Through three weeks of the season, however, that ability has yet to show, and the ineffectiveness of some pitchers and inconsistency of others has kept what depth remained from emerging as well.

Therefore, similar to last season, the Red Raiders have made changes that they hope will give them the best chance at being competitive when Big 12 Conference play rolls around next week.

Bobby Doran remains the only weekend starter from when the season started, as Chad Bettis and Louis Head have moved to the bullpen. Bettis will serve mostly as Tech’s closer, but left-hander Jay Johnson will still get his shots.

As far as starters, Brett Bruening and TBA, it’s your turn.

“I am a little concerned with the front of the rotation,” head coach Dan Spencer said Tuesday after making the moves. “This gives us a chance if we can hang around and be in it at the end of five (innings), then we can fire our bullets. I think this gives us our best chance to win a series on the weekend, a lot like last year. We have a couple more pieces, but we also need a couple more to join the party.”

Going into this weekend’s action at No. 7 TCU, the Red Raiders (8-6) rank last in the Big 12 as a pitching staff with a 6.82 ERA, almost a full run more than ninth-place Nebraska (5.91) and almost three full runs more than fifth-place Kansas State (3.83).

Tech pitching has given up double-digit runs in four of its last seven games, and in that stretch is just 2-5 after starting the season winning six of its first seven. The Red Raiders started the season with four solidly pitched games, but the pitching has slowly deteriorated to a point that it forced Spencer’s hand at making some changes.

The moves had already had a positive effect on a couple of pitchers. Bettis John Neely and Jay Johnson, who made relief appearances in different roles on Tuesday, saw their ERAs drop with effective outings.

Tech has had problems closing out games, being outscored 40-19 from the seventh inning on in its 14 game so far this year. Before earning a win on Tuesday, Jay Johnson was 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in the role of the closer.

Bettis (2-1, 4.91 ERA) opened the year as the Friday starter but has had two sub-par performances in his last two starts, allowing a total of 11 earned runs and 19 hits over his last 14 innings. He is moving back to the back of the bullpen where he was so effective a year ago when he had a hand in 17 of Tech’s 25 victories with his 6-1 record, 3.59 ERA and seven saves.

“I’ve been making a couple of worse pitches and it’s showing up more,” said Bettis, who in his first relief appearance on Tuesday allowed a walk and a hit with four strikeouts in two innings against Gonzaga. “This just shows that we need everyone to compete and show up, throw strikes and do what it takes to win a lot of games.”

Brett Bruening (2-0, 5.00 ERA) will take over Bettis’ spot in the rotation. Batters are hitting just .206 off Bruening, so if he can control his walks (he is tied for second on the team with 6), he could be an effective starter.

Doran has been the most consistent Red Raider hurler despite earning three no-decisions with in his three starts. He leads the team with a 3.32 ERA and is second behind Bettis in strikeouts with 16 over 19 innings.

As far as Sunday’s starter, it will be determined after the results of the first two games of the weekend. Spencer said that if Bettis is not used in relief in the first two games of a series, he would start on Sunday.
Regardless of who is on the mound, the focus and task remains the same.

“Just come in and throw strikes, get the first guy out and not leadoff walks,” catcher Jeremy Mayo said. “The guys are getting better at that and showing some character in bouncing back. We’ve had some guys jump up and get guys out. If we have a lead in the sixth, seventh or eighth, then the game’s got to be over. Just come in, focus up and do the job.”

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That’s exactly what happened Wednesday. The Bulldogs took advantage of a howling wind blowing out to left, crushing three home runs in the first five innings and seven total en route to a 13-9 win against the Red Raiders.

Whenever the Red Raiders put up some runs, the Zags scored right behind them.

Gonzaga's Andy Hunter(26) is greeted by teammate Mark Castellitto after hitting a home run in the first inning of the Bulldogs 13-9 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday at Dan Law Field in Lubbock. (Zach Long)

Texas Tech pitcher Louis Head reacts as Gonzaga's Royce Bolinger rounds third base after hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning of the Bulldogs 13-9 win over the Red Raiders on Wednesday at Dan Law Field in Lubbock. Texas Tech pitching surrendered seven home runs in the loss. (Zach Long)

“You need to get some zeros after you score,” head coach Dan Spencer said. “And I understand the yard was playing small today, but you’ve got to make better pitches. Some of it was wind. Some of it was good swings on balls up in the zone. They’re a good hitting bunch and if you get the ball up on a day like today it’s going to go.”

Since opening the season with six wins in its first seven games, Tech (8-6) has now lost five of its last seven heading into a tough three-game series at No. 7 TCU beginning on Friday. The Red Raiders have also allowed double digit runs in three of their last five games, all losses.

Andy Hunter, Drew Heid and Royce Bolinger each homered twice, seeming to get one every time the Red Raiders threatened to tie or take the lead. Tech used five pitchers in the game and all but one, Ben Flora, gave up at least one home run.

It is the most home runs allowed by a Tech team since New Mexico had six in a game in February of 2007.

After the Zags (5-5) used a three-run fifth to open up a 7-2 lead, Tech was within 7-5 in the bottom of the inning and within 11-9 after seven, but could never completely close the door despite home runs by Stephen Hagen and Bonham Hough.

