BY GEORGE WATSON l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Texas Tech’s pitching philosophy is pretty simple: If there’s a chance to win a game late, or if the Red Raiders need a win to avoid a Big 12 weekend sweep, sophomore right-hander Chad Bettis will be on the mound.

It’s a formula that has factored into each of the Red Raiders’ seven Big 12 Conference victories and nine of the team’s 16 victories overall, and it’s a big reason why Tech (16-23, 7-8 in Big 12) is still in the thick of the league race with just four series remaining.

But the most amazing part of the formula is how Bettis has handled going from starter at the beginning of the season to closer during Big 12 play while also starting a pair of league contests in which he established career marks for innings pitched in a game. Never was he more important than this past Sunday when he threw 154 pitches to notch his first complete game of the year and give Tech a 5-1 win over No. 11 Oklahoma, its only win of the series.

“In the past I’ve been able to go deep in pitch counts and it hasn’t affected me. I don’t think it will be this time,” Bettis said. “Either way, we’re trying to get the win. I feel as long as I give my team the best chance to win, that’s where I need to be.”

Bettis has been almost unflappable when he’s been on the mound. On the year he is 4-0 with a 2.79 ERA and six saves, all team highs. In his seven Big 12 appearances he is 3-0 with four saves. He beat Nebraska in relief on March 15 to secure the series victory against the Cornhuskers and won starts against Baylor and Oklahoma when the Red Raiders were staring a sweep in the face. He has saved wins against Nebraska (the first game of the series), Texas and two in three days against Texas A&M.

Texas Tech's Chad Bettis laughs after the home plate umpire calls ball four against during Tech's 18-6 victory over Nebraska earlier this year at Dan Law Field.Saturday, March 14, 2009 (Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

But it might have been the OU game where he showed the most guts, holding the top hitting team in the Big 12 to season lows of runs (1) and hits (5) while striking out a season-high nine in the complete-game effort. The performance earned him Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors.

The high pitch count might have raised a few red flags, but head coach Dan Spencer said it will be a one-time deal, adding that Bettis’ velocity and command were as good in the eighth and ninth innings as they were in the first inning.

“To be honest I’ve never had a guy throw that many pitches and I don’t want to go there again,” Spencer said. “The fact that we’ve pitched him like we have, where was in a part of the season where he was stronger than maybe the average starter because we’d pieced him together the way we have, those are the things that went (into the decision to leave him in).

“And I told the staff and told Chad I had some guilt because he was 20 pitches over where I would have liked him. But if I thought there was any risk or jeopardy to him I wouldn’t have done it. We’ll bet him back on his regular schedule this weekend.”

Bettis said he didn’t mind the high pitch count this one time, and that he feels he had enough resiliency in his arm to be able to handle the workload of going from closer to starter and back. He has gone at least three innings in five of his six saves, and he had three, three-inning saves in a week’s span to secure wins against New Mexico on March 31 and against the Aggies on April 3 and 5.

“We need as many wins as we can possibly get and (the team) counts on me for that,” Bettis said. “This weekend … I know I won’t go 150 pitches, but I don’t have a problem going late into games. I know how to take care of my body and I’ve done it before.”

Tech sophomore catcher Jeremy Mayo has been receiving Bettis’ pitches since the two were together at Monterey, and said what Bettis has done for the Red Raiders comes as no surprise.

“He used to throw Friday and Saturday nights (at Monterey) and never hurt his arm. He’s got a rubber arm,” Mayo said. “He was always out there and going strong. I had absolutely no doubt he would finish the game. Whatever we need him to do he’s there for that. He is a team guy.”

Bettis said he has no problem floating between relief and starting as long as the team keeps winning.
“I like both of them,” Bettis said of his dual roles. “Starting you get to control the game from the beginning, and in relief you get the ball and the game in your hands. I like it.”

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