I’m taking my annual spring weekend away this weekend. I’ll be totally away from the computer from Friday through Sunday with very little internet access. Well, I’ll have access so long as I walk down the road to get service. I won’t be able to update the baseball weekend and it will be the start of spring practices for football as well as junior day. It’s going to be a busy weekend, but I’m sure you all will hold down the fort for me.

Golf

Recap | #TexasTech closes the Dickson Invitational in 5th place Tuesday, topping four top-40 teams.

📰: https://t.co/F6wsqzDflM#WreckEm pic.twitter.com/UsNovLe3Qx

— Texas Tech W Golf (@TexasTechWGolf) February 28, 2017

Softball

Our home slate begins this weekend! Reminder – Clear Bag Policy in effect for 2017 softball season.https://t.co/nhoLyiLnFf #WreckEm #TIHWR pic.twitter.com/RHDV90tXFi

— Texas Tech Softball (@TTUSB) February 28, 2017

Baseball

Texas Tech moved to 9-1 on the year, defeating New Mexico 7-2 yesterday afternoon (recap | box score). Freshman John Henry Gonzalez went just 4 innings in an incredibly windy day, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Gonzelez gave up his only 2 runs on a home run in the first inning and settled down after that. Jacob Patterson got the win, going 2.2 innings, allowing just 3 hits, striking out 2 and walking none, while picking up the win. Parker Mushinski went 0.2 innings, allowing 2 hits and walking 2 and John McMillon earned his first save of the year with 1.2 innings allowing no hits and striking out 1.

The offense had just 7 hits on the day, but they made them count. Ryan Long was 1 for 1 in pinch-hit duty with 2 RBI. Michael Davis has his first ome run of the year, going 1 for 2 with an RBI and scoring 2 runs. Connor Beck went 2 for 3 with an RBI and scoring a run. Michael Berglund was 1 for 3 and Hunter Hargrove was 1 for 5 with an RBI.

Football

Get to know running backs coach Jabbar Juluke:

ESPN’s Max Olson writes about the most exciting newcomer for Texas Tech and thinks it will be Jack Anderson:

Anderson is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound mauler with the potential to play any spot on an offensive line. By getting to school a semester early, he’ll get a prime opportunity to prove he’s ready to play right away this spring. Where he ends up on that line will be interesting to watch, no doubt, especially since the Red Raiders need help up front.

Miscellaneous . . .

• Via ESPN, Baylor has indefinitely suspended defensive back Travon Blanchard from all football related activities after a protective order was obtained by a woman who had multiple acts of violence against her. You’re probably thinking that I’m going to rail against Baylor yet again, but here’s what I like. Baylor acted immediately and are awaiting the results of the investigation. Plus, the protective order protects the female. It’s easy to crap on Baylor, but if they had done this whenever the 52 alleged rapes happened, then I don’t think that Baylor is in the situation they are today. This is the same thing with Texas Tech, we can’t ask that all student-athletes be perfect, but if there is an issue, it is deal with quickly and definitively and in the hopes of protecting the females who were allegedly abused.
• Via Land Grant Gauntlet, Kansas State athletic director John Currie has accepted the same position at Tennessee. LAJ’s Don Williams notes that for K-State to hire Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, it would be costly for K-State:
  

  As we reported back in August, his deal is for seven years, $7.525 million and appears to put him among the top dozen or so highest paid ADs in the nation, maybe even as high as No. 10. Kirby’s making $1 million this school year, then gets $25,000 annual raises each of the next seven years. Just as important, should he leave for another job, he owes Tech a buyout of $750,000 within 60 days.

  Currie was making $775,000 a year at Kansas State.

  So you can see Hocutt’s returning to K-State looks cost prohibitive for both. First, he, or someone on his behalf, would have to cough up nearly a year’s salary for the buyout. Then either he’d have to take a substantial pay cut or Kansas State would have to join the million-dollar-a-year club when it comes to paying ADs. That’s still a small circle.

  Williams also reports that Hocutt turned down opportunities to interview at two power five jobs, Tennessee and Arizona presumably. I don’t think that Hocutt leaves, but I do think that Kansas State is attractive to him in some respects. It’s where he went to school, however, it’s not really close to home for Hocutt at this time and that seems to be really important.

• Baker Mayfield apologized yesterday and its fine, just fine. Look, I really don’t think he should be suspended or anything like that. If he is, maybe half a game or something. This was a minor blip in the grande scheme of things. I recall Reginald Davis driving around with a small amount of weed before his junior year and I think he was suspended for a half of a game to start the year. The circumstances for Mayfield are a bit humorous. Running away and being tackled, food all over his clothes, etc.
• Check out Sam Harrell, father of former Texas Tech footballer Graham Harrell, discuss his battle and recovery from MS with the Ben & Skin Show on 105.3 in the DFW.