“It was pretty frustrating,” said Hagen, whose 3-for-4 day was the best of his Tech career. “The bottom line is we didn’t have enough execution on the mound. Their pitchers did a better job of keeping it down, and the way the wind was blowing today anything left up was going to leave the yard. When our pitchers missed up they capitalized, and when their pitchers missed, they missed down and did a better job of commanding the zone.”

Hunter started the Gonzaga scoring with a two-out solo shot in the first off Tech starter Scott Erzinger, followed by three straight singles that added another run. Heid added a two-run blast in the second inning, and Mark Castellitto crushed a three-run homer in the fifth off reliever Colt Farrar after Tech had pulled to within 4-2 on a two-run shot by Hagen.

Erzinger (0-1) lasted just two innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Farrar followed Erzinger and worked two solid innings before an error and a hit batter set up Castellitto’s shot.

Louis Head relieved Farrar in the sixth and proceeded to give up a two-out solo homer to Heid, his third in two days, to push the lead to 8-5. Bolinger cleared the center-field monster with one out in the seventh with a two-run blast, and three straight singles added another run to give the Bulldogs an 11-5 advantage.

The Red Raiders continued to chip back, however. An RBI double by Barrett Barnes and a pinch-hit, two-run home run by Hough pulled the Red Raiders to within 11-8. A single and a double by Taylor Ashby sliced it to 11-9, and a Jeremy Mayo walk brought the go-ahead run to the plate.

Gonzaga brought in reliever Jeremy Stumetz to slow the Raiders, and he did just that, striking out Michael Reed with runners at second and third to squash the threat.

The Bulldogs continued their onslaught in the eighth with solo home runs by Hunter and Bolinger.

Stumetz finally made it stand up with 22/3 innings of shutout relief to earn the save.

“I think they were a little feisty after losing yesterday, and they came out with more fire than we did,” shortstop Joey Kenworthy said. “Pitching and defense always wins games, and when you don’t pitch it means trouble, especially with the yard playing how it did today. You’ve got to get the ball down, and when you don’t pitch how you’re supposed to, it’s hard to stay in the game and keep your own team in it.”

Jay Johnson is out as the closer. Chad Bettis is out as the Friday night starter, and back into the closer role he occupied so well in 2009.

That combination, plus four solid innings from reliever John Neely helped give the Red Raider offense enough time to come around for a 9-7 victory over the Bulldogs Tuesday night at Dan Law Field.

“We are a work in progress on the mound,” Tech coach Dan Spencer said. “So, we’re trying to find guys basically who will just compete, throw strikes and give us a chance. Our strength is the way we play defense. We can cover some ground and do some things, and we feel that most times we can score. So we need to throw more strikes, and that’s what we’re addressing.”

Johnson (1-2) entered the game with a runner at second and two out in the sixth, but proceeded to give up the lead on a double, an infield single and an error on shortstop Joey Kenworthy. He worked around two one-out walks in the seventh, getting the win when the Red Raiders (8-5) scored two in the bottom of the inning.

Bettis made it stick, striking out the side in the eighth and working around a hit and a walk in the ninth for the save in his first relief appearance of the season.

“I love the adrenaline rush,” said Bettis, who moved to the closer role about this time last year and finished with a 6-1 record, a 3.59 ERA and seven saves, including his first one on March 7 of last year against Gonzaga.

“I’m just going out and doing the job the team needs me to do, like I said at the first of the year, whether it’s starting or closing a game coming in from the pen like I did last year as a flex pitcher. It’s really all about what the team needs me to do.”

The key to the game, though, was Neely, who relieved struggling starter Brandon Petite in the second after Petite gave up four runs on two hits and three walks in 12/3 innings. Neely allowed three of the first four batters he faced to reach base. But after Mark Castellitto tripled leading off the third, Neely retired the next nine Bulldogs (4-5) he faced, allowing Tech to get to the sixth with a 7-5 lead.

The Red Raider offense, which was shut down for the most part in Houston, put together two solid rallies, one when trailing 5-2 after the second and the other with the game tied in the seventh.

Nick Popescu tied a career high with three RBIs on a pair of bloop hits, a two-run double in the first and a go-ahead single with runners at the corners in the seventh. In all, the Red Raiders pounded out 13 hits.

“When you’re struggling at the plate like I am, everybody goes out and tries to get a little luck involved and find some holes,” Popescu said. “It was nice coming of a three-loss weekend to get back in there and get the W, and we have to continue it tomorrow and head into TCU with some confidence.”

Confidence, however, will go only as far as that day’s pitching.

Neely cruised until the sixth when a single, a fielder’s choice and a stolen base put a runner at second with one out. Johnson’s first offering to Ernesto Ortiz was ripped to the wall in right, followed by an infield single deep in the hole between third and shortstop. Kenworthy fielded the ball but Barrett Barnes could not scoop his throw, allowing Ortiz to score the tying run.

It stayed that way until the seventh when Tech was able to string together five hits, four straight with one out. Popescu’s high fly to no-man’s land in left-center fell for the go-ahead run, and Taylor Ashby added an insurance run with a fister over the head of first baseman Royce Bolinger with the bases loaded.

Gonzaga had runners at first and second with one out in the top of the ninth, but Tech got out of the jam when Bolinger flied to right and Hunter strayed too far off the bag and was picked off by catcher Jeremy Mayo to end the game.

