Despite being ranked in the Top 10 nationally and growing up in Florida throughout their junior careers, Austin Krajicek and Wil Spencer have never played a competitive match against each other.

The closest they've come was a one-setter in the Maroon & White match that kicked off Texas A&M's 2008 spring tennis season.

"That was it, not really a decider of who the big boy is here for sure," Spencer said.

It's a humble view coming from the 6-4 winner.

"He took me out, so Wil's got the edge if you want to count that," Krajicek said.

The real edge goes to A&M and coach Steve Denton, who hopes to have the two freshmen for three more years after their productive first seasons.

"They've been two stars for us and bring a professionalism to the court every time they play," Denton said. "Both had to play high in the lineup and have had success.

"I can't say how difficult it is to come in in January, get adjusted to college life and have the success they've had on court and in the classroom. They've been more than we'd even hoped they would be in terms of what they brought to the team."

Spencer opened the season at No. 3 and Krajicek at No. 5 singles. When senior Jerry Makowski opted to bypass the last half of the season, the Aggie freshmen moved up to Nos. 2 and 3.

"I knew we would be playing near the top of the lineup," Krajicek said. "I'm glad that I've been where I am. I think it's served me well to play there this year to get confidence going into college tennis and to have some success."

Krajicek gained All-Big 12 honors in singles and doubles and was named co-newcomer and freshman of the year along with Texas' Ed Corrie. He was 4-2 in singles and 3-0 with Connor Pollock at No. 1 doubles in Big 12 play.

"I was really pleased with the awards," Krajicek said. "I wasn't sure I'd win anything, but I felt I had a really good season. I'm just playing for the team, and those are a bonus."

Spencer's win-loss record took a dip after a strong nonconfernce record. He was 2-4 in Big 12 play, with all but one match on the second line.

"Maybe it was a little bit too much too fast, and I think I needed to build up to that," Spencer said. "I love playing 2, but I just hate letting my team down constantly at that position."

A&M's top two freshman have lost in the same match three times -- all coming after Makowski left the team. But Spencer and Krajicek also have both won five times over the 17-match period.

"We needed that spot, and we're struggling a little bit at 2 no matter who is there," Spencer said. "Austin is playing great at 3. At 3, we are pretty strong, but at 2 we are pretty unsure if we're going to win it 50-50."

Denton knows A&M has struggled in certain spots in the lineup, but he says he and assistant coach Bob McKinley want the Aggies to look at the big picture over wins and losses.

"Bob and I stress it's not winning and losing at this stage, it's developing your skills," Denton said. "When you come from a junior environment, the highest echelon of junior tennis, it is about winning a lot because rankings mean so much. But they still have to develop skills to be successful at the level they want to obtain, which is pro tennis.

"[Spencer and Krajicek] have played really good, very skilled players especially with all the teams we've played. They have taken some lumps, but the good news is they are a lot better tennis players, and I don't think they are aware just how much better they are just in a few months here."

Neither freshman has struggled with the team concept.

"[At age 10] I decided on the tennis route, but since tennis is so lonely, it's good now that I'm in college because it's like combining the team atmosphere with individuality," Spencer said. "It brings everything together, so you're still playing out there on the match but have the team atmosphere. Basically you're getting the best of both worlds."

Spencer, who had never played doubles competitively as a junior, has even caught on to the doubles format in college. He questioned it when the season began because the three matches only equaled one point.

"It was a horrible mistake," he said of dismissing doubles. "It was ... so stupid. It is clutch to get that point on the board. It is a massive momentum boost, and it takes a lot more pressure off, if we don't have to win four [singles] matches."

A&M struggled early in doubles. Pollock and Krajicek, who reached the junior doubles final at Wimbledon, were 9-1, but the Aggies were unable to win consistently enough at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles to earn the point.

The Aggies have improved with senior Mike Beatty and Spencer teaming at No. 2 and Matt Bain and Chris Cherico playing at No. 3.

"We've really come together at the end of the season, and I think it spreads out better now," Krajicek said. "We have a solid 1, 2, 3. We've found the right lineup for right now, and we've had some success with it."

Krajicek and Spencer knew of each other through the junior circuit but were only passing acquaintances when they discussed attending A&M.

"We talked about that, that we would have a much better team, that we would be more well-rounded," Spencer said. "We knew it would be better for all of us, as a team, individually, if we [made] a joint decision on where to go."

The two are also hoping to make the decision easier for other top-ranked players looking to play collegiate tennis.

"Wil and I know a bunch of guys, and coach is recruiting some of them," Krajicek said. "We are really good friends with some of them, so we can call them and text them and tell them it really is a great place. Hopefully the next couple of years we'll get some more good guys, and we'll be a really solid team. "

For now, the two have more immediate priorities including a first-round NCAA Tournament match against SMU on Saturday in Waco.

A&M is 12-11 and ranked 25th nationally going into the Waco Regional.

If the Aggies win, they will likely face a familiar foe in ninth-seeded Baylor.

Spencer and Krajicek welcome the challenge, which they know will be intensified in front of the Baylor faithful.

"Where everyone wants you to lose is kind of a different feeling," Krajicek said. "It's fun. I've enjoyed it this year at LSU, at UT even. The good thing about going to Waco is we'll have some of our fans up there, too, and our fans are awesome."

• Richard Croome's e-mail address is richard.croome@theeagle.com.