Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raider Profile: Nick Popescu
October 07, 2010 | Baseball
Oct. 7, 2010
Red Raider Profile - Nick Popescu | 
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LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech baseball team's fall season is underway, and throughout the remainder of the semester Texas Tech Athletics Communications will take an inside look into the Tech program with Red Raider Profiles on each player.
Nick Popescu (INF - 5-10, 185 - S/R - Sr./1L - Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound/Howard JC)
Very few newcomers make the kind of impact that Nick Popescu made in his first season at Texas Tech in 2010. Starting in 49 games, Popescu batted .324 (61-for-188) with 30 runs, 16 doubles, six home runs, 41 RBI and stole eight bases while committing only six errors, primarily playing third base during the season.
Following a junior college career at Howard JC, where he helped lead his team to a JUCO World Series Championship with a 63-1 overall record in 2009, it didn't take Popescu long to adjust to the Division I level. In just his third game at Tech he went 4-for-5 with a double, triple and three RBI against Michigan. This was just the start for Popescu producing in the Tech lineup.
He finished the 2010 season ranked as one of the Red Raiders' top offensive threats at the plate, which was evident by his team-leading .394 batting average (26-for-66) with runners in scoring position.
During a season with many highlights, Popescu got especially hot midway through the season when he torched Alabama A&M, Kansas, New Mexico and Missouri batting .545 (18-for-33) during a seven-game stretch (4/20-4/30) with seven straight multi-hit games, eight extra-base hits and 11 RBI.
"Nick is a very good player," head coach Dan Spencer said. "He can do a lot of things, he has very sure hands, he is a good runner, he is a switch hitter and he can hit. He also brings some leadership. He has a résumé. He had a good year last year."
Popescu joined Barrett Barnes as the only Red Raiders to bat at least .320 with 15 doubles, five home runs and 40 RBI.