“Giving up five runs in the second, you feel like you’re watching a rerun in our dugout,” Spencer said, referring to the 10-run second inning Tech allowed in a 15-8 loss Sunday to Houston.

“You have a bad feeling at that point, but the other side of it is the guys did a good job staying with it offensively, and I think we can do that. It gave them hope, Neely gave them hope, then you felt you’re in good shape.”

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TEXAS TECH/New pitching rotation, timely hitting help Raiders top Gonzaga

TEXAS TECH 9, GONZAGA 7

GONZAGA TEXAS TECH

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Heid cf 4 1 3 2 Reed lf 5 1 2 0

Sturdivant rf 3 1 0 0 Kenworthy ss 5 2 3 1

Chism ph 1 0 0 0 Barnes 1b 4 1 1 2

Hunter dh 3 0 1 1 LeJeune dh 4 1 1 0

Bolinger 1b 4 0 0 0 Popescu 3b 3 1 2 3

Castellitto lf 3 1 1 0 Mayo c 3 1 1 0

Eslick 2b 3 1 1 0 Ashby cf 4 0 1 1

Wilson 3b 4 2 1 1 McGruder rf 2 1 1 0

Edman c 4 0 0 0 Hough ph/rf 2 0 0 0

Ortiz ss 4 1 1 0 Totten 2b 4 1 1 2

Totals 33 7 8 5 Totals 36 9 13 9

Gonzaga 050 002 000 – 7 8 0

Texas Tech 201 400 200 – 9 13 2

E-Kenworthy (3), Petite (1). LOB-Gonzaga 6, Texas Tech 6. 2B-Ortiz (2), Reed (7), Kenworthy (3), Popescu (3). 3B-Castellitto (1). HR-Heid (2). SF-Barnes (1), SB-Wilson (2).

IP H R ER BB SO

Gonzaga

LPhillips 32/3 8 7 7 1 3

Moon (L, 1-1) 22/3 4 2 2 0 2

Baron 12/3 1 0 0 0 0

Texas Tech

Petite 12/3 2 4 4 3 1

Neely 4 3 2 2 0 5

Johnson (W, 1-2) 11/3 2 1 0 2 2

Bettis (S, 1) 2 1 0 0 1 4

WP – Neely (1), Johnson (2), HBP-by Neely (Sturdivant), by Phillips (Mayo). U-Morris, Alexander, Howard. T-2:47 A-1,908. Records: Gonzaga 4-5, Texas Tech 8-5.

What’s that phrase the kids use today … Epic Fail?

OK, that’s too harsh and probably blowing the results of the weekend way out of proportion. But it’s safe to say that this team did not come out of this test with anything resembling a passing grade.

The offense sputtered for two days – that’s what happens against good pitching – and the defense committed six errors in three games, five in Sunday’s 15-8 debacle against a Houston team that entered the tournament below .500 but came out of it with three victories.

I don’t think it was the venue. Minute Maid Park is a grand stage, but I doubt that had anything to do with it. And you can’t blame youth, because there’s just one freshman playing regularly, the rest consisting of players who were here last year or junior college transfers who should be used to playing at least close to this level.

No, it wasn’t hard to decipher what the difference was between the first and third games where Tech was crushed before it ever had a chance, and the middle game which it almost won.

Pitching, pitching, pitching.

Granted, the number of Tech pitchers on staff is small, but it has been since the beginning of the year due to injuries to three key hurlers that could have really provided some needed depth. It’s the same staff that went out and earned four wins the first weekend of the season, and it’s the same staff that helped lead Tech to a 7-2 mark entering the weekend.

Of the nine games played in Houston this weekend, only three times did the winning team score more than five runs. Two of those games were against Tech, TCU (11) on Friday and Houston (15) on Sunday, which included a 10-run second inning.

What I’m waiting to see is the consistency. Like head coach Dan Spencer said, we’ve seen flashes. But flashes have to start turning into consistent efforts.

The only pitcher – and I mean ONLY pitcher – who has shown consistency on the mound in every single outing has been junior right-hander Bobby Doran. He’s thrown three solid to outstanding games, including keeping Tech around in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Rice, and what does he have to show for it?

A record of 0-0. He’s received three no-decisions in games Tech has gone 1-2 in, beating Michigan 4-2, losing to Washington State 6-3 and to Rice on Saturday.

Other than Doran, no pitcher has put together two solid outings.

Not Friday starter Chad Bettis, who has allowed 11 earned runs and 19 hits in 14 innings covering his last two starts.

Not supposed shut-down closer Jay Johnson, who sports an 0-2 record, a 6.10 ERA and who took the loss against Rice after opening the ninth with a walk and his fourth hit batter of the season that led to the eventual winning run.

Not Sunday starter Louis Head, who has thrown just 51/3 innings in his last two starts combined and giving up 10 earned runs and 11 hits in those two outings.

For the last two years, Texas Tech has finished dead last in pitching in the Big 12 Conference, and with a 6.45 ERA through three weeks appears to be headed for that mark again. Three pitchers – including today’s starter Brandon Petite – have double-digit ERAs, and only Doran and relievers Ben Flora and Colt Farrar, who have combined for 52/3 innings on the year – have ERA’s under 5.00.

“Unfortunately, we’re in a position on the mound where we are going to have to keep running guys out there that really haven’t earned another opportunity,” Spencer said. “But where we are with numbers, that’s what we’re going to have to do.”

