When the Texas Tech softball team made its home debut during the 2025 season, Gerry Glasco came away a bit disappointed in the fan turnout.
Working against the Red Raiders was the weather, which brought blistering temperatures to Lubbock and altered the Jeannine McHaney Classic schedule. Add in the Texas Tech men’s basketball team having a pair of high-profile games at home in the same timeframe and the attendance numbers at Rocky Johnson Field weren’t what Glasco thought they could be.
He likely won’t have to worry about that this year. Texas Tech fans know by now how good the softball team is, backed by the No. 2 national ranking in almost every major poll in the country and sporting a 16-1 record heading into this weekend’s four-day slate of games.
“I think people know who we are now,” Glasco said. “I think a year ago, maybe the community didn’t understand what we were and what we’re about, and we’re a championship team now. We got a Big 12 championship. We got a runner-up national championship behind us. We’ve got our second number one overall recruiting class (from the) transfer portal in a row. I think the community very clearly understands what our program is about and wants to be part of it.”
After spending the first three weeks of the season playing a variety of competition on the coasts, Texas Tech makes its home debut for six games starting Thursday at 5 p.m. against Abilene Christian. The Red Raiders will also take on North Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Detroit Mercy over the weekend.
Glasco has spent the first few weeks tinkering with the Texas Tech lineup, using 17 different lineups in the team’s first 17 games. There’s still some toying to do before Big 12 Conference play begins next week, but it’ll give Red Raider fans a chance to see the group in person.
“It’s playing itself out,” Glasco said. “There’s some kind of surprises and, here’s the thing, we got some kids that got off to a hot start and we got some really good players that I know are really good players that they just haven’t gotten off to a good start. I think that they’ve got to be patient and recognize that.”
Just three players have started every single game at the same position, headlined by leadoff hitter Mihyia Davis in centerfield with Florida transfer Mia Williams and Tennessee transfer Taylor Pannell starting each game at second and third base, respectively.
There’s still some figuring out in other areas, including catcher.
Texas Tech brought back veteran Victoria Valdez but added All-American Jasmyn Burns from Ohio State and all-ACC honoree Lagi Quiroga from Cal. Those two have alternated starts between them, though Valdez’s importance has shown in the last few weeks being NiJaree Canady’s catcher.
Canady and Valdez had an uncanny connection during Texas Tech’s run to the Women’s College World Series finals, leading the battery in almost every inning during the postseason. Valdez, though, struggled at the plate late in the season, which made adding offensive threats like Burns and Quiroga reasonable.
As Canady (who will start Thursday’s game against ACU) has started ramping up more after sitting out most of the fall (as did Valdez, who was recovering from offseason surgery), she’s started to hit her stride with Valdez behind the plate. Glasco said sorting out the catching rotation is one of the big emphases in the non-conference portion of the schedule. All three have value, and he knows all about Valdez’s ability, calling her the best defensive catcher in the country.
“She wants to play, don’t get me wrong,” Glasco said of Valdez. “She wants to play, but she’s going to do whatever her team needs her to do because that’s the kind of championship mentality that she has. She’s going to put a personal disappointment to the side and put her team first, and that’s what champions do, and that’s why she’s such a valuable player.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech softball fans finally get to see 2nd-ranked Red Raiders at home
Reporting by Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
