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Texas Tech softball adds 6 players, 3 coaches to Gerry Glasco's inaugural squad
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- Texas Tech softball adds 6 players, 3 coaches to Gerry Glasco's inaugural squad
Gerry Glasco has been plenty busy putting together his inaugural Texas Tech softball roster ahead of the 2025 season.
In the last week, Glasco has brought six transfer players and three new members of the coaching staff into the fold. Many of the names are familiar with Glasco, and one of the coaches is his daughter.
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Tara (Glasco) Archibald is the new associate head coach, the school announced Wednesday. Archibald spent the last five years as head coach at Eastern Illinois, where she led the Panthers to the Ohio Valley Conference's regular-season title in 2024, earning OVC coach of the year. The Panthers also made their first NCAA Regional appearance in 2023.
Archibald previously coached with her dad as an assistant at Georgia, where they helped the Bulldogs to a pair of Super Regional appearances.
Mihyia Davis at the plate as Louisiana softball takes on Baylor in the NCAA Regional Tournament in Lafayette, LA. Saturday, May 18, 2024.
A husband and wife pairing has also been added to the coaching staff, with Hunter Veach joining as an assistant coach and Hunter Goldsmith Veach the program's director of operations. The duo worked with Glasco at Louisiana last season and have been married since December.
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Veach will lead the defense. He and Goldsmith Veach met while both were working at Texas A&M.
Four transfers have been announced as official signings, with two others having announced their commitments though not having been signed as of Friday morning.
Several will be following Glasco from Louisiana, including last year's Sun Belt Conference player of the year Mihyia Davis. Davis earned third-team All-American status as a freshman in 2023, when she led the nation with 52 stolen bases. A slap-hit specialist, Davis batted .419.
COLUMN: Is Gerry Glasco finally the answer for Texas Tech softball stability? Justus Perry thinks so
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Joining Davis from Lafayette will be pitcher Chloe Riassetto, catcher Victoria Valdez and infielder Lauren Allred. Riassetto went 15-4 with a 2.58 ERA last season, while Valdez earned a .293 batting average with nine home runs and 36 RBI. Allred redshirted in 2024 but was an all-region selection in 2023 with .375 batting average, 12 home runs and 47 RBI.
Tech has not announced the signings of Allred and Valdez. Two other signings have been finalized by the school: utility player Alana Johnson from Washington and outfielder Katie Lott from Oklahoma State.
Johnson led the Huskies with 13 home runs, 40 RBI and 97 total bases last season and holds a .301 career batting average. Lott had a .370 batting average in 54 plate appearances in 2023 before seeing limited action in 2024 for the Cowgirls, who made the Women's College World Series both years.
Davis, Johnson, Riassetto, Valdez, and Lott will be juniors next season, while Allred should still be considered a sophomore.
Victoria Valdez hit by the pitch as Louisiana softball takes on Baylor in the NCAA Regional Tournament in Lafayette, LA. Saturday, May 18, 2024.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Gerry Glasco bringing familiar names to Texas Tech softball team