And the schedule won’t get any easier. After this week’s two-game midweek series against Gonzaga, the Red Raiders are on the road for a weekend series at TCU, which clobbered Bettis and the Red Raiders 11-2 in the Houston College Classic opener on Friday. Following that is a midweek game against always-dangerous Texas State followed by Big 12 series at Texas A&M and at home against No. 3 Texas.

Tech is going to have to start beating some of the better teams if it wants to make a splash in 2010. Tech’s seven wins have come against teams it’s supposed to beat. But he five losses have been to teams that are equal or better in talent.

“I know our schedule is tough, but we made the schedule so now we’re living with it,” Spencer said. “And that’s good. There’s no honor in playing softies and winning. There’s honor in playing good people and competing, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

Listen, as long as Dan Spencer is the head coach at Texas Tech, effort will never be a problem. There should be no concern from Red Raider fans about that, at all.

And there are pieces in place here to be a winning team – this year. Spencer said so himself after the Rice game. This weekend showed the difference between well-pitched games and non-well-pitched games. Tech is not always going to win with offense, and they’ve shown they can win the close, low scoring games.

But unless the pitching shores up, and I mean in a hurry, any thoughts of a regional will be gone quicker than some of those home runs out of Minute Maid this weekend.

George Watson is a member of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and has been covering Texas Tech baseball for 13 seasons. He can be reached at george.watson@lubbockonline.com or at (806) 766-2166).

About the series: Today will be just the second meeting ever between the Red Raiders and the Bulldogs. The first came last season when Tech beat the Zags 7-1 at a tournament in Palm Springs, Calif. … Tech enters the week riding a three-game losing streak, its longest of the season, after going 0-3 at the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park. Tech was outscored in the three games 29-12 … Gonzaga comes into the series at 4-4 on the season fresh off a weekend where the Bulldogs took two of three at Centenary, which helped break a four-game losing streak. The Zags are 1-1 against Big 12 Competition, beating Missouri in their season opener but falling to Kansas two weeks ago at a tournament in Peoria, Ariz. … The Bulldogs are hitting .314 as a team and sport an ERA of 4.29 through eight games. Sophomore infielder Andy Hunter leads the team with a .457 average, three home runs and 14 RBIs … Following this series, Tech will play six of its next seven games against ranked teams, three at TCU this weekend and three more at Texas A&M to open its Big 12 Conference slate. Tech is 0-2 against ranked teams so far in 2010.

Compiled by George Watson

Projected starting pitchers

TODAY

6:30 p.m.

Pitcher W-L ERA

Tech: Brandon Petite 1-0 13.50

Gonzaga: Tyler Olson 0-0 5.40

WEDNESDAY

3 p.m.

Pitcher W-L ERA

Tech: TBA

Gonzaga: TBA

It is the 13th straight victory by the Owls (6-5) over the Red Raiders (7-4), who have dropped two straight games for the first time this season. The Red Raiders have not beaten the Owls since April of 1996.

“That’s a tough game to lose,” head coach Dan Spencer said. “We didn’t get a lot of hits. We had some opportunities because I thought we were patient with their (starting pitcher) and got some walks and had some runners on base. Offensively we were average at best, but we really pitched well.”

Tech will try to avoid going winless in the tournament today at 2:30 p.m. against Houston, which has beaten Missouri and Texas the past two days.

Trailing 2-0, Tech tied the game in the seventh when senior outfielder Bonham Hough crushed a two-run home run to left after senior outfielder Taylor Ashby drew a two-out walk. The Red Raiders then put the go-ahead run at third with less than one out when senior shorstop Joey Kenworthy walked, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch.

But Rice reliever Craig Manuel rallied to end the threat by striking out sophomore designated hitter Scott LeJeune and getting junior catcher Jeremy Mayo to pop up to end the inning. Rice then got the go-ahead run in the ninth against Tech closer Jay Johnson (0-2). The junior left-hander gave up a leadoff walk to Jeremy Rathjen and hit Anthony Rendon. Chad Mozingo then hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Rendon and kept the double play in order, but Hague fisted an inside pitch from Johnson just over the infield into shallow left to score Rathjen.

The loss wasted another solid performance by Tech starter Bobby Doran, who took his third straight no-decision in as many starts.

Doran tossed seven innings, scattering two runs on seven hits, walking none and striking out five.

“I pitched well enough to get a no-decision. It kind of sucks looking back on it, but that’s fine,” Doran said. “I’m not worried about the offense. They did their job and they’re going out there and trying their best to
give us some runs.”

He was matched by Rice starter Tony Cingrani, who left after giving up the Hough homer. He allowed two runs on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Tech finished with just two hits on the night, the other coming on a two-out single by junior third baseman Nick Popescu in the second inning.

“We gave ourselves some opportunities to maybe lose some battles early but win the war in the end, and we just didn’t finish it outside of Bonham really jumping on a ball and really getting us going, getting us even,” Spencer said. “It came down to giving them a couple of free bases in the ninth and a bloop single makes us pay.”

