Former Auburn Tigers left-handed pitcher [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] has committed to Texas Tech following his decision to enter the transfer portal in May. The junior from Jackson, NJ announced the move on X, formerly known as Twitter late Tuesday evening.
The southpaw never quite put it all together during two turbulent years on the Plains, but the former No. 9 ranked left-handed pitching prospect in the country still has plenty of time to live up to his high school hype for the Red Raiders.
After starting 6 games as a freshman, Crotchfelt was sentenced to bullpen duty for his final year and a half at Auburn. Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock could opt to return Crotchfelt to starting pitching duties next season with the change of scenery and fresh start.
The New Jersey native finished his Auburn career with a 5.69 ERA over 49 innings of work. Crotchfelt did strike out 55 batters in those 49 innings, but conversely allowed 31 free passes which doomed most of his appearances as a Tiger. If Tadlock and the Texas Tech coaching staff can hone in on the walk issues, they may have found a diamond in the rough in the former Tiger.
As for Auburn, head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] will certainly be looking towards the transfer portal and recruiting trail for a left-hander to replace Crotchfelt in the Auburn arm barn.
Excited to announce that I have committed to Texas Tech‼️I can’t wait for the next chapter of this journey and a massive thank you to everybody that has supported me! WRECK EM’‼️
— Zach Crotchfelt (@CrotchfeltZach) June 12, 2024
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