August 27, 2007
The defending Big 12 Champion Texas A&M baseball team kicked off the fall semester over the weekend with the second-annual ?Aggie Baseball Paint-a-Thon,? which took place at the home of Mr. James Nichols in downtown Bryan.
The Aggies left Olsen Field at 7 a.m. Saturday and worked well into the afternoon, not only repainting Mr. Nichols?™ home but rebuilding a wheelchair ramp, installing a new screen door, laying sod in the yard and hauling off brush.
?The reason we do the Paint-a-Thon is twofold,? third-year head coach Rob Childress said. ?First and foremost, it makes a difference in the community, and that is something that is very important and that we enjoy doing.
?Secondly, it sends a message to our players that they are going to work. The first time they meet their teammates (for the 2008 season) is with a paintbrush in their hand, early on a Saturday morning.?
Residences that need assistance are found by contacting churches and local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army and Elder Aid. The team held its first Paint-a-Thon last fall at the College Station home of Mr. Al Bradley, and as with last year, 2007?™s Paint-a-Thon was a big success.
?Our players got the chance to know each other while putting in a great day of work and making a difference in somebody?™s life,? Childress said. ?I?™m glad we were able to help Mr. Nichols out. I think it?™s an important thing to do and something we?™re going to continue to do every fall.?
The Aggies return 17 letterwinners from a 2007 squad that won both a Big 12 and NCAA Regional championship while posting 48 wins, marking the largest turnaround in collegiate baseball.
Opening day of the 2008 season is scheduled for February 22 when Texas A&M hosts Northern Colorado at Olsen Field.