RICE 3, TEXAS TECH 2
RICE TEXAS TECH
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Ratterree 2b 3 0 0 0 Reed lf 4 0 0 0
Fuda lf 4 1 1 0 Kenworthy ss 3 0 0 0
Rathjen dh 3 1 1 1 Barnes 1b 3 0 0 0
Rendon 3b 3 1 2 1 LeJeune dh 4 0 0 0
Mozingo rf 4 0 1 0 Mayo c 4 0 0 0
Hague ss 4 0 2 1 Popescu 3b/2b 3 0 1 0
Sultzbaugh cf 4 0 1 0 Ashby cf 3 1 0 0
Gonzales 1b 2 0 0 0 Hough rf 4 1 1 2
Comerota 1b 0 0 0 0 Totten 2b 2 0 0 0
Perrott c 2 0 1 0 Hagen ph 0 0 0 0
McDowell ph 1 0 0 0 Berry 3b 0 0 0 0
Manuel c 0 0 0 0
Totals 30 3 9 3 Totals 30 2 2 2
Rice 010 100 001 — 3 9 1
Texas Tech 000 000 200 — 2 2 0
E — Ratterree (1). DP—Texas Tech 4. LOB—Rice 4, Texas Tech 6. HR—Rendon (2), Hough (1). SH—Comerota 91). SB—Fuda (1), Kenworthy (2), Barnes (3).
ip h r er bb so
Rice
Cingrani 62/3 2 2 2 3 4
Reckling (W, 1-0) 11/3 0 0 0 1 2
Duffey (S, 1) 1 0 0 0 0 1
Texas Tech
Doran 7 7 2 2 0 5
Bruening 1/3 1 0 0 0 0
Johnson (L, 0-2) 12/3 1 1 1 2 2
WP—Reckling (1), Johnson (1). HBP—by Reckling (Hagen), by Johnson (Rendon). BK—Cingrani (2). U—Oros, Moreno, Rogers. T—2:41. A—9.817. Records: Rice 6-5, Texas Tech 7-4.

But No. 7 TCU jumped on every Red Raider miscue Friday and made them pay dearly.

The Horned Frogs touched starter Chad Bettis for five runs in the first three innings and seven over six, then put away an 11-2 victory with four runs against the Tech bullpen.

Bettis tied a career high with nine strikeouts, but also allowed 11 hits and walked a pair in suffering his first loss of the season.

“It just wasn’t my day today,” said Bettis (2-1), who will face the same Horned Frogs on Friday to open a three-game series in Fort Worth. “I felt good, and the zone was a little tight, but that wasn’t the problem. They were seeing everything well, they’re good hitters and were waiting on the fastball. I’ve got to make some adjustments by next weekend.”

TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said Bettis’ reputation might have helped the Horned Frogs’ offense focus in on the junior right-hander. After wasting a one-out triple in the first, the Horned Frogs (7-1) scored twice in the second and three more in the third on four hits, taking the lead for good and never looking back.

“When you’re Chad Bettis guys are going to step into the box ready to hit, and if you’re around the plate it’s actually a more comfortable at-bat, as opposed to a guy who’s all over the plate and that kind of thing,” Schlossnagle said. “I thought he was better as the game got on and as he got tired his ball sank more for him. He’s still a really good pitcher.”

So is TCU junior right-hander Stephen Maxwell, who shook off a slow start to dominate the Red Raiders (7-3) for six innings. He scattered two runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Maxwell (3-0), who came into the game with a 0.82 ERA, gave up two runs on three hits and an RBI groundout by Nick Popescu, but nothing the rest of the way. Tech had more than one runner on base in just two of the final eight innings, but never had one in scoring position with fewer than two outs.

“We were hitting the ball pretty good up until about the sixth inning,” said freshman right fielder Barrett Barnes, who had an RBI single in the first and was one of only two Red Raiders with multiple hits. “Eventually, once they started pulling away we kind of lost our drive and our will to play and it seemed like we folded a little bit. We’re a really good offensive team, and to score two in the first and after that get blanked … caught us by surprise.”

Even after Bettis left, Tech was still within striking distance a 7-2, but the bullpen failed to hold the margin. Relievers John Neely and Scott Erzinger each gave up a pair of runs in the innings in which they worked, allowing the Horned Frogs to put the game away.

“I thought Chad had his good stuff and when he made good pitches he struck out a bunch in the first six innings,” Tech head coach Dan Spencer said. “Every time he missed they were on it and did a good job of that. We left some runners on base and hit some balls hard early that they caught. We got to a point in the middle of the game where we had opportunities and just tried to do too much. Then we couldn’t stop the bleeding long enough to give ourselves a chance to get back in the game.”

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But there is no one his teammates on the Texas Tech baseball team look up to more.

“Oh my goodness, I still don’t know how he does it,” junior third baseman Nick Popescu said. “He is the
quickest guy throwing the ball. He gets it out of his glove like a 6-5 guy. It’s ridiculous.”

Ridiculous might be the right word. Ridiculous that a player not that highly recruited out of Houston Cypress
Falls High School could become one of the best infielders in the Big 12 Conference. Ridiculous that he’s shown such prowess defensively while playing three positions in four years. Ridiculous that he consistently is one of the top hitters in the Big 12, which is also why he hits in the top of the Tech batting order.

Texas Tech and Joey Kenworthy open play at the Houston College Classic today against Texas Christian. (Merissa Ferguson/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

“I would tell you that Kenworthy is the best position player in the league, and there would be a lot of coaches who would vote with me just for all the things he can do,” head coach Dan Spencer said. “He hits, he’s a switch-hitter, he draws the walks and makes all the plays. He’s a high-character kid and has good courage. He’s a leader.”

