Red Raiders Lose All-Big 12 Utility Player to Transfer Portal

LUBBOCK, Texas - Another All-Big 12 selection from Texas Tech has entered the transfer portal.

Utility player Connor Shouse announced on social media that he will be departing the program after one season with the Red Raiders.

"Lubbock was good to me and will always hold a special place in my heart," Shouse wrote. "I am grateful for my teammates, coaches, support staff and the incredible fans who made my time at Texas Tech unforgettable."

Shouse is now in search of his third collegiate program in three years after beginning his career at Georgia Tech in 2025. He played in just 25 games for the Yellow Jackets, so enters the portal this year with three years of eligibility remaining.

However, he is likely to be taken in next month’s MLB Draft and could forgo college eligibility to enter a team’s pro farm system.

Shouse is the second major piece leaving Texas Tech, with freshman infielder Linkin Garcia announcing his transfer to Texas earlier this month.

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Shouse played as both a position player and pitcher this year for the Red Raiders. As a result, he landed on the First Team All-Big 12 as a utility player. The Jasper, Georgia native hit .353 with 76 hits in 215 at-bats. He accounted for 10 home runs and 66 runs batted in for Tech this season.

On the mound, Shouse appeared in 11 games, starting once, and earned one victory. He recorded a 5.87 earned run average in 15.1 innings pitched. As the season progressed, Shouse developed into one of Tim Tadlock's most reliable late-game bullpen arms as he earned a team-high three saves on the season.

Texas Tech finished the season 27-28 (10-20 Big 12) and failed to get out of the opening round of the conference tournament.

Tadlock's program now begins to navigate the transfer portal as NIL and revenue sharing become regular obstacles.

READ MORE: Can Texas Tech Baseball Adapt to Modern College Sports?

"That’s a good question," Tadlock said when asked about whether Tech can adjust to this new landscape. "It’s harder and harder in college athletics to retain really good players because of what’s going on. I think our resources have gotten better in the last six months. I do.

"But when you don’t win — like we’re not doing right now … It’s a lot easier to retain guys when you go to Omaha. Guys want to stay, right? They get a little taste of it, and they want to stay. They want to teach the next group how to get there. Right now, we haven’t been very good the last couple of years."

The Red Raiders are 47-61 over the last two seasons.