BY GEORGE WATSON l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

With so many freshmen playing key roles, the Texas Tech baseball team has had its share of expected growing pains.

What’s been keeping the Red Raiders from reaching full potential, possibly, has been the actual, physical pains experienced by so many players through the first 25 games of the season.

Tech (10-15, 3-3 in Big 12 Conference) has on several occasions had an offensive lineup and defensive set that has included up to five players who have missed time due to injuries, and that doesn’t include two others who have not played since their injuries. That, in part, has led to some of the offensive inconsistencies expressed by the Red Raiders, especially between playing in conference and out of conference.

“That’s some of it,” head coach Dan Spencer said. “But the physical things that happen in a game I can live with. Those things happen. It’s the mental things that are breaking down fundamentally that are hard. Moving guys around in the order is not conducive to being a very good club offensively.”

Tech’s list of playing wounded is extensive — junior outfielder Michael Reed (chronic right elbow), freshman third baseman Justin Berry (labrum injury in left hip), senior second baseman Willie Rueda (left hamstring), junior outfielder Kellen Monreal (ligament sprain in left elbow) and freshman outfielder Nick Hanslik (ligament strain in right elbow). That does not include two players who have returned from earlier injuries in freshman infielder Garrett Totten (broken right hand) and sophomore catcher Jeremy Mayo (dislocated left thumb).

All but Monreal and Hanslik are playing through their injuries. Monreal is being considered as a pitcher for this season because the injury is on his non-throwing arm but prohibits him from swinging a bat. Hanslik suffered his injury in preseason and has seen spot duty as a pinch hitter or designated hitter, but according to Spencer is “weeks away” from playing in the field.

The biggest injury in terms of impact has been the hamstring pull suffered by Rueda in the third game of the season. He suffered the injury trying to beat out a grounder to first base and missed 11 games before returning for the March 13 Big 12 opener against Nebraska.

Although he’s only at about 75 percent according to head trainer Shawn Lindsey, Rueda’s impact when he’s in the lineup is painfully apparent, not only for his statistics but for those around him. The Red Raiders are 6-3 when he is in the starting lineup, compared to a 4-12 mark when he is out. He also occupies the leadoff spot, allowing junior Reed to hit in the two-hole, where the numbers show he is much more comfortable.

With Rueda in the lineup, Reed is hitting .324 with an on-base percentage of .540. When Rueda is out and Reed hits leadoff, his average dips to .234 and his on-base percentage is just .250. At this stage, Rueda plays in Big 12 series but rests in midweek games.

“Willie is a key cog in our offense and him being hurt really allowed us to struggle offensively,” said junior outfielder Taylor Ashby, the team’s leading hitter at .351. “Having him back in the lineup helps a lot of us relax when he gets on base like he does. I think that’s been a part of our ups and downs on offense.”

Compared to the rest of the Big 12, however, the Red Raiders are more than holding their own offensively. Tech’s .293 batting average ranks sixth in the conference, just one point behind Nebraska, and only four of the 10 teams are hitting over .300. In conference games, Tech’s .347 average ranks second behind Oklahoma’s .397, but the Red Raiders have played twice as many Big 12 games as the Sooners, who victimized Kansas State with a howling wind blowing out to left in Manhattan last week.

Tech is just 1-12 when scoring five or fewer runs, and 9-3 when scoring six or more. Tech is hitting just .289 with runners in scoring position.

The defense has not helped, committing three or more errors in eight different games, and twice booting four balls, including Wednesday’s 10-4 loss to Texas State in which Tech gave up six unearned runs.

The Red Raiders need to build some consistency, especially this weekend facing a ninth-ranked Texas team that is 15-6 overall and 2-4 in conference after being swept in three games at Kansas last weekend. The Longhorns are averaging just 3.2 runs per game in Big 12 play, meaning it could be three more low-scoring games at UFCU-Disch-Falk Field.

“I hope that’s how it plays out, just like that,” Spencer said.

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