Texas Tech's Freshman Linkin Garcia Wins Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
LUBBOCK, Texas — The Big 12 Conference has officially taken notice of the power brewing in Lubbock. On Monday, the league announced that Texas Tech freshman Linkin Garcia of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team has been named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
This recognition follows a sensational five-game stretch. That's exactly where the Huntington Beach native didn’t just participate in the offense, he transformed it.
Texas Tech's Linkin Garcia Got Signature Moment This Week
Garcia’s weekly stat line reads like something straight out of a video game. He hit .429 with three home runs, 11 runs scored, and a staggering 13 RBIs. Remarkably, all 13 of Garcia's RBIs this season were recorded during this five-game explosion. He did it by going 9-for-21 at the plate and raising his season average to .344.
Big week, big honor!
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) February 23, 2026
🔗 has been named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week! #WreckEm | @GarciaLinkin pic.twitter.com/9B3kNmgdhD
His performance catalyzed a Red Raider offense. Especially the one that is currently operating at peak efficiency, scoring 70 total runs over a five-game winning streak. Meanwhile, he scored at least eight runs in every contest.
While the weekly totals jump off the page, Garcia’s true breakout came under the lights last Tuesday against UTRGV. With the Red Raiders staring down an 8-2 deficit, the freshman stepped into the spotlight and delivered.
Garcia launched two home runs during the comeback effort, helping erase the six-run gap and shift the momentum. The two-homer performance marked the first multi-home run game by a Texas Tech true freshman since 2024. It was when Landon Stripling homered twice against Texas Southern.
Texas Tech secured its first four-game home series sweep since 2023. It was also when the Red Raiders swept Western Illinois and Gonzaga in back-to-back weekends to open that season.
The sweep concluded Sunday with a 10-8, eight-inning run-rule victory over UAlbany at Rip Griffin Park at Dan Law Field. Garcia and fellow freshman Jesse Rusinek combined to go 5-for-8 with five runs scored and seven RBIs in the finale, continuing the offensive surge.
On the mound, Kaysen Raineri and Connor Mohan teamed up for an eight-inning three-hit shutout. After another three-up, three-down eighth inning from Raineri, the Red Raiders used a single and five walks. That includes three consecutive wins to close out the sweep and secure their second run-rule win of the weekend.
With the victory, Tech extended its winning streak to five games, the program’s longest since April 2024. It was when the Red Raiders won eight straight. Momentum is building, and it is building quickly.
Freshman Went From Early Struggles to Offensive Catalyst
After beginning the year 2-for-11 against Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas, Garcia flipped the script. Over the next five games, he went 9-for-21 with three home runs, 11 runs scored, and 13 RBIs. Garcia’s Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honor validates the national attention he carried into Lubbock.
He was named a 2026 Baseball America Top-25 Freshman and ranked as the 2026 Perfect Game No. 93 Top-100 Freshman. He is also listed as the No. 63 prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft by Baseball America.
Garcia’s journey to Texas Tech was forged against elite competition. Prior to joining the Red Raiders, he attended A3 Academy in 2025. He led the Trojans to the 2025 Perfect Game High School and Academies Showdown title. He also attended Huntington Beach High School.
At A3, Garcia hit .513 with six home runs and 48 RBIs in 119 at-bats. He followed that with a .425 average, four home runs, and 26 RBIs in 2024. He was ranked No. 90 nationally by Perfect Game and participated in the East Coast Pro and Area Code Games.
Garcia also played for the Trosky and Brewers Scout Team. Not just that, he also earned spots on the 16U and 17U Team USA Athlete Development Program rosters. He received First Team High School All-American honors.
The athletic foundation runs deep in the Garcia family. Linkin is the son of Suna and Jason Garcia. His father, Jason, played baseball at BYU from 2002 to 2003 and at Long Beach City College from 2000 to 2001. He has two siblings, Kane and Cruz, and plans to major in sports management. Away from baseball, the family shares their home with two French Bulldogs named Shooter and Bambino.
The Red Raiders, now 5-3, return to action Friday afternoon. It will be when they welcome Cal Bakersfield for a three-game series at Rip Griffin Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.