2022 Texas Tech Softball Season Preview

Graphic CC: Coby Mote Designs

The Craig Snider era of Texas Tech Softball will officially begin Friday as the team travels to Arlington to participate in the UT Arlington Tournament this weekend. This team is going to be a very exciting one to watch! Let’s breakdown what this team will look like this season!

Key Returners:

No. 12 Ellie Bailey, 1B

Bailey is the team’s leading returner when it comes to batting. She hit .309 and led the team with 41 hits and 31 RBI. She’ll most likely return as the team’s everyday first baseman as well.

No. 78 Carson Armijo, RF

Armijo was another solid bat for the Red Raiders last season, hitting .308. She had 32 hits and 19 walks on the season. She’ll primarily play right field, but can play all over the outfield.

No. 00 Ariana Villa, 2B

Villa returns as a solid power bat in Texas Tech’s lineup and spent most of last season in the leadoff spot. She hit .245 on the season and led the team with 6 homeruns.

No. 9 Kendall Fritz, RHP

Fritz led the team last season in wins and ERA. She finished the season with a 12-9 record on the mound and held opponents to a .241 batting average and had a 3.12 ERA. Look for her to continue her starting role this season for Texas Tech.

Key Additions:

No. 24 Makinzy Herzog OF/P

Herzog follows Snider from College Station to Lubbock after four very successful seasons both as a hitter and a pitcher. Last season, she had a 9-8 record and pitched 108 innings for Texas A&M. She also hit .248 with 5 homeruns in 55 starts across the outfield and as the designated player. The season before Herzog hit .354 with 13 homeruns.

No. 17 Sage Hoover, RHP

Hoover is the reigning Freshman of the Year in the Southland Conference and reigning First-Team All Conference at Pitcher in that conference. Hoover finished last season with an 11-7 record and a 2.56 ERA for Northwestern State. This player has the ability to become an ace for your pitching staff in the near future.

Starting Lineup Predictions:

C: No. 8 Kennedy Crites/ No. 16 Elizabeth Moffit

1B: No. 12 Ellie Bailey

2B: No. 00 Ariana Villa

SS: No. 5 Riley Love

3B: No. 11 Abbie Orrick

LF: No. 24 Makinzy Herzog

CF: No. 23 Peyton Blythe

RF: No. 78 Carson Armijo

DP: No. 6 Chassety Raines

Pitching Staff Predictions:

Starter: No. 9 Kendall Fritz

Starter: No. 17 Sage Hoover

Starter: No. 24 Makinzy Herzog

Reliever: No. 6 Chassety Raines

Reliever: No. 4 Erna Carlin

Schedule Breakdown:

Feb. 10-12, UTA Tournament

Schools Featured: Texas Tech, Tulsa, UT-Arlington

Feb. 16-19 UTEP Tournament

Schools Featured: Texas Tech, Buffalo UC Santa Clara, New Mexico, UTEP

Feb. 23-26 Mary Nutter College Classic:

Schools Featured: Texas Tech, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, Utah, Bethune-Cookman, UC San Diego, Cal

March 2-4 Jeanne McHaney Memorial Classic (Texas Tech)

Schools Featured: Texas Tech, North Dakota, Rutgers, Seton Hall

March 10-12 Texas Tech Invitational

Schools Featured: Texas Tech, Buffalo, New Mexico, Manhattan

March 17-19 Maryland Tournament

Schools Featured: Texas Tech, Maryland, Rider, North Dakota, Bucknell

March 24th-April 29th Big 12 Conference Play

May 11-13 Big 12 Conference Tournament

Overall Thoughts:

The first thing that jumps out about this team is pitching. This team has 8 players who pitched at the Division 1 level last season. Most teams only use 5-6 pitchers maximum in a season and this team has 8-9 arms that could end up on the mound any given day. This type of versatility and arm power could allow some utility players who also pitch to play other positions and pitch in the same game. This can make the Red Raiders incredibly hard to scout.

Coach Snider talked about versatility, toughness, and grit in his opening press conference. This team appears to have a ton of all of these qualities on the team. There are multiple players that can play all infield positions or that can play all outfield positions and pitch. This lineup can and most likely will look different on a game to game basis.

This team also returns a ton of production from last season, Coach Snider did an excellent job recruiting the roster he inherited last season. In addition, Snider and his staff went into the transfer portal and filled specific needs on the roster and have turned this program into a respectable one in his first season.