On the Diamond

Texas Tech softball is hosting Houston this weekend, sitting at 11-1 in conference play, while the Cougars are 3-10 and were swept last week by Baylor. Additionally, Texas Tech created a promotional website for NiJaree Canady.

Texas Tech baseball will host Baylor for a weekend series, both teams sit at 5-7 in the Big 12, although Baylor is 21-11 overall and Texas Tech is 9-20. If you are lamenting the team, Jamie Lent is blogging about the team overall.

On the Gridiron

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on RB Quinten Joyner joining Texas Tech:

“People really call me more of a power back,” Joyner said, “but I would say I got better over the years with trying to make people miss, catching the ball out of the backfield and just being a versatile back.”

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on the two tight ends Terrance Carter and JohnCarlos Miller:

“If you’re comparing the two rooms from last year,” tight ends coach Josh Cochran said recently, “I think you had more of a true run blocker in Mason and a little bit more of your athletic pass catcher in Jalin Conyers — and they were both good enough to do both. And then JC (Miller) could kind of do both.

“I think this room has guys that are a little bit more of a total package. They’re still getting better in each aspect, but they’re also a very high-level pass catcher and run blocker already.”

Red Raider Sports’ Ava Hounshell also writes about the tight end room:

With the addition of Carter, Miller has had good competition and someone to push him to improve. Carter and Miller continue to learn from each other throughout the offseason and push themselves to get better at the other person’s strengths.

“He’s a better run blocker than I am,” Carter said. “I’m learning from him in the run blocking game as well cause I’m a better route runner, so he’s learning from me as well.”

Red Raider Sports’ Jarrett Ramirez writes about tackle Howard Sampson:

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t plan on getting the portal like, I love (North) Carolina,” Sampson told the media Thursday. “I loved the coaching staff. But obviously coach (Mack) Brown got fired. My position coach got let go, and the hiring process was just taking too long, and I wanted to make sure I was in a good position. So that’s really where it led to, and then obviously getting into the portal and taking my visit here, just everything just felt right. We’re building something special here. You can see as soon as you get on campus, facilities and coaches and all that.”