A&M Travels to Alabama to Battle the Crimson Tide
Mar 19, 2015 | Baseball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M Aggies leave the Lone Star State for the first time in 2015, taking their perfect 22-0 mark to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium for a three-game series hosted by the Alabama Crimson Tide. With the their on-campus venue, Sewell-Thomas Stadium, under renovation, the Tide had their home slate moved to the Hoover Met. The Aggies head into the weekend series with a one-game lead over Alabama (2-1) and LSU (2-1) in the SEC Western Division. Despite a pair of injuries to starting pitchers, A&M has been dominant on the mound, posting a 1.66 ERA and holding opponents to a .220 batting average. The trio of Aggie starting pitchers slated for the weekend (GRAYSON LONG, MATT KENT, TURNER LARKINS) are a combined 11-0 with a 2.47 ERA in 15 starts. The A&M offense is batting averaging 7.64 runs per game and boast a .309 team average, with seven everyday starters .hitting over .300. Nick Banks, who has reached base in all 21 games he has played in 2015, leads the team with a .425 batting average.
#4 TEXAS A&M AGGIES (22-0, 3-0 SEC) vs. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (12-7, 2-1 SEC)
Hoover Metropolitan Stadium (10,800) • Hoover, Alabama
SCHEDULE - Friday - 7:00 pm • Saturday - 3:00 pm • Sunday - 1:00 pm
RADIO - Sports Radio 1150 The Zone • Dave South (play-by-play)
LIVE VIDEO - SEC Network+ (WatchESPN credentials required through cable provider)
LIVE AUDIO - 12thMan.com • radioaggieland.com (free)
LIVE STATS - 12thMan.com/tamustats.com (mobile devices)
RANKINGS - Texas A&M - 2 (CB), 4 (USAT), 5 (D1B), 5 (BA), 5 (NCBWA); Alabama - unranked
SERIES HISTORY - Tied 4-4
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• FRIDAY: #38 Grayson Long (Jr., RHP, 4-0, 2.20 ERA) vs. #20 Taylor Guilbeau (Sr, LHP , 2-1, 2.56 ERA)
• SATURDAY: #31 Matt Kent (Jr., LHP, 5-0, 2.80 ERA) vs. #18 Will Carter (Jr., RHP, 1-2, 4.50 ERA)
• SUNDAY: #23 Turner Larkins (Fr., RHP, 2-0, 2.33 ERA) vs. #15 Geoffrey Bramblett (So, RHP , 3-1, 3.90 ERA)
FOLLOWING THE ACTION
• RADIO — Fans can listen to all games locally on SportsRadio 1150 The Zone... Dave South (play-by-play) and selected commentators will call the action... pregame show begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch.
• MOBILE PHONE — listen to the game on your iPhone, Blackberry or PDA free of charge ... log on to RadioAggieland.com for more information.
A FRIDAY NIGHT 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 5-0 mark. On Friday nights, the Aggies are batting .313 and they have hit 11 of their 21 home runs. The pitching staff owns a 1.00 ERA and is holding opponents to a .168 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 52-9 in the first two innings of games, including 27-7 in first innings and 25-2 in second innings.
In the first inning of games, the Aggies are batting .330 (30-for-91) with a .447 on-base percentage and .484 slugging percentage. The Maroon and White have drawn 19 walks and have been hit by two pitches. The extra-base hits include nine doubles, one triple and one home run.
In the first inning of games, the A&M pitching staff has held opponents to a .241 batting average (20-for-83) and have struck out 28 of the 92 batters they've faced (30.4%).
In the second inning of games, the Aggies are batting .333 (29-for-87) with a .439 on-base percentage and .586 slugging percentage. The Maroon and White have drawn 13 walks and have been hit by five pitches. The extra-base hits include five doubles, one triple and five home runs.
In the second inning of games, the A&M pitching staff has held opponents to a .207 batting average (17-for-82) and have struck out 25 of the 83 batters they've faced (30.1%).
