COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The top-ranked Texas A&M Aggies look to carry the momentum of their epic March finish into April as they make their first-ever trip to Lexington for a three-game series against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Maroon and White batted .392 (76-for-194) the last five games of March with eight doubles, one home run, 10 home runs and 53 runs. The Aggies have three players hitting .500 or better over the span, including LOGAN TAYLOR (.563, nine RBI), NICK BANKS (.529, eight runs) and RONNIE GIDEON (.500, two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI). Thursday's game marks ROB CHILDRESS' 600th game as the Aggies' skipper. If he plays all three games, Saturday would be BLAKE ALLEMAND's 200th game played at Texas A&M and he would become the 17th Aggie to appear in 200 games.
#1 TEXAS A&M AGGIES (28-2, 7-2 SEC) vs. KENTUCKY WILDCATS (18-11, 4-5 SEC)
Cliff Hagan Stadium (3,000) • Lexington, Kentucky
SCHEDULE - Thursday - 6:00 pm • Friday - 6:00 pm • Saturday - 12:00 pm
RADIO - Sports Radio 1150 The Zone • Dave South (play-by-play)
LIVE TELEVISION - All three games on SEC Network • Tom Hart (play-by-play), Chris Burke (color)
LIVE VIDEO - WatchESPN credentials required through cable provider for SEC Network subscribers
LIVE AUDIO - 12thMan.com • radioaggieland.com (free)
LIVE STATS - UKAthletics.com
RANKINGS - Texas A&M - 1 (CB), 1 (USAT), 2 (D1B), 2 (BA), 2 (NCBWA); Kentucky - unranked
SERIES HISTORY - Texas A&M leads 4-3. The Aggies won the last game
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• THURSDAY: #38 Grayson Long (Jr., RHP, 5-0, 2.50 ERA) vs. #33 Zack Brown (So., RHP, 2-2, 2.47 ERA)
• FRIDAY: #14 Kyle Simonds (Jr., RHP, 2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. #14 Dustin Beggs (Jr., RHP, 3-2, 3.09 ERA)
• SATURDAY: #31 Matt Kent (Jr., LHP, 6-0, 2.78 ERA) vs. #23 Kyle Cody (Jr., RHP, 2-2, 5.45 ERA)
ACROSS THE BOARD IMPROVEMENT
The Aggies are hitting .042 higher than at the same time a season ago and the improvement can be seen sprinkled throughout the lineup. Below is a comparison of batting averages through 30 games from 2014 and 2015.
|
|
2014 |
2015 |
|
.266 |
.336 |
|
|
.292 |
.435 |
|
|
.150 |
.296 |
|
|
.143 |
.380 |
|
|
.265 |
.333 |
|
|
.311 |
.361 |
|
|
.281 |
.358 |
TEXAS A&M/KENTUCKY SERIES NOTABLES
The Aggies own a 4-3 lead in the all-time series, but Kentucky claimed a series win over A&M last year, winning two of three in College Station. All seven of the prior meetings were played in at Olsen Field/Blue Bell Park. The teams played a two-game series in March 1989 with A&M winning 3-2 and 11-4. The squads played a pair of games in February 2002 as part of the Continental Express Baseball Classic with the Aggies winning 4-0 and Kentucky claiming a 3-1 victory.
In last year's series, Kentucky claimed victories on Friday (6-3) and Saturday (11-4) and Texas A&M bounced back for the Sunday win (14-2). The Aggies hit .324 in the series, but fell victim to 10 walks, five hit batters and a .306 opponent batting average.
MORE ON KENTUCKY
The Wildcats are 18-11 on the season with a 4-5 mark in SEC play. Last weekend, Kentucky won two-of-three against then-No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge. The Wildcats also claimed two-of-three against then-No. 20 Mississippi State two weeks ago after suffering an SEC series opening sweep at the hands of then-No. 7 South Carolina.
Kentucky is hitting .302 as a team and averaging 6.17 runs per game. The Wilcats boast three players hitting over .300, led by Ka'ai Tom with a .387 average, nine doubles, one triple, two home runs and 30 RBI. Kyle Barrett is hitting .372 with six doubles, one home run and 16 RBI.
