LUBBOCK, Texas – In a sea of Arizona Diamondback fans, Christopher Gross was happy to have a fellow Texas Rangers supporter nearby at Chase Field for game 4 of the World Series.
“We were just chatting about our passion for the Rangers and just going through each at-bat as if we were playing,” Gross said.
That wouldn’t be the only thing the two men had in common.
“We got to the Josh Jung at-bat and I was like, man, I just want to I want to do a Raider Power right now, and he was like, you’re a Red Raider, too?,” Gross said.
Gross, a 2018 Texas Tech graduate, and his new friend, Keith, would silence the crowd when they shouted ‘Raider Power’ chants in enemy territory.
“Luckily, we got off to a good enough lead, so it was quiet enough in there for everyone in the world to hear us,” Gross said.
Former Texas Tech star, Josh Jung, played an integral role in the Rangers’ success.
“He was the full embodiment of what a student athlete is,” said Curt Langford, president and CEO of the Texas Tech Alumni Association. “He was a stable force not just with his bat, but with his glove. We’re very proud of Josh. He’s #OneOfUs, and bringing a lot of exposure to Texas Tech. He just represents our community very well. He’s the kind of person that we can point to and say, yeah, he’s a Texas Tech grad and we’re all proud of that.”
Gross also attended game 5 in Phoenix. He said it didn’t take him long to reunite with Keith. It turned out, there were more Texas Tech fans and alumni to be found.
“It’s great to be a part of this community and to have this camaraderie,” Gross said. “No matter what city I’m in, no matter what venue I’m in, if a Red Raider chant comes out whether it’s ‘Wreck ‘Em Tech’ or ‘Guns Up’ or anything, it’s just that sense of pride and that sense of enthusiasm about the university is something that we all share and I think it’s infectious.”
Jung, the Rangers’ third-baseman, helped his team win the franchise’s first championship in his first year in the major leagues.
Although the tickets to the games weren’t cheap, Gross said getting to watch the Rangers win a World Series Championship in-person was priceless.
