COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 1 Texas A&M Aggies open the second half of the SEC slate hosting the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Maroon and White enter the series holding a half-game edge over Vanderbilt in the league standings and a 1.5 game advantage over LSU in the SEC Western Division standings. Texas A&M looks to win its 10th consecutive weekend series.
#1 TEXAS A&M AGGIES (34-3, 11-3 SEC) vs ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS (22-16, 7-8 SEC)
Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park (6,100) • College Station, Texas
SCHEDULE - Friday, 6:35 pm • Saturday 7:33 pm • Sunday, 3:03 pm
TELEVISION - Saturday (ESPNU) and Sunday (SEC Network) • Matt Stewart (play-by-play), Mike Rooney (color analyst)
RADIO - Sports Radio 1150 The Zone • Dave South (play-by-play)
LIVE VIDEO - SEC Network+ (WatchESPN credentials required through cable provider) - Friday - Will Johnson (play-by-play), Mark Johnson (color analyst)
LIVE AUDIO - 12thMan.com • radioaggieland.com (free)
LIVE STATS - 12thMan.com
RANKINGS - Texas A&M - 1 (USAT), 1 (CB), 1 (D1B), 1 (BA), 1 (NCBWA); Arkansas - unranked
SERIES HISTORY - Texas A&M leads 40-34-1
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• FRIDAY: #38 Grayson Long (Jr., RHP, 7-0, 2.12 ERA) vs. #21 Trey Killian (Jr., RHP, 1-2, 3.74 ERA)
• SATURDAY: #27 Ryan Hendrix (So., RHP, 3-0, 0.42 ERA) vs. #25 Dominic Taccolini (So., RHP, 5-3, 4.41 ERA)
• SUNDAY: #31 Matt Kent (Jr., LHP, 6-0, 3.12 ERA) vs. #11 Keaton McKinney (Fr., RHP, 2-1, 4.00 ERA)
ACROSS THE BOARD IMPROVEMENT
The Aggies are hitting .039 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 37 games from 2014 and 2015.Â
TEXAS A&M/ARKANSAS SERIES NOTABLES
Texas A&M and Arkansas have met on 71 prior occasions with the Aggies owning an 40-34-1 advantage in the all-time series. The 75 meetings is the most for the Aggies against an old guard SEC squad. This marks the first time the teams have played in College Station as SEC brethren. The last two seasons the squads have met in Fayetteville.
Arkansas won two of three in 2013, with A&M's lone win coming on the back of a grand slam by Jonathan Moroney in the Friday night game.
Last year, the teams met on four occasions. In the three-game series in Fayetteville, A&M avoided the sweep with a 10-inning win on Sunday. LOGAN NOTTEBROK hit the go-ahead home run in the top of the 10th inning. In the home half of the 10th, AJ MINTER entered the game with no outs and bases loaded and recorded two strikeouts and a flyout to earn the save. The Razorbacks eliminated A&M in the first round of the SEC Tournament as Trey Killian (6.0 IP) and Zach Jackson (3.0 IP) combined on a 4-0 shutout.
Sixty of the meetings came between 1974-91 when both teams were members of the Southwest Conference. The Aggies owned a 32-28 record during the SWC era.
MORE ON ARKANSAS
Arkansas enters the contest with a 22-16 overall record and 7-8 mark in SEC play. After a 14-14 start, the Razorbacks have rebounded to win eight of their last 10, including 4 of 6 in SEC play.
The Razorbacks are hitting .298 on the season with a .457 slugging percentage and .390 on-base percentage. Andrew Benintendi is the top power threat in the SEC with 14 home runs. He's hitting .356 on the year with six doubles, two triples, 41 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Tyler Spoon is hitting .343 with 15 doubles, one triple four home runs and 32 RBI. Bobby Wernes is hitting .343 with five doubles, five triples, three home runs and 18 RBI.
Arkansas' pitching staff owns a 4.33 ERA with 299 strikeouts (180 walks) in 337.0 innings. Ace Trey Killian missed a few starts early in the year, but he is 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA and 23 strikeouts in six starts. Dominic Taccolini leads the team in wins at 5-3 with a 4.41 ERA and 44 strikeouts in nine starts. Closer Zach Jackson is 3-0 with four saves and a 2.14 ERA.
The Razorbacks have a proud baseball tradition, including seven trips to the College World Series with two coming in the last six years. Arkansas has earned a bid in the NCAA Championship on 27 occasions, including each of the last 13 years.
Arkansas boasts 51 former players who have gone on to play in the Major Leagues. The group is led by 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee, 13-year veteran and 2002 American League Rookie of the Year Eric Hinske.
FRIDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER:Â #38 GRAYSON LONG
SEC Pitcher of the Week twice in 2015... four 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 eight starts he's 7-0 with a 1.33 ERA, 55 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP... enters play as the Aggies' active leader in wins (17), innings pitched (186.1) and strikeouts (153)... 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.
SATURDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER:Â #27 RYAN HENDRIX
Making his second career start and first start in 2015... stellar in the bullpen, logging a 3-0 record and five saves in 14 outings... worked 4.1 innings last Sunday, retiring the first 12 batters he faced before allowing a hit with two outs in the ninth inning... this season he has worked the ninth inning on 11 occasions logging a .220 opponent batting average and 0.82 ERA.
SUNDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER:Â #31 MATT KENT
Induced three inning-ending double plays two weeks ago 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... owns a 10.75-to-1 K/BB ratio in 2015 and 6.86-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... 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.
BARASH CATCHES THEM RED-HANDED
Aggie catcher MICHAEL BARASH has displayed a howitzer behind the plate this season, throwing out 12 of 23 attempted base stealers (47.8 percent). His numbers are even more impressive in SEC action where he has thrown out five of eight (62.5 percent) of would-be base stealers. Two weeks ago, he kept the aggressive Missouri Tigers' run game in check throwing out two of the four attempted base stealers.
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 .407 (55-for-135) with 33 runs, seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 26 RBI and five stolen bases. He has reached base via walk, hit or HBP in all 36 of his games, sporting a .467 on-base percentage.
ALLEMAND JOINS THE 200-GAMES CLUB
With his appearance against Rice on April 7, Blake Allemand became the 17th player in Aggie history to play in 200 games. Six 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 (203-for-709) with 21 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 91 RBI and 30 stolen bases. He has made 198 career starts, including 47 in 2012, 61 in 2013 and 53 in 2014.
MIDWEEK PERFECTION
The Aggies are 11-0 in midweek action this season, outscoring opponents 80-22. The A&M offense has been highlighted by NICK BANKS, batting .556 (20-for-33) with eight runs, three doubles and six RBI, and MITCHELL NAU, hitting .469 (15-for-32) with nine RBI. RONNIE GIDEON has four home runs and 12 RBI. The pitching staff has a 1.78 ERA and the Aggies have 104 strikeouts in 101.0 innings. TURNER LARKINS has started eight of the games, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.92 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 37.0 innings. The bullpen is 7-0 with five saves and a 1.05 ERA in midweek action.
Dating back to last season, the Aggies have won 16 consecutive midweek games.
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 36.0 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 23 hits and 16 walks in the 35.2 innings, with 41 strikeouts. MARK ECKER has accounted for 13.0 innings, yielding only four hits and four walks while striking out 16. RYAN HENDRIX has worked 11.0 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, scattering nine hits and three walks while striking out 12.
FINISHING STRONG
Texas A&M has outscored opponents 80-26 combined in innings 7-9 plus extra innings, including 33-9 in the seventh inning and 48-11 in the eighth inning. Opponents are outscoring the Aggies 7-3 in the ninth inning, but A&M has batted in the ninth just eight times while the foe has gotten their ninth-inning hacks in 33 of the 36 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 three losses, toppling UTSA 11-1, besting Missouri 14-6 and toppling Mississippi State 13-5. Two of the games marked the two highest hit totals on the season, including 19 against UTSA and 17 against Missouri. The Aggies hit a combined .405 (49-for-121) and averaged 12.7 runs per game in the two contests. LOGAN TAYLOR has hit .700 (7-for-10) with three runs, one home run and six RBI in the three games. NICK BANKS has batted .636 (7-for-11) with six runs, one home run and five RBI. RONNIE GIDEON has two home runs and nine RBI.
DINGER WATCH
The Aggies already have 42 home runs on the season. Last year, A&M hit just 25 home runs on the year. The Aggies had just 14 home runs at this point in the season in 2014. A&M has hit 14 of their 42 home runs in series openers. The Aggies have 20 home runs in their last 10 games, including five home runs in a 19-4 win against Sam Houston State. A&M added five more home runs in the doubleheader sweep at Kentucky and logged two in a 4-3 win over No. 13 Rice.
INHERITANCE TAX
In the Aggies' 3-2 win against Baylor, A&M's bullpen had a string of stranding 18 consecutive inherited runners snapped. The Aggie relievers have still been rather salty on the season, allowing just 17 of 80 (78.8 percent stranded) inherited runners to score. TY SCHLOTTMANN has been the most tested out of the bullpen and he has been up to the task, stranding 18 of his 23 inherited runners (78.3 percent). ANDREW VINSON has left 14 of the 19 ducks he inherited on the pond. KYLE SIMONDS has stranded six of the seven runners he has inherited and JASON FREEMAN has stranded all four inherited runners. Against Prairie View A&M, Aggie relievers entered the game with seven baserunners, including bases loaded on two occasions, and they didn't yield a run. In the doubleheader sweep of Kentucky, the Aggies allowed just one of six inherited runners to score. Last Tuesday against Rice, the bullpen stranded six of seven inherited runners.
