COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 1 Texas A&M Aggies begin a pivotal nine-game homestand Tuesday when they host the No. 13 Rice Owls. Following the nine-game stretch that includes three-game series against Mississippi State and Arkansas, the Aggies will play 10 of their last 14 games on the road, so the Maroon and White look to embrace the friendly confines of Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park during the span. The Aggie hitters have enjoyed a recent power surge, blasting 10 home runs in the last three games, including five in last Tuesday's 19-4 win against Sam Houston State. Texas A&M has won its last 14 midweek contests, a streak that includes a 6-5 win over then No. 11 Rice last season at Reckling Park. Tuesday's game will mark the 200th career game for Blake Allemand, the 17th Aggie to hit the milestone.
#1* TEXAS A&M AGGIES (30-2, 9-2 SEC) vs #13* RICE OWLS (22-12, 11-4 C-USA)
Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park (6,100) • College Station, Texas
* - The USA Today Coaches Poll will be used for the entirety of 2015
SCHEDULE - Tuesday, 6:35 pm
RADIO - Sports Radio 1150 The Zone • Dave South (play-by-play)
LIVE VIDEO - SEC Network+ (WatchESPN credentials required through cable provider) - 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), 2 (D1B), 2 (BA), 2 (NCBWA); Rice - 12 (NCBWA), 13 (USAT), 14 (BA), 15 (D1B), 22 (CB)
SERIES HISTORY - Texas A&M leads 180-95-2. The Aggies have won the last three games
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• TUESDAY: #23 Turner Larkins (Fr., RHP, 4-1, 3.11 ERA) vs. TBA
ACROSS THE BOARD IMPROVEMENT
The Aggies are hitting .040 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 32 games from 2014 and 2015. .280
|
|
2014 |
2015 |
|
.264 |
.328 |
|
|
.333 |
.431 |
|
|
.150 |
.283 |
|
|
.167 |
.355 |
|
|
.264 |
.333 |
|
|
.294 |
.365 |
|
|
.269 |
.360 |
TEXAS A&M/RICE SERIES NOTABLES
The Aggies own a 180-95-2 edge in the all-time series. Rice won 28 of the 36 meetings between March 1994 and February 2009, but the Aggies have bounced back to win five of the last eight, including a pair of wins last season at Reckling Park.
Last season the Aggies ended the Owls' season in dramatic fashion. In an elimination game at the Houston Regional hosted by Rice, A&M erased a 6-0 deficit and defeated Rice, 9-8, in 10 innings. Krey Bratsen scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th. Trailing 8-7, the Aggies' 10th inning rally started when NICK CHORUBY reached on an infield single with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Jace Statum reached on an error, Bratsen hit a single to rightfield that drove in Choruby to tie the game. With runners on first and second, BLAKE ALLEMAND singled, but Statum was thrown out at home trying to score the winning run. With RYNE BIRK at the plate, Rice uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Bratsen to score the winning run. The Aggie comeback was highlighted by Cole Lankford's grand slam in the bottom of the seventh that cut the Owls' lead to 6-5.
In last season's regular-season meeting at Reckling Park the roles were nearly reversed as A&M opened up a 6-0 lead and had to fight off a late Rice charge to win 6-5.
MORE ON RICE
The Owls are 22-12 on the season and lead Conference USA with an 11-4 record. Rice has won seven of its last 10 games including series wins against Southern Miss and Middle Tennessee. The Owls also have series sweeps of Charlotte and Louisiana Tech in league action with their lone C-USA series defeat coming at the hands of Old Dominion. In non-conference action, Rice split four-game series with Texas and Stanford and won two of three at Arizona.
Rice is hitting .313 as a team, averaging 6.21 runs per game. The Owls boast three players with batting averages over .350, led by Kirby Taylor with a .405 average, seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 23 RBI. John Clay Reeves is hitting .377 with six doubles, four home runs and 35 RBI. Charlie Warren is batting .361 with four doubles, one triple, one home run and 19 RBI.
On the mound, Rice owns a 3.25 ERA and opponents are batting .250 against the staff. The Owls have a 2.81 K-to-BB ratio and 1.30 WHIP. Closer Matt Ditman is 2-1 with five saves, a 1.65 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.
All 20 of the Owls' NCAA Championship appearances have come in the last 20 years. Rice has made 10 super regional appearances and have advanced to the College World Series on seven occasions, with the last CWS appearance coming in 2008. The Owls won the national championship in 2003. Rice has strung together 20 consecutive 40-win seasons.
The Owls boast 32 former players who went on to Major League Baseball, headlined by six-time All-Star Lance Berkman, two-time AL batting champion Pete Runnels, former Nasty Boy Norm Charlton and 12-year veteran Jose Cruz Jr.
