Former Veterans baseball star has shot at national title in College World Series
It didn't take Gabe Holt long to make an impact on the Texas Tech baseball program.
And for anyone who watched him as a high school player at Veterans, that is not a big surprise.
Holt was a terrific high school player for the Warhawks, and it was pretty clear that he would be an outstanding college player, as well. That said, Holt has made the transition to college look quite easy, and that's not something many players do.
It typically takes players at least a little bit of time to get used to the college level, but Holt jumped right in. And he hasn’t slowed down one bit the entire season.
Holt has started all 62 games for the Red Raiders, and he was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He also was selected to the All-Big 12 first team and was a unanimous selection on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
He has played mostly at second base throughout the season, but Holt has switched mostly to the outfield during the Red Raiders’ run through the NCAA Tournament.
Batting from the leadoff spot in every game, Holt has been among the Red Raiders' offensive leaders all season, batting .352, which is third on the team. He has scored 68 runs, which is tied for the team lead, and he is second on the team with 90 hits.
Most importantly, Holt has come through in the clutch throughout this season, and that was on display the past few days in the Super Regional round.
In a tight game in the series opener, Holt drove in the go-ahead run to help give his team a 1-0 series lead against Duke. In Monday’s series-clinching win, Holt had a home run to get the scoring started, added another RBI and scored two runs.
He has batted 12-for-26 with six RBI in the NCAA Tournament.
What makes Holt’s freshman season even more impressive is the fact that he has done all this on a good team. His statistics would be impressive even on a bad team, but contributing to one of the best teams in the country as a freshman shows just what Holt is made of.
The Red Raiders are 44-18, and they are headed to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series at the end of the week after winning their regional and then beating Duke. The other seven teams in Omaha are going to have their hands full with the Red Raiders and especially Holt. Few teams have slowed him down this season, and there is no reason to believe anyone will start now.
Texas Tech has a great shot to win a national title, and there’s a good chance Holt will be right in the middle of the action.
This story was originally published June 12, 2018 at 9:28 AM with the headline "Former Veterans baseball star has shot at national title in College World Series."