Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics Enjoying Successful School Year;
Five Red Raider Teams Currently Ranked in National Top 25
Texas Tech Athletic teams are enjoying one of the most successful school years in history, setting a school record with six teams that are or were ranked in the national Top 25 in their respective sports.
The leadership of Athletics Director Gerald Myers has made Tech one of just three schools (Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma) in the Big 12 to have all four major sports teams earn national rankings in the same season for the second-consecutive year.
�We are extremely proud of all of our coaches and student-athletes at Texas Tech,� says Myers. �Our coaches and players deserve all the credit for achieving national rankings. We have some talented new coaches on our staff and it won�t be long before their teams join in.�
The Texas Tech football team enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in 2004 as the Red Raiders ended the year with a 45-31 win over No. 4 California in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in San Diego. The Red Raiders ended the year with a No. 17 national ranking in the coaches� poll and a No. 18 rating by the Associated Press. The Tech football program ended the season ranked for the first time since 1995.
Both the men�s and women�s basketball teams have enjoyed great seasons in 2004 and both advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. The Red Raiders and Lady Raiders both finished the Big 12 regular-season in fourth place and the men advanced to the Big 12 Tournament Championship game for the first time in school history. The fourth place Big 12 regular-season finish was also the best for a Tech men�s team since the league began in 1997.
The Texas Tech baseball team under head coach Larry Hays has been ranked much of the season among the top 25 in the nation in the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll and was ranked as high as No. 22 earlier in the season. Tech baseball has been in the national rankings in each of the last 12 seasons.
The Texas Tech men�s track team has been ranked among the top 20 throughout the season. Wes Kittley�s Red Raiders finished second at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in 2004 and will be looking for their first Big 12 crown during the 2005 outdoor season.
Tim Siegel�s men�s tennis team cracked the top 10 in the ITA College Tennis rankings in April and moved up as high as No. 9 in recent weeks. The team was 24-2 going into the Big 12 tournament this past weekend. Tech�s season to date marks the best single season in school history. The Red Raiders also face the possibility of hosting a first-round NCAA regional for the first time in school history.