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Texas Tech softball out to solidify postseason standing in Big 12 tournament
TL;DR
Texas Tech softball is aiming to solidify its postseason standing in the Big 12 tournament after winning the regular-season title. Despite being a top-five team, their RPI is only 12th, raising concerns about national seeding for the NCAA tournament.
Key points
- Texas Tech softball is a consensus top-five team
- They have won the Big 12 regular-season title by five games
- The team has 50 wins this season
- Their RPI is currently 12th
- They aim to defeat Baylor in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals
Texas Tech Red RaidersBig 12 tournamentBaylor Bears
The conversation of the Texas Tech softball team's RPI is one Gerry Glasco doesn't mind having, though he'd also like to point out a few things.
The Red Raiders enter the week still a consensus top-five team in the country, ranking in the top five in numerous statistical categories (at the plate and pitching) to boot. They're the only team that has reached 50 wins to this point of the season and won the Big 12 regular-season title by five full games.
Yet the team's RPI reflects that of a middle-of-the-road team rather than one of the best. Ahead of the Big 12 Conference tournament in Oklahoma City, Texas Tech is 12th in the be-all, end-all metric that dictates much of the conversation around national seeding for the NCAA tournament.
Texas Tech will find out whether it'll get to host a super regional (if it advances that far) on Sunday. Between now and then, though, the focus is on taking down Baylor in the quarterfinals before trying to sweep its way to another tournament crown.
"There's a privilege to try to repeat what we did last year," Glasco said. "It's a privilege to be here at Texas Tech and a privilege to have a team that the expectations are higher than it was a year ago. Just shows what a tremendous privilege we have in front of us, and we just attack and we don't take anything for granted."
But RPI is something that hangs everybody's heads this time of year. While NCAA-sanctioned sports such as basketball and football have made the metric obsolete with other avenues to measure team quality, sports like softball and baseball remain beholden to the mystery number that, quite frankly, doesn't make a lot of sense.
"The RPI this year is weird," Glasco said. "The formula, if you look at the number one team, they're seventh place in their conference. There's a lot of inconsistencies, and the committee will figure it out."
The team Glasco was referring to is Arkansas, which boasts a 41-10 record and went just 15-9 in SEC play. The Razorbacks, like Texas Tech, didn't have a ton of quality competition in non-conference play either. Yet Arkansas is 11 spots ahead of Texas Tech in the RPI despite the Red Raiders owning nine more wins and five fewer losses.
Q&A
What is Texas Tech softball's current RPI ranking?
Texas Tech softball is currently ranked 12th in the RPI, which is a key metric for NCAA tournament seeding.
Who does Texas Tech softball play in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals?
Texas Tech softball will face Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.
How many wins has Texas Tech softball achieved this season?
Texas Tech softball has reached 50 wins this season, making them the only team to do so so far.
What did Gerry Glasco say about the team's expectations this year?
Gerry Glasco emphasized that the team has higher expectations this year compared to last, highlighting the privilege of competing at Texas Tech.
