January 15, 2007
The Texas A&M baseball team, led by second-year head coach Rob Childress, will begin workouts in preparation for the 2007 season Friday at 2 p.m.
The Aggies open the 2007 season on February 6 against Texas Southern. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Olsen Field.
?The staff and players are excited to get back to work,? Childress said. ?We had a good fall, and hopefully the guys will come back in good shape and ready to work hard the next couple of weeks.?
A&M returns 14 letterwinners, including five starting position players and six pitchers.
Headlining the list of returnees is fifth-year senior left-handed pitcher Jason Meyer, who enters the season fifth on the Aggies?â„¢ all-time appearances list (64), ninth in innings pitched (260.2) and 10th all-time in strikeouts (218).
Also returning on the mound are seniors Kyle Nicholson, who led the team with 78.2 innings pitched last year, and Matt Ueckert, who went 4-1 out of the bullpen in his junior campaign. Junior strikeout artist Jordan Chambless and sophomores Kyle Thebeau and Evan Gerald also return after significant contributions last season.
Offensively, the Aggies return fifth-year senior infielder Parker Dalton, who was named the 2006 Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year and earned the NCAA Division-I Sportsmanship Award.
Junior outfielder Blake Stouffer and sophomore outfielder Kyle Colligan return after solid seasons in 2006. Stouffer stole 17 bases and Colligan drove in 23 runs and hit .292 despite playing in only 33 games and starting 31.
The Aggies return possibly the best catching duo in the country in seniors Josh Stinson and Craig Stinson. Josh saw most of the action behind the plate last season, starting 39 games. Craig was hampered by injuries the last two seasons but is now healthy. Both had tremendous falls behind the plate and offensively.
?We like the guys we have back and think they will be great leaders of this team,? Childress said. ?The returning players have a sense of urgency to win now, and it has trickled down to the newcomers.?
Aggies fans will be glad to see the No. 11 signing class in the country take the field in February. Twenty-six talented newcomers hope to make an immediate impact.
?During the fall we were impressed by the work ethic and physical ability of the new players,? Childress said. ?They are a talented group that has plenty of potential and is not afraid to put in the time it takes to be successful.?
Texas A&M plays 29 games against 12 different teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament a year ago. Of the Aggies?â„¢ 56 games, 36 are at home, including a 19-game home stand, which features the 2007 Domino?â„¢s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic. This year?â„¢s field for the annual classic will be defending national champion Oregon State, along with St. Louis and New Mexico.
Another marquee weekend will be the three-game series against Southeastern Conference powerhouse Florida. The Gators played in the NCAA championship series in 2005.
?We feel like the best way to win games is to play at Olsen Field in front of the best crowd in college baseball,? Childress said. ?The Big 12 Conference schedule is always a grind and the quality of our non-conference opponents should help us prepare.?
All A&M?â„¢s practices are open to the public.
For tickets to Texas A&M baseball games, please contact the 12th Man Ticket Office at (979) 845-2311 or (888) 99-AGGIE. Fans can also purchase tickets by going to the official website for Texas A&M Athletics, AggieAthletics.com.
Updated roster and player information is currently on-line at AggieAthletics.com.