Tech baseball begins practice, expects to be more aggressive

The Texas Tech baseball team kicked off the 2009 season with an intrasquad scrimmage Sunday at Dan Law Field.

First-year head coach Dan Spencer said the entire team is energetic, healthy and ready for what lies around the corner.

"I feel great," Spencer said. "I think our guys are excited. It's an exciting time, I think they're all looking forward to it. I'm excited to go. We just have to get sharp. We're doing a lot of fundamental work. We're still getting used to playing with each other and figuring out some combinations. We're just getting ready to play."

Spencer succeeds Larry Hays, who led the Red Raiders for 22 years as head coach. Spencer played for Tech from 1985 to 1987. Spencer went on to coach at Tacoma Community College in 1991 and at Green River Community College from 1992-1996 before moving on to Oregon State, an NCAA baseball powerhouse. There he rose to serve as Beavers' pitching and catching coach and associate head coach. Spencer won two national titles at Oregon State.

Spencer played under Hays during his first season as Tech's coach in 1987 and coached under him during Hays' final season at the helm.

Last season, Spencer returned to Tech and served as the team's pitching and catching coach, recruiting director and associate head coach.

"I think I'm very fortunate to have played for him and fortunate I got to coach with him," Spencer said. "I think it's been a lot smoother transition for me having been here before becoming head coach."

Players said Spencer intensified the off-season workouts and fans should expect to see a more aggressive 2009 squad compared to years passed.

"We're going to have a fast team," senior right handed pitcher AJ Ramos said. "A lot of stolen bases, a lot of bunts. We're not going to be a finesse team with not that much power. Pitching-wise, we're going to have a lot of good pitchers."

Chad Bettis, sophomore right handed pitcher, said if all goes right, Tech baseball will be taking a step forward from last year's final outcome of missing the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

"I think we just have to come out here and hustle," Bettis said. "Give it 100 percent every day and hopefully we'll be out here in May and June."

Last season, Tech and Kansas were the two teams who failed to reach the tournament.

Ramos said his recovery from a torn rotator cuff injury sustained last season in his throwing arm has been much quicker than he expected. He said he didn't expect to pitch this season.

"(I'm) pretty close to 100 percent," Ramos said. "I think later on this month it will be 100 percent. Right now, it's about 95, 96 percent. I'm pretty much full-blast."

Despite the confidence, Ramos said it is not a foregone conclusion that he will be ready for the first game of the season.

"Hopefully," he said, "that will all depend on my performance. Just because I'm fully healthy doesn't mean I'll be able to go out there and start."

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