Veterans alum Holt status for Texas Tech in College World Series from doubtful to game-time decision
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Texas Tech was able to win its series-clinching third game over Oklahoma State on Sunday without Veterans alum Gabe Holt.
The versatile sophomore suffered on Saturday what turned out to be a broken thumb on his left hand, and he didn’t play in the Red Raiders’ 8-6 win on Monday that sent them to Omaha for the College World Series.
Instead, he had surgery on the thumb, which he hurt in the top of the ninth inning diving into first, staying in the game and scoring in the inning but being pulled for defense because he could get his hand in his glove from the swelling.
It was the first time since April 16 that Holt wasn’t in the lineup at the leadoff spot.
He responded to a Tweet on Friday that he won’t be playing in Saturday’s CWS opener against Michigan in the first game of the series at 2 p.m. But assorted comments during Friday’s media activities indicated his status had improved and it was possible he could play Saturday. Mid-afternoon Friday, he Tweeted some optimism.
Holt was picked by Milwaukee last week in the MLB first-year player draft, going in the seventh round. With his status more doubtful than anything in Omaha, odds are the next time he’s in a lineup will be as a pro, since he’ll soon sign and having and gotten about double the slot value of that pick, around $450,000.
Holt is fourth on the team with a .320 average, fourth with 15 doubles, third with three triples and with an on-base percentage of .413. His 256 at-bats are first on the team, as are his 82 hits.
And he has been among the nation’s most dangerous baserunners, going 28 for 31 in steals this season.