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Texas Tech baseball: 3 Red Raiders that have to step up in Super Regional

By Matthew Conner

Jun 15, 2019; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders infielder Dru Baker (4) drives in a run in the sixth inning against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park . Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2019; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders infielder Dru Baker (4) drives in a run in the sixth inning against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park . Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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A bucket of baseballs inside the new covered batting cages at Gardens Park in Palm Beach Gardens on July 8, 2020 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
A bucket of baseballs inside the new covered batting cages at Gardens Park in Palm Beach Gardens on July 8, 2020 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. /

Andrew Devine continues to get opportunities out of the pen

There’s no question that Tim Tadlock believes in Andrew Devine.  That’s evident by the fact that the second-year freshman continues to get innings out of the Red Raider bullpen despite massive struggles this year.  Thus, we can be almost certain to see the righty at least once this weekend and it could be in a high-leverage situation.  Can he come through for Tech the way he did against UCLA?

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This year has been a near disaster for the California native.  After posting an ERA below 2.00 in 2020, he’s struggled to the tune of a 12.00 ERA in 2021.  Yet he continues to get opportunities.

Devine has been given 15.0 innings of work out of the pen this year.  So far, in 17 appearances, he’s allowed a run on 11 occasions.  What’s more, he’s allowed multiple runs on six different occasions.

But in his lone inning of work in last weekend’s regional, he pitched a perfect inning against the Bruins and that’s likely enough to earn him at least one more appearance this weekend.  But what if he has to pitch in multiple high-leverage situations against Stanford?

The Tech bullpen is not deep.  However, it has been strengthened by Hampton’s emergence which has allowed Tadlock to move weekend starter Micah Dallas back to the pen, which is where he began the year.

Still, one poor outing from a starter could see Tadlock have to turn to Dallas for multiple innings which would essentially render him out of service for the remainder of the series with the Cardinal.  In such a scenario, Devine could be bumped up to a more important role than the one Tadlock may have in mind for him as the weekend opens.

There’s just a feeling that Devine is going to be a factor this weekend and that might make Tech fans queasy.  But if he can pitch the way he did against UCLA, he could wind up being a valuable asset in a setting in which bullpens often decide who gets to Omaha.

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