That probably stems from how Kenworthy got to this point.

His college career got off to a slow start as he hit just .182 as a freshman with four RBIs. He appeared in just 25 games for the Red Raiders in 2007 and started in only 12, playing mostly second base. In his defense, however, he had yet to get back to full speed after missing his senior season at Cy Falls due to a broken leg.

He returned as a sophomore in much better health, and it showed. He hit .313 that year while taking over at third base. He had 30 RBIs with a slugging percentage of .411 and an on-base percentage of .431.

Last season, Kenworthy was set to return at third base, but two weeks before the start of the season moved to shortstop after projected starter Garrett Totten injured his hand. Kenworhty played so well, he never let go of the position and rode the momentum to an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection.

As a junior, Kenworthy hit .335 with 31 RBIs, a .417 slugging percentage and a .378 on-base percentage. So far this season he’s third on the team in hitting at .385 going into this weekend’s Houston College Classic, and he’s tied with Popescu for third on the team with eight RBIs.

He is finally playing the same position for two consecutive years, and has been an integral part of helping
Popescu and Totten find comfort levels at third and second, respectively.

“It’s huge,” Kenworthy said of his experience at the positions. “When I say something they don’t look at me like I’m an idiot. Knowing the other positions on the field and where everyone is supposed to be helps with the cutoffs and relays. And it helps me for my awareness on the field.”

Kenworthy struggled with his defense a year ago, making 17 errors for a .940 fielding percentage. But he has gone error-free so far this season and even made a few spectacular plays, none moreso than scooping up a ball from Totten’s glove near second base, stepping on the bag and throwing to first to complete a game-ending double play in Tech’s 14-12 win over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.

“Playing the left side of the diamond you learn a few things from him,” Popescu said. “You watch his swing and try to take new things from him each day.”

Kenworthy said he still has some ways to come on his defense but that being in the same position as last year helps with his continuity. More importantly, it allows him to be the senior leader the Red Raiders need on the field.

“I know how I felt as a freshman and I wanted to see how things were done and look up to somebody,” Kenworthy said. “It’s a big atmosphere in Big 12 baseball and I wanted to take on that role for my benefit and for the team’s benefit. I didn’t sign up for it but I felt it’s my role.”

It’s a role his coach is glad he’s taken.

“I’m going to appeal to the NCAA to give him a fifth year of eligibility,” Spencer joked. “I don’t know if I’m going to get it.”

Texas Tech baseball
-What: Houston College Classic
-When: Today through Sunday
-Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston
-Schedule: Today, vs. TCU, noon; Saturday, vs. Rice, 7 p.m.; Sunday, vs. Houston, 2:30 p.m.
-Radio: KTTU 104.3 FM

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Through eight games of 2010, Flora had faced just one batter. After Tuesday’s relief performance against Dallas Baptist, he’ll be in line for plenty more.

Flora pitched two shutout innings, holding Dallas Baptist in check long enough for the Texas Tech offense to rally with three runs en route to an 8-5 victory against the Patriots on Tuesday night at Dan Law Field.

After entering in the fifth for sophomore right-hander Brennan Stewart and giving up a two-out, run-scoring single, Flora shut the Patriots (6-2) down in the sixth thanks to the second of Tech’s three double plays. That gave the Red Raiders (7-2) enough time to capitalize on Dallas Baptist’s shaky relief with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and another in the seventh thanks to a DBU error.

Texas Tech's Joey Kenworthy slides into Dallas Baptist second baseman Austin Knight, breaking up a double play in the second inning Tuesday at Dan Law Field. Tech won, 8-5. (John A. Bowersmith/Avalanche-Journal)

“My freshman year was rough and I had a lot of maturing to do on and off the field,” said Flora, who scattered three hits and a walk with one strikeout to earn his first career victory. “I feel I’ve grown up and I’m ready to take on a bigger role and help the team out. I had to clean some stuff up and now I think I’m ready and grown up enough to where it will be good from here on out.”

Flora (1-0) was part of a solid relief effort by the Red Raider bullpen. He combined with Stewart and junior left-hander Jay Johnson for 62/3 innings, allowing just one run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts after starter Brandon Petite surrendered four runs on three hits and three walks in just 21/3 innings. Johnson, who struggled over the weekend, was near flawless, hitting the first batter he faced before retiring seven straight to end the game.

“(Stewart) wasn’t great but he kept us around. He didn’t implode on us,” head coach Dan Spencer said. “Then our bullpen was great. What (Flora) did by coming in over the weekend and getting a left-hander out was he earned this chance again, and he went out and did it again. He got some key outs in some key innings and I’m happy for Ben. He had a tough freshman year but he stayed with it. It was a great job by him and by the Red Raiders.”

Tech jumped on DBU starter Chris Haney early, scoring two runs in the first and two more in the second. But the Patriots were able to tie the game in the third, getting a pair of solo home runs and a two-run single by Duncan McAlpine to tie the game in the third.

DBU took a 5-4 lead in the fifth, but Tech answered with an RBI double by junior catcher Jeremy Mayo in the bottom of the inning. The Red Raiders then regained the lead in the sixth on a two-out, bases-loaded single up the middle by sophomore designated hitter Scott LeJeune, who finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

“We started out the beginning of the game hitting it hard, but right at people,” said Mayo, who was 2-for-3 and scored a run. “Once we got them to start falling we put some runs up. We just stayed with it, stayed with our two-strike approach and started hitting what the pitcher’s got.”

