COLLEGE STATION, Texas - With construction crews busy around it working on the final phases of renovations to Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, the Texas A&M baseball team will hit the field at 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon for its first official team practice of the spring semester.
After spending the last several weeks working with the strength & conditioning staff and going through individual drills, Friday represents the first time the Aggies will be back on the diamond as an entire team in preparation for the start of the 2012 campaign. Illinois-Chicago makes a visit to College Station on Feb. 17 to open a three-game series as Texas A&M christens the newly-renovated Blue Bell Park.
Due to the construction efforts, fans wishing to watch practices will need to do so from Aggie Alley, located just beyond the left field wall.
Seventh-year head coach Rob Childress and the Aggies return 16 letterwinners, including three All-Americans and a Freshman All-American, from last season's 47-22 squad that brought home a Big 12 title and made the program's fifth trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
The 2012 Aggies are already garnering attention from the national media in the preseason rankings as Texas A&M appeared as the No. 6 team in the Collegiate Baseball and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' polls and added a No. 7 ranking in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25.
Highlighted by the 1-2 punch of senior Ross Stripling and junior Michael Wacha on the mound, the Aggies enter the new campaign with an impressive pitching staff. Stripling led the country in victories a season ago as he finished with a sterling 14-2 record on the mound and a 2.29 ERA in 125.2 innings pitched. Wacha, meanwhile, took another step in his development after an outstanding freshman campaign, compiling a 9-4 record as a sophomore with a 2.29 ERA and team-leading totals of 129.2 innings pitched and 123 strikeouts.
Returning pitchers Denny Clement, Derrick Hadley, Ross Hales, Kyle Martin and Estevan Uriegas are also back this season to combine with an impressive class of new arms to give A&M a multitude of options on the pitchers' mound.
Offensively, Texas A&M returns a potent batting order led by All-American and 2011 Big 12 Player of the Year Tyler Naquin. The junior right fielder led the nation in hits a year ago while pacing the Big 12 with a .381 batting average.
Fellow outfielder Krey Bratsen will look to build upon his breakout 2011 campaign which saw him bat .332 with 45 runs, 36 RBI and 31 stolen bases to earn Freshman All-America accolades.
First baseman Jacob House, designated hitter/third baseman Matt Juengel and left fielder Brandon Wood are also back after being mainstays in the Aggie batting order during last season's run to Omaha. Infielders Scott Arthur and Charlie Curl, along with outfielder Jace Statum and catcher Troy Stein are also back and poised for break-out seasons after contributing to the Aggies a year ago, as are a number of talented newcomers who will push for playing time on their own merits.