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.
TUESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER: #23 TURNER LARKINS
Making his eighth career start... owns a 5.33-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (32 K/6 BB)... bounced back two weeks after his first career loss with a win at UTSA... scattered two hits and two walks while striking out four in 6.0 innings against the Roadrunners... earned a win in his first career SEC and weekend start, holding Auburn to one run on four hits while striking out seven in 6.1 innings... was fantastic in his first career start, scattering five hits while striking out nine in 5.1 innings against Stephen F Austin... made quick work of Holy Cross in his first career outing, using just nine pitches to dispatch of the Crusaders in the eighth inning of the series finale win... selected on pick before Johnny Manziel in the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
LARKIN'S CAREER TOTALS
|
Year |
W-L |
ERA |
APP/GS |
SV |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
|
2015 |
4-1 |
3.11 |
10/8 |
0 |
37.2 |
40 |
14 |
13 |
8 |
37 |
.268 |
|
Career |
4-1 |
3.11 |
10/8 |
0 |
37.2 |
40 |
14 |
13 |
8 |
37 |
.268 |
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.
BARASH CATCHES THEM RED-HANDED
Aggie catcher MICHAEL BARASH has displayed a howitzer behind the plate this season, throwing out 10 of 22 attempted base stealers (45.5 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.
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 .284 (196-for-689) with 18 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 88 RBI and 29 stolen bases. He has made 193 career starts, including 47 in 2012, 61 in 2013 and 53 in 2014.
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 118.1 innings out of the bullpen, posting an 11-1 record, 11 saves, a 1.67 ERA, 89 hits and 35 walks while striking out 105. The bullpen sports a WHIP of 1.05, opponent batting average of .211 and a 3.0-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 0.86 ERA and is holding opponents to a .211 batting average. ANDREW VINSON has 11 appearances in those games, allowing just one run, scattering eight hits while striking out 10 in 16.1 scoreless innings. MARK ECKER has allowed just two unearned runs in the contests, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out 12 in 9.1 innings.
SEEMS LIKE JUST LAST YEAR
Texas A&M is averaging 2.7 more runs per game and sporting a batting average .040 higher than the same point last season. Here's a comparison of the Aggies offensive numbers through 32 games in 2014 and 2015.
|
|
2014 |
2015 |
|
W-L |
19-13 |
30-2 |
|
SEC W-L |
5-6 |
9-2 |
|
Batting Average |
.280 |
.320 |
|
Runs Per Game |
5.1 |
7.8 |
|
Runs |
164 |
248 |
|
Home Runs |
10 |
36 |
|
RBI |
150 |
232 |
|
Slugging Percentage |
.361 |
.483 |
|
On-Base Percentage |
.358 |
.415 |
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 29 of the 31 games he's played this season.
• NICK BANKS has reached base (via walk, HBP or hit) in all 31 game he's played in 2015. He owns a .489 on-base percentage with 50 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 nine-game hit streak. He is batting .485 (16-for-33) over the span with 11 runs, two doubles, two home runs and six RBI over the span.
• LOGAN TAYLOR enters the game with a nine-game hit streak. He is batting .448 (13-for-29) over the span with one home run and 12 RBI. He has a .484 on-base percentage during the stretch.
• MITCHELL NAU enters the game with a nine-game hit streak. He is batting .366 (15-for-41) over the span with 11 runs, two home runs and 12 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.
• 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.
• The Aggies have three consecutive games with multiple home runs, including five last Tuesday in a 19-4 win against Sam Houston State. The Maroon and White have 10 home runs during the stretch.
DINGER WATCH
The Aggies already have 36 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 13 of their 36 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. A&M added five more home runs in the doubleheader sweep at Kentucky.
BALANCED ATTACK
Coach Childress has the potential to pencil in a lineup that can include eight players with 20 to 29 RBI. MITCHELL NAU leads the squad with 29 RBI followed by LOGAN TAYLOR with 27 and RONNIE GIDEON with 26. BLAKE ALLEMAND has 24 RBI followed by NICK BANKS with 22 and JB MOSS and HUNTER MELTON with 21 apiece. RYNE BIRK closes out the group with 20.
1,000 WINS AT OLSEN FIELD
With their win in the Saturday game against Auburn, the Aggies secured their 1,000th win at the friendly confines of Olsen Field. Playing their 38th season at the now-Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, the Maroon and White are 1,005-325-4 (.755) at the corner of George Bush Drive and Olsen Boulevard.
UP NEXT
The Aggies continue the nine-game homestand with a three-game series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs beginning on Friday. First pitches are slated for 6:35 pm on Friday, 2:05 pm on Saturday and 1:05 pm on Sunday.