The Wildcats pitching staff owns a 4.45 ERA and holding opponents to a .259 batting average. The staff is highlighted by Thursday night's starter Zack Brown who owns a 2.47 ERA and holding opponents to a .207 batting average which belies his 2-2 record. Closer Spencer Jack is 1-0 with four saves and a 3.27 ERA in 12 appearances.
The Wildcats have made eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2006. The most recent appearance came last season. Kentucky's lone SEC baseball title came in 2006.
Kentucky boasts 31 former players who finished their collegiate career as a Wildcat and have gone on to play in Major League Baseball. The most recognizable name is 2006 NL Cy Young winner and three-time All-Star Brandon Webb and 11-year veteran Jim Leyritz. Other notables include Joe Blanton, Doug Flynn and Terry Shumpert.
MIDWEEK PERFECTION
The Aggies are 9-0 in midweek action this season, outscoring opponents 73-17. The A&M offense has been highlighted by NICK BANKS, batting .655 (19-for-29) with three doubles and six RBI, and MITCHELL NAU, hitting .423 (11-for-26) with eight RBI. RONNIE GIDEON has four home runs and 11 RBI.
The pitching staff has a 1.63 ERA and the Aggies have 88 strikeouts in 73.0 innings. TURNER LARKINS has started six of the games, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.20 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 28.2 innings. The bullpen is 5-0 with three saves and a 1.29 ERA in midweek action.
Dating back to last season, the Aggies have won 14 consecutive midweek games.
THURSDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER: #38 GRAYSON LONG
SEC Pitcher of the Week twice in 2015... two weeks ago, fanned 14 of the 23 batters he faced in 6.0 innings at Alabama... named Most Outstanding Player at the Houston College Classic four weeks ago, scattering three hits and striking out a then career-high 10 batters without a walk in a 6-0 win against No. 16 Houston... in his last six starts he's 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA, 45 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP... enters play as the Aggies' active leader in wins (15), innings pitched (175.0) and strikeouts (143)... led the Aggies' with six wins last season... also ranked second on A&M with 15 starts and 89.1 innings pitched... started his sophomore campaign by allowing just one run in his first five starts, scattering 22 hits and 10 walks while striking out 22 batters in 34.0 innings... last season he earned SEC wins against Auburn, Florida, eventual national champion Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Mississippi State, posting a 5-2 record in league action.
LONG'S CAREER TOTALS
|
Year |
W-L |
ERA |
APP/GS |
SV |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
|
2013 |
4-2 |
3.52 |
12/10 |
0 |
46.0 |
39 |
19 |
18 |
25 |
38 |
.235 |
|
2014 |
6-2 |
3.12 |
15/15 |
0 |
89.1 |
98 |
32 |
31 |
28 |
55 |
.284 |
|
2015 |
5-0 |
2.50 |
7/7 |
0 |
39.2 |
28 |
14 |
11 |
15 |
50 |
.193 |
|
Career |
15-4 |
3.09 |
34/32 |
0 |
175.0 |
165 |
65 |
60 |
68 |
143 |
.252 |
FRIDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER: #14 KYLE SIMONDS
Making his second career start... did not receive a decision, pitching 5.0 innings with two unearned runs... has not allowed an earned run in in his 25.2 innings of work... did not allow a run in his first 16 innings of action... earned a win in his last relief appearance, pitching 5.0 innings of relief at Alabama, allowing one unearned run on two hits while striking out four... earned a save in his first career appearance, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced, including four strikeouts, in series opener against Holy Cross... picked up his first career win against UTPA, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out one in 2.1 innings... owns a 1.9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.94 WHIP... tabbed the 2014 NJCAA Division I Pitcher of the Year at Hutchinson Community College.
SIMONDS' CAREER TOTALS
|
Year |
W-L |
ERA |
APP/GS |
SV |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
|
2015 |
2-0 |
0.00 |
9/1 |
1 |
25.2 |
14 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
19 |
.161 |
|
Career |
2-0 |
0.00 |
9/1 |
1 |
25.2 |
14 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
19 |
.161 |
SATURDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER: #31 MATT KENT
Induced three inning-ending double plays last Sunday to work 6.0 shutout innings against Missouri despite allowing seven hits... named to the Houston College Classic All-Tournament Team as he stymied Baylor hitters for the better part of 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out nine... leads Texas A&M with six wins... owns a 12.3-to-1 K/BB ratio in 2015 and 6.92-to-1 for his career... opened season with a win against Holy Cross, yielding just one unearned run on five hits while striking out three in 7.0 innings of work... prior to this season, both of his prior weekend starts came as a freshman in 2013, losses to Arkansas and LSU... was 1-0 with a 2.77 in his four starts as a sophomore... has had success in long relief against SEC squads in the past including 5.0 scoreless innings at Mississippi State in 2014 and 5.0 blank frames at Ole Miss in 2013... his effort against Ole Miss in 2013 earned him SEC Freshman of the Week recognition.