Tech added its final run in the seventh when Mayo doubled to left, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored one out later when right fielder Josh Wilson dropped a fly ball off the bat of sophomore second baseman Garrett Totten.

Johnson made it stand up by striking out the side in the eighth and working another 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.

“Jay was solid against Michigan early,” Spencer said. “He got a couple days off this week and will get a couple more off before Friday so he can get acclimated. He’s a tough kid with a good arm and is still in his first two weeks of Division I baseball.”

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TEXAS TECH 8, DALLAS BAPTIST 5

DALLAS BAPTIST TEXAS TECH

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Enos cf 5 1 2 0 Reed lf 2 3 1 0

Robbins 3b 5 0 0 0 Hough lf 0 0 0 0

Krizan dh 4 1 0 0 Kenworthy ss 5 0 1 0

Meiners ss 3 1 1 0 Barnes rf 4 3 2 2

McAlpine c 3 1 2 3 LeJeune dh 4 0 3 3

Thompson lf 3 0 0 0 Popescu 3b 3 0 0 0

Behmanesh 1b 3 0 1 1 Mayo 1b 3 1 2 1

Wilson rf 2 0 0 0 Ashby cf 3 0 0 0

Elkins ph 1 0 0 0 Whitehead c 2 0 0 0

Anderson lf 0 0 0 0 Totten ph 2 1 1 1

Knight 2b 4 1 2 1 McGruder 2b 3 0 0 0

Hagen 1b 1 0 0 0

Totals 33 5 9 5 Totals 32 8 10 8

Dallas Baptist 013 010 000 – 5 9 1

Texas Tech 220 012 10x – 8 10 0

E-Wilson (1). DP-Texas Tech 3. LOB-Dallas Baptist 7, Texas Tech 8. 2B-Meiners (3), Reed (4), Barnes (4), LeJeune (5), Mayo 2(5). HR-McAlpine (4), Knight (2). CS-LeJeune.

IP H R ER BB SO

Dallas Baptist

Haney 41/3 5 5 5 2 1

Millard (L, 1-1) 11/3 3 2 2 3 1

Lane 21/3 2 1 1 0 0

Texas Tech

Petite 21/3 3 4 4 3 0

Stewart 2 3 1 1 1 1

Flora (W, 1-0) 2 3 0 0 1 1

Johnson (S, 3) 22/3 0 0 0 0 4

WP-Haney (1), Millard (1), Lane (1). HBP-by Haney (Reed), by Haney (LeJeune), by Haney (Mayo), by Johnson (McAlpine). BK-Haney (2). U-Landin, Alexander, Howard. T-2:49. A-1,866. Records: Dallas Baptist 6-2; Texas Tech 7-2.

The Red Raiders had enough pitching to compete on the weekends in Big 12 Conference action, but finding a consistent fourth starter was a season-long quest, and more often than not produced more questions than answers. The focus for 2010 was to shore up that area of concern, and going into the season head coach Dan Spencer felt he had enough pitching talent to be as competitive in the midweek as his team was on the weekend.

But a rough end to this past weekend has left Tech still searching for answers. The problems with that are a tougher schedule which, overall, features 36 NCAA tournament teams from a year ago, and it leaves Tech little time to experiment with pitchers or position players and put its best foot forward in an attempt to win, especially with Dallas Baptist coming to Lubbock for a 5 p.m. game today before hitting the road for the first time this weekend.

“Our schedule is such that there are not gimmies in the midweek,” Spencer said after Sunday’s 10-7 loss to Washington State knocked Tech to 6-2 on the season. “There’s no way I think we can experiment and go in expecting to win a game. We’ve got to play well to be in games and we’ve got to play well to give ourselves a chance to win with Dallas Baptist on Tuesday and the weekend at Minute Maid (Park), and then Gonzaga coming in. Those teams are postseason-type clubs.”

Tech (6-2) is hoping to be, and having a winning non-conference schedule is the key.

Of the Red Raiders’ 25 wins in 2009, 12 came in conference play. Of the 13 remaining wins, one came in the conference tournament, and another was against NAIA foe Lubbock Christian. That leaves 11 wins, and only six of those came after the team started the year 5-1.

This year, Tech is off to its best start since 2005 when the Red Raiders won 12 of their first 13 games, but the schedule was not as strong as it is this year, ranked No. 11 by www.boydnation.com. Tech was also 6-2 in 2004, the last time it reached the NCAA regional.

Dallas Baptist was a regional team two years ago despite playing as an independent, and following Tuesday, 11 of Tech’s next 12 games will be against 2009 playoff qualifiers, including five against super regional teams TCU (4) and Rice (1).

“We play a lot of teams that are postseason-type clubs,” Spencer said. “I’m excited about our schedule, I know our kids are excited about it and I hope our fans are excited. We’ll show up and go back to work (today).”

To be successful in the midweeek non-conference games, Tech will have to get better results on the mound than what it got the last two days of the Brooks Wallace Memorial Classic. Tech pitchers gave up 12 runs to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, but got away with a 14-12 win. On Sunday, Jordan Stern allowed six runs in 12/3 innings as Tech fell behind and could never catch up in a 10-7 loss to a Washington State team that was an NCAA participant a year ago.