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 139.2 innings out of the bullpen, posting an 14-1 record, 14 saves, a 1.55 ERA, 102 hits and 39 walks while striking out 130. The bullpen sports a WHIP of 1.01, opponent batting average of .216 and a 3.33-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At the Houston College Classic, the bullpen allowed just one hit in 7.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Texas A&M's bullpen has outstanding numbers in two key stats. The Aggie relievers have retired 73.6 percent (81-of-110) of the first batters they have faced. They've also stranded 78.8 percent (63-of-80) of the runners they have inherited.
In games decided four runs or less, the Aggie bullpen owns a 0.73 ERA and is holding opponents to a .208 batting average. ANDREW VINSON has 14 appearances in those games with a 3-0 record, allowing just one run, scattering 11 hits while striking out 15 in 19.2 scoreless innings. MARK ECKER has allowed just two unearned runs in the contests, allowing five hits and four walks while striking out 16 in 12.1 innings, posting six saves. RYAN HENDRIX has appeared in 11 of the contests, allowing two runs, one earned, on 11 hits and six walks while striking out 11 in 15.0 innings. He has a 2-0 mark, five saves and a 0.60 ERA in the tight games.
SEEMS LIKE JUST LAST YEAR
Texas A&M is averaging 2.0 more runs per game and sporting a batting average .039 higher than the same point last season. Here's a comparison of the Aggies offensive numbers through 37 games in 2014 and 2015.
STREAKS
• In Tuesday's game, NICK BANKS had 13-game hit streak snapped. It equaled the longest streak of his career. He is batted .429 (21-for-49) over the span with 14 runs, three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI. On March 7, he had his other 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 33 of the 36 games he's played this season.
• NICK BANKS has reached base (via walk, HBP or hit) in all 36 game he's played in 2015. He owns a .467 on-base percentage with 55 hits, 14 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.
• MITCHELL NAU enters the game with a career-long 14-game hit streak. He is batting .404 (23-for-57) over the span with 14 runs, three home runs and 14 RBI.
• In his start last Saturday, KYLE SIMONDS has a streak of 29.1 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run, covering 11 outings, snapped. He has allowed three unearned runs, scattering 17 hits and 10 walks while striking out 21 over the span.
• The Aggies are on a 16-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.
• The Aggies have won their last 28 regular-season non-conference games, including 23 in a row this season.
• LOGAN NOTTEBROK has a home run in each of his last three starts. His dingers have come in the series finale against Missouri and midweek games against Sam Houston State and Rice. Over the three starts, Nottebrok is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with one double, three home runs and seven RBI.
QUICK DRAW
The Aggies are outscoring opponents a combined 73-24 in the first two innings of games, including 42-19 in first innings and 31-5 in second innings.
In the first inning of games, the Aggies are batting .342 (52-for-152) with a .434 on-base percentage and .487 slugging percentage. The Maroon and White have drawn 25 walks and have been hit by two pitches. The extra-base hits include 11 doubles, one triple and three home runs.
In the first inning of games, the A&M pitching staff has held opponents to a .237 batting average (33-for-139) and have struck out 40 of the 154 batters they've faced (26.0%).
In the second inning of games, the Aggies are batting .295 (41-for-139) with a .388 on-base percentage and .496 slugging percentage. The Maroon and White have drawn 18 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 .241 batting average (33-for-137) and have struck out 40 of the 150 batters they've faced (26.7%).
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. The Aggies were unable to wear black jerseys in their series finale at Kentucky as the Wildcats elected to wear black in the second game of the doubleheader.
MEATGRINDER
Starting with the three-game series at Alabama, 23 of Texas A&M's last 33 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 12-3 in the stretch.
BALANCE OF POWER
Coach Childress has the potential to pencil in a lineup that can include nine players with at least three home runs. LOGAN TAYLOR leads the team with eight home runs, followed closely by RONNIE GIDEON with seven. JB MOSS checks in with five home runs, followed by NICK BANKS and LOGAN NOTTEBROK with four. apiece BLAKE ALLEMAND, RYNE BIRK, HUNTER MELTON and MITCHELL NAU all have three home runs.
AGGIES PERFECT IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The Aggies are 23-0 in non-conference play this season. In non-league play, the Aggie pitching staff owns a 1.77 ERA and is holding opponents to a .224 batting average. The staff has a 1.07 WHIP and 4.06 K-to-BB ratio during the span. On offense, the Aggies are hitting .317 in non-conference action with NICK BANKS (.425) and MITCHELL NAU (.425) both hitting over .400. Texas A&M owns a 28-game win streak in regular-season non-conference play dating back to 2014.
UP NEXT
The Aggies wrap up the current nine-game homestand on Tuesday when they host UT Arlington for a 2:05 pm matinee on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.