KENT'S CAREER TOTALS
|
Year |
W-L |
ERA |
APP/GS |
SV |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
|
2013 |
2-3 |
4.17 |
26/2 |
0 |
36.2 |
43 |
17 |
17 |
2 |
21 |
.299 |
|
2014 |
3-1 |
3.15 |
20/4 |
0 |
45.2 |
50 |
18 |
16 |
8 |
32 |
.284 |
|
2015 |
6-0 |
2.78 |
7/7 |
0 |
45.1 |
50 |
17 |
14 |
3 |
37 |
.281 |
|
Career |
11-4 |
3.31 |
53/13 |
0 |
127.2 |
143 |
52 |
47 |
13 |
90 |
.287 |
RECORD-BREAKING INNING
The Aggies posted a few records when they scored 13 runs on 13 hits in their 19-4 win over Sam Houston State. The Aggies started the inning by stringing together 11 consecutive hits. The mark equaled the NCAA Division I record set by Cal State-Los Angeles against UC Santa Barbara on May 21, 1977 and equaled by Oakland against Southern Utah on May 16, 2008. The 13 hits set an obscure mark for “most hits in a third inning” set by UNLV against Alliant International on May 2, 1981 and equaled by Clemson against Maryland on March 21, 1998 and Long Island against Mount St. Mary's on April 10, 2000. The Aggies hit a school-record four home runs during the frame and Ronnie Gideon's two home runs marked the first time an Aggie had ever hit two dingers in an inning.
BIG INNINGS
The 2015 campaign has been spangled by big innings for the Aggies. Texas A&M has four innings in 2015 in which they've scored at least seven runs. Most recently, the Aggies put up nine runs in the sixth inning of their 14-6 rubber match win against Missouri and 13 runs in the third inning of a 19-4 pounding of Sam Houston State. For the year, the Aggies boast 18 innings in which they've produced four or more runs.
BARASH CATCHES THEM RED-HANDED
Aggie catcher MICHAEL BARASH has displayed a howitzer behind the plate this season, throwing out nine of 20 attempted base stealers (45.0 percent). His numbers are even more impressive in SEC action where he has thrown out four of six (66.7 percent) of would-be base stealers. Last weekend, he kept the aggressive Missouri Tigers' run game in check throwing out two of the four attempted base stealers.
ALLEMAND'S SENIORITY
Blake Allemand enters the season as the most senior of veterans on the squad. Heading into this weekend's series, Allemand has played in 197 games. With three more games, Allemand would become just the 17th Aggie to appear in 200 games. Five Aggies have appeared in 200 games in the 21st century, including school record holder Krey Bratsen (245 - 2011-014), Kevin Gonzalez (236 - 2008-11), Brodie Green (228 - 2007-10), Kyle Colligan (218 - 2006-09) and Brandon Wood (204 - 2010-13).
For his career, Allemand is hitting .286 (195-for-683) with 18 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 87 RBI and 29 stolen bases. He has made 191 career starts, including 47 in 2012, 61 in 2013 and 53 in 2014.
BANKS EARNS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
NICK BANKS picked up a pair of Preseason All-America honors. The sophomore outfielder was named to the Perfect Game's 2015 Preseason College All-America Second Team and D1Baseball.com Preseason All-America Second Team.
As a freshman, Banks batted .327 with 29 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 26 RBI and seven stolen bases. In 30 SEC contests, Banks ranked fourth in the league with a .360 batting average, going 41-for-114 with seven doubles, one triple, one home run, 15 runs and 16 RBI.
Following his successful rookie campaign, Banks earned Freshman All-America recognition from National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association and Collegiate Baseball. He was named All-SEC Second Team as well as earning a place on the SEC All-Freshman squad. Banks and Florida's Logan Shore were the only two freshmen to earn All-SEC status in 2014.
