Four-star infielder Tulutululelei Salue commits to Texas Tech

Salue ranks No. 38 overall and No. 4 among corner infielders nationally, according to Softball America. She attends Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana and plays travel ball for OC Batbusters Stith. The left-handed hitter joins five-star outfielder Star Gutierrez in the Red Raiders' 2028 class.

Softball America's scouting report calls Salue a "plus power-hitting lefty who can anchor a corner, most likely at first base, at the next level," pointing to the strength in her swing and her ability to get the barrel on time. The numbers back it up. In 34 travel games recorded by The Alliance Fastpitch, she hit .398 with 33 hits, seven doubles and two home runs.

For Texas Tech fans, this is another sign the program is reaching further outside Texas to land top-tier bats. Landing a top-40 national prospect out of Southern California, especially one who plays for a program as connected as OC Batbusters Stith, tells other recruits the Red Raiders can compete for West Coast talent against anybody.

Salue won't step on campus for years, but the 2028 class in Lubbock already has a five-star and a four-star committed before most of those players have finished high school ball.