Freshman right-hander Brandon Petite – one of two Canadians for the Red Raiders – gets the start today hoping to improve on his 15.00 ERA, which covers three innings in two appearances. It will be his first career collegiate start.

But it may also be a day the offense needs to crank it up again, which it can. The Red Raiders lead all Big 12 teams with a .357 average as well as in runs scored (77), hits (96), doubles (25), triples (4), RBIs (74), walks (44) and stolen bases (15) while being tied with Oklahoma in home runs (10).

About the series: This will be the 14th all-time meeting between Texas Tech and Dallas Baptist. The Red Raiders lead the series 7-6 and have won two of the last three meetings. Tech won the last meeting, 9-6, on May 6 of 2009 in Dallas, but the Patriots won the last meeting in Lubbock, 11-2, on March 11 of 2009 … Freshman right-hander Brandon Petite will make his first career collegiate start. He has had two appearances in 2010 totaling three innings and has allowed four earned runs on four hits and four walks in three innings. DBU will counter with junior right-hander Chris Haney, who also catches for the Patriots. He allowed five earned runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts in a 7-2 loss to Texas last Wednesday … Through two weeks, the Red Raiders lead all Big 12 teams in hitting with a .357 average but are last in pitching with a 5.96 ERA, and have the second most walks (31) in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma (32). Tech’s .982 fielding percentage ranks second, but leader Oklahoma State (1.000) has played just two games.
Compiled by George Watson

Projected starting pitchers
TODAY
5 p.m.
Pitcher W-L ERA
Tech: Brandon Petite 1-0 12.00
DBU: Chris Haney 0-1 15.00

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“Personally, I think we’re closer,” Spencer said. “I’ll tell you, I feel better about it today at the end of the game than I did before the game just because of what we saw. Our bodies are still few, we only have 13 arms and we’re still trying to put it together, but we’re closer. I think the only way you can really find out what will happen is to run them out there under fire, and we’ve got some guys who are starting to show signs they’re going to be good arms for us.’

On Sunday, though, those signs weren’t frequent enough to prevent a 10-7 loss to Washington State in which the Cougars (6-0) scored seven runs in the first two innings off junior right-hander Jordan Stern (0-1) and never trailed, even after the Red Raiders (6-2) scored four in the sixth to pull to within a run.

“It was tough,” said sophomore designated hitter Scott LeJeune, who was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. “We did show a little life and grit there at the end, but ultimately we didn’t capitalize on some of the mistakes they had. Sometimes our hitters get a little ancy and we try to do too much, and that was the problem in the early innings.”

That and the fact the Red Raiders were behind four batters into the game.

Stern, who worked into and out of trouble through four shutout innings last weekend, didn’t make it out of the second inning. Matt Argyropoulos’ two-run double and an RBI single by Michael Weber within the first five batters of the game put the Red Raiders in a 3-0 hole.

Tech got its first two runners of the first on base by an infield hit and a hit batter, but strikeouts by LeJeune and freshman outfielder Barrett Barnes meant two more walks by Cougars starter Rusty Shellhorn plated just one run. WSU then extended the lead in the second with five hits – four of them doubles, to add four more runs and take a commanding 7-1 lead.

It wasn’t until then that Spencer started seeing the signs that still give him confidence in his pitching staff.

Sophomore left-hander Scott Erzinger relieved Stern and gave up a pair of run-scoring doubles before getting out of the inning, then pitched two scoreless frames to get it to the fifth. Sophomore right-hander John Neely faced six batters in getting Tech through the fifth and sixth innings, and that allowed Tech to mount its comeback in the bottom of the sixth.

Senior center fielder Taylor Ashby opened with an infield single, but the rally really began when sophomore second baseman Garrett Totten laced a one-out double down the left field line to score Ashby.

After a groundout, senior shortstop Joey Kenworthy walked followed by three straight RBI singles by Barnes, LeJeune and junior third baseman Nick Popescu to cut the Cougars lead to 7-6.

“Halfway through the game we started connecting with some balls and things started going our way a little bit,” said Totten, who finished 3-for-4 with the RBI. “We started realizing we’re in this game no matter what and it gave us a little fire.”

That fire, however, was extinguished in the very next inning. Neely opened with a pair of four-pitch walks and was pulled for left-handed junior Jay Johnson, whose struggles continued.

After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, pinch-hitter Matt Fanelli laced a single up the middle past the drawn-in infield to push the lead to 9-6, and Brett Jacobs followed with a run-scoring double to left to make it 10-6.

Tech added a run in the bottom of the seventh on four singles, but a Barnes strikeout and a grounder by LeJeune again left the bases loaded, then the Red Raiders went in order in the eighth, stranding a total of 12 baserunners. The game was called due to Washington State’s travel plans, leaving Tech on the short end of the stick.

Tech pitchers have now allowed 26 runs from the seventh inning on over the first eight games but have allowed just 14 through the first five innings.

“I think we’re starting to sort some things out on pitching,” Spencer said. “I was proud of the fact that our guys stayed with it and got back into the game and we had an opportunity to win. At the end of the day it stinks getting beat, but to go out there and fight and stick around, those are the things that will help us down the road.”

Tech concludes its season-opening nine-game homestand on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Dan Law Field against Dallas Baptist (6-1) before embarking on its first road trip of the season beginning Friday in the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park.