Banks is living up to the hype in 2015, batting .435 (47-for-108) with 28 runs, six doubles, two triples, two home runs, 20 RBI and five stolen bases. He has reached base via walk, hit or HBP in all 29 of his games, sporting a .496 on-base percentage.
PITCHER WEDGE
Kyle Simonds marks the only player on the squad to not play high school baseball. Simonds spent his springs at Grand Island (Neb.) Central Catholic High School playing golf. Skilled on the links, Simonds qualified for the Nebraska Class C state tournament all four years, finishing 11th at the championship as a junior. He got his share of baseball in the summers staring for American Legion squad Home Federal. He went 2-for-2 with one double, one home run and three RBI at the Cornhusker League All-Star Game in July 2012.
Simonds honed his pitching skills at Hutchinson Community College where he blossomed last year. As a sophomore, he was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Pitcher of the Year, posting a 13-0 record (13 wins led the nation) and a 2.30 ERA. He broke single season school records for wins (13), complete-games (nine), shutouts (three) and strikeouts (103) in 2014.
The northpaw has been impressive in his nine appearances this season. Simonds has not yielded an earned run in 25.2 innings, striking out 19 and scattering 14 hits and 10 walks. In his first career outing, he retired 12 of 13 batters he faced with the only batter reaching base on a HBP, blanking Holy Cross for 4.0 innings with four strikeouts. Simonds earned his first career win working 2.1 innings, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out one in a 4-1 victory against UTPA. Last Saturday, Simonds worked 5.0 innings of relief, allowing one unearned run to help the Aggies' secure their 24th consecutive win, setting an SEC record. In his first career start, Simonds allowed just two unearned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one in 5.0 innings.
STOUT BULLPEN
The Aggie bullpen has been tested more frequently as the season has progressed and are stepping up to the challenge. Thirteen pitchers have combined to work 112.0 innings out of the bullpen, posting a 10-1 record, nine saves, a 1.69 ERA, 83 hits and 34 walks while striking out 103. The bullpen sports a WHIP of 1.04, opponent batting average of .208 and a 3.03-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At the Houston College Classic, the bullpen allowed just one hit in 7.2 innings of scoreless relief.
In games decided four runs or less, the Aggie bullpen owns a 0.83 ERA and is holding opponents to a .211 batting average. ANDREW VINSON has 10 appearances in those games scattering five hits while striking out nine in 13.2 scoreless innings.
SEEMS LIKE JUST LAST YEAR
Texas A&M is averaging 2.9 more runs per game and sporting a batting average .042 higher than the same point last season. Here's a comparison of the Aggies offensive numbers through 30 games in 2014 and 2015.
|
|
2014 |
2015 |
|
W-L |
18-12 |
28-2 |
|
SEC W-L |
4-5 |
7-2 |
|
Batting Average |
.279 |
.321 |
|
Runs Per Game |
5.0 |
7.9 |
|
Runs |
150 |
237 |
|
Home Runs |
10 |
31 |
|
RBI |
139 |
221 |
|
Slugging Percentage |
.363 |
.477 |
|
On-Base Percentage |
.357 |
.417 |
STREAKS
• On March 7, NICK BANKS had a career-long 13-game hit streak snapped. The sophomore batted .438 (21-for-48) with four doubles, one triple, one home run and 14 RBI over the span. Banks has logged hits in 27 of the 29 games he's played this season.
• NICK BANKS has reached base (via walk, HBP or hit) in all 29 game he's played in 2015. He owns a .496 on-base percentage with 47 hits, 12 walks and two HBP over the span. It's the longest streak for an Aggie since Mikey Reynolds reached in 46 consecutive games in 2013.
• NICK BANKS enters the game on a seven-game hit streak. He is batting .520 (13-for-25) over the span with nine runs, two doubles, one home run and four RBI over the span.
• HUNTER MELTON has reached base in each of the last 13 games. He is batting .345 (17-for-48) over the span with 14 runs, four doubles, one home run and 11 RBI. He also has 10 walks and one HBP during the stretch for a .475 on-base percentage.
• RONNIE GIDEON enters the series with a career-long nine-game hit streak. He is batting .500 (17-for-34) over the span with three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI.
