new level in the draft over the last few seasons.

In 2018, Tadlock boasted the most draft picks in program history with 12.

Starting with the No. 8 overall draft pick by the Texas Rangers, third baseman Josh Jung, in 2019, there were four picks in the first ten rounds that season.

In 2020’s five-round draft, right-handed pitcher Clayton Beeter was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-handed pitcher Bryce Bonnin was selected by the Cincinnati Reds.

Finally, Tech finished with nine draft picks in the 20-round 2021 draft, the third-most in program history, according to Tech Athletics.

Tadlock and the Red Raiders are expected to make a run back to Omaha this season as they are consensually ranked in the top 25 and No. 4 by College Baseball News.