By George Watson | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Traditionally, baseball scores between Texas Tech and New Mexico have resembled those from football games more than battles on the diamond.

Tech’s new coaching staff is hoping to change that, beginning today when the Red Raiders (4-0) host the Lobos (3-1) at 4 p.m. at Dan Law Field. The Red Raiders of 2009 are built more around pitching, defense and baserunning than offensive power and are hoping to keep the Lobos from rocketing balls over the Dan Law Field fence.

With not as much power on the roster as in the past, Texas Tech's baseball team will have to rely on pitching, defense and baserunning this season.

To that end, the Red Raiders turn to junior right-hander Nate Karns for the start today. Karns was originally expected to start last Friday against UT-Pan American but was pushed back due to some arm soreness. Karns said Sunday, however, he’s ready to go.

“Everyone pitched well this weekend, we got the wins and that’s what you’re supposed to do as a starter,” said Karns, who was 3-6 with and 8.46 ERA last year. “Hopefully I can keep rolling and keep that going and not have to wake up the bullpen too early in the game.”

By all indications, Tech’s starters did what head coach Dan Spencer wanted: throw strikes, keep runners off base and keep the walks down. Of the four guys to start this weekend, only left-hander Robby Kilcrease allowed more than two runs, and two of the four starters went six innings or longer.

And while some relievers came out of the weekend with high ERAs, none allowed more than two runs and only freshman right-hander Louis Head had an outing shorter than two innings. Tech’s overall team ERA of 3.50 ranks seventh among the 10 Big 12 teams, but the Red Raiders rank third in strikeouts (39), and 14 runs allowed in four games were the fewest through the first four games of a season since 1999.

“New Mexico’s got a veteran offense coming back,” Spencer said after Sunday’s 10-4 win over UT-Pan American. “I feel good about Karns going out (today) and giving us a good start. New Mexico’s offense will be an older club like Southern Utah, which I thought was a good offensive club. New Mexico will be solid and play defense, too.”

The Lobos are coming off a four-game set against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi that they won in typical Lobo form: pounding the baseball offensively to win high-scoring affairs. After a season-opening loss in the first game of the series, the Lobos came back to outscore the Islanders 40-6, including wins of 22-1 on Saturday and 14-4 on Sunday.

But New Mexico also pitched fairly decently after the initial defeat. Veteran Ryan Escarcega allowed six runs on five hits and a walk without recording an out in the first game of the series, and reliever Jason Oatman, who will start on Wednesday, allowed five runs on eight hits over four innings. The rest of the staff, however, allowed just seven more runs the rest of the way.

Despite a lack of power, the Red Raiders had more than enough offense to get the job done this weekend. Tech finished the weekend with a .331 average and scored 38 runs, both number ranking fourth in the Big 12. Tech also ranks third in the league in on-base percentage (.464) and stolen bases (9) and fifth in slugging percentage (.451).

“Our speed and bunting and our pitching make it really tough on opponents,” junior second baseman Joey Kenworthy said. “This weekend we came together and we know the strengths we have as a club. It was a good weekend for us to get four wins.”

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About the series: Texas Tech leads the all-time series with New Mexico 56-33-1. The teams have played in each of the last 11 seasons and in 20 of the last 22. Tech has won 36 of the last 46 matchups and 12 of the last 15 … Wednesday’s game will be the finale of a season-opening six-game homestand and the last game at Dan Law Field until March 11 when Tech hosts Dallas Baptist. Tech opens an eight-game, 11-day road trip to California on Friday … All-conference second baseman Willie Rueda, who leads the Big 12 with five stolen bases, is out indefinitely with a pulled hamstring while sophomore catcher Jeremy Mayo will miss these two games with a dislocated thumb. He is expected to return to the lineup on Friday … The 4-0 weekend by the Red Raiders was the first series sweep at Dan Law Field since Tech took all three games against Missouri in May of 2006. The 4-0 start is also the best through four games by the Red Raiders since 2005 when the team won its first six contests … The five sacrifice bunts laid down by Tech in four games this past weekend was two more than it had through the first 10 games of last season.

Compiled by George Watson

Projected starting pitchers

TODAY

4 p.m.

Pitcher W-L ERA

Tech: Nate Karns 0-0 0.00

UNM: Will Kerr 0-0 0.00

WEDNESDAY

2 p.m.

Pitcher W-L ERA

Tech: Robbie Kilcrease 0-0 5.40

UNM: Jason Oatman 0-0 11.25