• LOGAN TAYLOR enters the series with a seven-game hit streak. He is batting .458 (11-for-24) over the span with one home run and 11 RBI. He has a .500 on-base percentage during the stretch.
• MITCHELL NAU enters the series with a seven-game hit streak. He is batting .353 (12-for-34) over the span with one home run and 10 RBI.
• KYLE SIMONDS has a streak of 25.2 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run, covering nine outings. He has allowed three unearned runs, scattering 14 hits and 10 walks while striking out 19 over the span.
• RYAN HENDRIX has not allowed an earned run in nine outings in 2015, covering 11.1 innings. He has allowed one unearned run on nine hits and four walks while striking out 10 over the span.
• ANDREW VINSON is unscored upon in 14 outings in 2015, covering 16.1 innings. He's scattered seven hits while striking out 12 over the span.
• MATT KENT was the first Aggie pitcher since Brooks Raley in 2008 to register a win in each of his first five starts in a season.
• The Aggies have scored 10 or more runs in six of their last 11 games.
• The Aggies are on a 14-game win streak in midweek games. The string includes five games at the end of 2014, including wins over then-No. 16 Rice and then-No. 25 Sam Houston State.
• Prior to the ninth inning at UTSA, the Aggie bullpen strung together 34.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. The relievers held opponents to 18 hits and 14 walks while striking out 35 over the span.
A SERIES-OPENING FIX
One of the things that doomed the Aggies in 2014 was an inability to win the opening game of the weekend. Last year, A&M struggled the first night of series, going 3-11 in openers (3-13 if you count the SEC Tournament and NCAA Houston Regional). This season, the Maroon and White have already exceeded the opening night win tally with a 7-0 mark. On Friday nights, the Aggies are batting .293 and they have hit 11 of their 26 home runs. The pitching staff owns a 1.43 ERA and is holding opponents to a .186 batting average in series/tournament openers. Last year, A&M hit .227 in their series openers, averaging just 3.21 runs per game. The pitching staff posted a 3.62 ERA and yielded a .249 batting average to foes.
QUICK DRAW
The Aggies are outscoring opponents a combined 66-18 in the first two innings of games, including 37-15 in first innings and 29-3 in second innings.
In the first inning of games, the Aggies are batting .344 (44-for-128) with a .449 on-base percentage and .484 slugging percentage. The Maroon and White have drawn 24 walks and have been hit by two pitches. The extra-base hits include 10 doubles, one triple and two home runs.
In the first inning of games, the A&M pitching staff has held opponents to a .250 batting average (29-for-116) and have struck out 34 of the 128 batters they've faced (26.6%).
In the second inning of games, the Aggies are batting .305 (36-for-118) with a .400 on-base percentage and .542 slugging percentage. The Maroon and White have drawn 15 walks and have been hit by five pitches. The extra-base hits include five doubles, one triple and seven home runs.
In the second inning of games, the A&M pitching staff has held opponents to a .228 batting average (26-for-114) and have struck out 34 of the 121 batters they've faced (28.1%).
NINTH-INNING CLAMPS
The Aggie pitching staff has yielded just six earned runs in the ninth inning or extra innings, a body of work that includes 31.0 innings and all six of the earned runs have come with Texas A&M leading by four or more runs.
The bullpen, which has yielded just five runs, four unearned, in the ninth inning and extra frames, has allowed just 20 hits and 15 walks in the 30.2 innings, with 34 strikeouts. MARK ECKER has accounted for 10.0 innings, yielding only two hits and three walk while striking out 12. RYAN HENDRIX has worked 9.0 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, scattering eight hits and three walks while striking out nine.
FINISHING STRONG
Texas A&M has outscored opponents 76-26 combined in innings 7-9 plus extra innings, including 30-8 in the seventh inning and 42-11 in the eighth inning. Opponents are outscoring the Aggies 7-3 in the ninth inning, but A&M has batted in the ninth just seven times while the foe has gotten their ninth-inning hacks in 29 of the 30 games. Texas A&M is outscoring opponents 1-0 in extra innings.
BOUNCE BACK
The Aggies bounced back in grand fashion after each of their two losses, toppling UTSA 11-1 and besting Missouri 14-6. Two games marked the two highest hit totals on the season, including 19 against UTSA and 17 against Missouri. The Aggies hit a combined .414 (36-for-87) and averaged 12.5 runs per game in the two contests. NICK BANKS hit .833 (5-for-6) with four runs, one RBI and one stolen base in the two games. LOGAN TAYLOR batted .667 (4-for-6) with three runs, one home run and six RBI.
WEEKEND ROTATION
The Aggies' weekend rotation had their only misstep of the season at Alabama, logging just 10.2 innings and posting a 6.75 ERA and .302 batting average. In the other six weekends, the starting rotation worked over 15 innings and registered an ERA of under 3.00.
STARTING PITCHER COMBINED STATISTICS
|
|
ERA |
W-L |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
OBA |
WHIP |
K/BB |
|
HOLY CROSS |
2.87 |
2-0 |
15.2 |
14 |
9 |
5 |
7 |
15 |
.230 |
1.34 |
2.14 |
|
PENN STATE |
1.02 |
3-0 |
17.2 |
15 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
18 |
.224 |
1.19 |
3.00 |
|
DARTMOUTH |
2.50 |
2-0 |
18.0 |
19 |
8 |
5 |
4 |
19 |
.271 |
1.28 |
4.75 |
|
Houston College Classic |
0.93 |
2-0 |
19.1 |
13 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
25 |
.191 |
0.72 |
25.00 |
|
AUBURN |
2.50 |
3-0 |
20.1 |
17 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
21 |
.213 |
0.97 |
7.00 |
|
at Alabama |
6.75 |
1-1 |
10.2 |
13 |
9 |
8 |
4 |
16 |
.302 |
1.59 |
4.00 |
|
MISSOURI |
1.69 |
1-0 |
16.0 |
15 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
11 |
.250 |
1.25 |
2.20 |
FOR STARTERS
Aggie starting pitchers have been solid in 2015, posting a 18-1 record with a 2.26 ERA after 30 games. A&M starters are holding opponents to a .241 batting and boast a 3.93-to-1 strikeouts-to-walk ratio (169/43). After a rough outing his first time out, GRAYSON LONG has regrouped in his last six starts. Over the span, he is 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 36.0 innings of work. He has allowed just eight runs, six earned, on 24 hits and 10 walks while striking out 45 during the stretch. Matt Kent is 6-0 with a 2.78 ERA, allowing 17 runs, 14 earned, in 45.1 innings of work. The junior lefty boasts four of A&M's five longest starts. He has issued just three walks on the season, while striking out 37. Out for the remainder of the season, AJ Minter (2-0) was a star the first four weeks, posting a 0.43 ERA, has held opponents to a .213 batting average and has allowed just six runs, one earned, while striking out 29 in 21.0 innings over his first four starts.
DINGER WATCH
The Aggies already have 31 home runs on the season. Last year, A&M hit just 25 home runs on the year. The Aggies had just 10 home runs at this point in the season in 2014. A&M has hit 11 of their 31 home runs in series openers. On Tuesday, the Aggies hit five home runs and set a school record with four home runs in the third inning of their 19-4 win against Sam Houston State.
MEN IN BLACK
The Aggies have a new black uniform in their wardrobe for the 2015 season. The squad is only permitted to wear the jerseys for games in which they are trying to complete a series sweep. They have had the opportunity to don the black unis on seven occasions this season, going 6-1. The uniforms have been especially friendly to the pitching staff that owns a 1.97 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 64.0 innings of work in the look.
MEATGRINDER
Starting with the three-game series at Alabama, 24 of Texas A&M's last 34 games will be against teams that advanced to the 2014 NCAA Championship. The gauntlet includes seven SEC weekend series against NCAA tournament teams, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and South Carolina, two games against Sam Houston State and one game against Rice. The Aggies are currently 6-2 in the stretch.
BALANCED ATTACK
Coach Childress has the potential to pencil in a lineup that can include seven players with 20 to 27 RBI. MITCHELL NAU leads the squad with 27 RBI followed by LOGAN TAYLOR with 26 and RONNIE GIDEON with 25. BLAKE ALLEMAND has 22 RBI followed by HUNTER MELTON with 21 and NICK BANKS and RYNE BIRK with 20 apiece.
UP NEXT
The Aggies host the Rice Owls in a 6:35 pm game Tuesday on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.