NINTH-INNING CLAMPS
The Aggie pitching staff has yet to yielded just two run in the ninth inning or extra innings, a body of work that includes 24.0 innings and both the runs came in the Saturday win against Auburn where A&M was leading 10-2 entering the frame. The bullpen, which has not yielded a run in the in the ninth, has allowed just 12 hits and seven walks in the 23.2 innings, with 29 strikeouts. MARK ECKER has accounted for 9.0 innings, yielding only two hits and one walk while striking out 12. RYAN HENDRIX has worked 7.0 innings, scattering five hits and one walk while striking out eight.
FINISHING STRONG
Texas A&M has outscored opponents 59-13 combined in innings 7-9 plus extra innings, including 26-3 in the seventh inning and 32-8 in the eighth inning. A&M has been outscored 2-0 in the ninth inning, but A&M has batted in the ninth just twice while the foe has gotten their ninth-inning hacks in all 22 games. Texas A&M is outscoring opponents 1-0 in extra innings.
TEXAS A&M/ALABAMA SERIES NOTABLES
Texas A&M and Alabama have met on eight prior occasions with the series tied at 4-4.
The teams played twice at the Continental Airlines Aggie Baseball Classic in 1995, with the Aggies winning 6-2 and 5-4. The teams squared off again once in at the 2003 NCAA College Station Regional where the Aggies won 16-5 before losing two games to eventual regional champion Houston.
In 2013, the Crimson Tide won both games of a rain-shortened series in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won by identical scores of 3-2, taking early 3-0 leads in both games and fighting off late charges by the Aggies.
Last season, Alabama took two of three games in College Station. The Crimson Tide won the opener 5-1 with the Aggies bouncing back for a 13-8 victory in the second game. Alabama captured the series with two runs in the ninth inning of the final game to register a 6-4 win. NICK BANKS led the Aggies offense last season, hitting .500 (6-for-12) while RONNIE GIDEON hit .429 (3-for-7) in two games.
MORE ON ALABAMA
Alabama enters the weekend tied with LSU one game behind the Aggies in the SEC Western Division with a 2-1 mark and the Crimson Tide are 12-7 overall and winners of five of their last seven games.
The Crimson Tide is hitting .288 on the season with a .363 on-base percentage and .420 slugging percentage. Alabama boasts two players hitting over .400, including Casey Hughston (.473, 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 24 RBI and eight SB) and Mikey White (.420, 8 doubles, five triples, two home runs and 21 RBI).
Alabama's pitching staff owns a 3.91 ERA and .238 opponent batting average. Among the weekend rotation, Taylor Guilbeau has the lowest ERA (2.56) and owns a 2-1 record and 31 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. Closer Thomas Burrow is 0-2 with four saves, a 2.57 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 14.0 innings.
The Crimson Tide has made five College World Series appearances, including 1950, 1983, 1996, 1997, 1999. They have made 24 NCAA Championship appearances including six of the last seven seasons.
Alabama boasts 64 former players who have gone on to play in the Major Leagues. The group is headlined by Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame infielder Joe Sewell and three-time MLB All-Star Frank Lary who earned the nickname “The Yankee Killer” for his 27 wins over New York during his career.
BIG INNINGS
The Aggies have been producing plenty of big innings early in the 2015 campaign. The Maroon and White have scored multiple runs in 47 of their 180 innings on the year. Texas A&M has had 27 innings with at least three runs and 12 “Big Innings” with at least four runs. Twice in 2015, A&M has logged seven runs, including the second inning of the season opener against Holy Cross and in the seventh inning of the second game of the year. The Aggies have batted through the lineup six times this season, including twice in the Aggies' 11-2 win against Prairie View A&M.
FRIDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER: #38 GRAYSON LONG
Named Most Outstanding Player at the Houston College Classic two weeks ago, scattering three hits and striking out a career-high 10 batters without a walk in a 6-0 win against No. 16 Houston... in his four three starts he's 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA, 24 strikeouts and a 0.88 WHIP... enters play as the Aggies' active leader in wins (14), innings pitched (164.0) and strikeouts (122)... 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... best career outing came against Auburn last season when he worked 8.0 shutout innings, fanning seven while scattering seven hits and one walk to help A&M stave of a series sweep... also earned SEC wins against 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 |
3-0 |
2.20 |
5/5 |
0 |
28.2 |
20 |
10 |
7 |
11 |
29 |
.190 |
|
Career |
14-4 |
3.07 |
32/30 |
0 |
164.0 |
157 |
61 |
56 |
64 |
122 |
.255 |
SATURDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER: #31 MATT KENT
Named to the Houston College Classic All-Tournament team two weeks ago 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 four wins... owns a 16.5-to-1 K/BB ratio in 2015 and 7.12-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 |
5-0 |
2.80 |
5/5 |
0 |
35.1 |
37 |
13 |
11 |
2 |
33 |
.266 |
|
Career |
10-4 |
3.37 |
51/11 |
0 |
117.2 |
130 |
48 |
44 |
12 |
86 |
.283 |
SUNDAY'S PROBABLE STARTER: #23 TURNER LARKINS
Making his sixth career start and second career weekend start... 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... owns a 9.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio (27 K/3 BB)... 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... owns a 6.7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio... selected on pick before Johnny Manziel in the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
LARKINS' CAREER TOTALS
|
Year |
W-L |
ERA |
APP/GS |
SV |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
|
2015 |
2-0 |
2.33 |
7/5 |
0 |
27.0 |
28 |
8 |
7 |
3 |
27 |
.267 |
|
Career |
2-0 |
2.33 |
7/5 |
0 |
27.0 |
28 |
8 |
7 |
3 |
27 |
.267 |
SETTING THE TABLE
Aggie hitters leading off an inning have reached base in 82 of the 180 frames (.445), despite getting just 32 leadoff hits. A&M has drawn 38 walks and have been hit by seven pitches to start innings. The Aggies have five leadoff home runs on the year. LOGAN TAYLOR has reached base in seven of his 11 plate appearances leading off, with two home runs, three walk and one HBP. MITCHELL NAU has reached on nine of his 15 leadoff plate appearances, going 2-for-7 with four walks and two HBP. Other notables include BLAKE KOPETSKY (7-14), RONNIE GIDEON (6-8), and BLAKE ALLEMAND (17-35).
LISTEN AROUND THE WORLD
A&M fans in Bryan/College Station will find it easier to find baseball broadcasts as every game will air on SportsRadio 1150 The Zone. Free live audio of every pitch of the 2015 season is also available online at 12thMan.com. Fans across the world can listen to Aggie games free of charge on their iPhone, Blackberry and other selected PDAs and cell phones through the Radio Aggieland app. To check availability or to set up your device to listen to Aggie baseball all season long wherever you go, visit radioaggieland.com.
TRENDING UPWARD
The Aggies are one of just 22 schools to log 200 or more wins between 2010-14. Over the five-year span, Texas A&M is tied with Kent State for 17th place with 203 victories. The Maroon and White are 203-116-1 (.636) over the span. The SEC boasts six teams with over 200 wins between 2010-14, including South Carolina (245), Vanderbilt (240), LSU (227), Florida (216), Arkansas (208) and Texas. The six leads all conferences, trailed by the ACC (5), Pac 12 (4) and Big 12 (4).
ALLEMAND'S SENIORITY
Blake Allemand enters the season as the most senior of veterans on the squad. Heading into Tuesday's game, Allemand has played in 189 games. With 11 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 .279 (181-for-648) with 18 doubles, five triples, two home runs, 80 RBI and 27 stolen bases. He has made 183 career starts, including 47 in 2012, 61 in 2013 and 53 in 2014.
PITCHING 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 seven appearance this season. Simonds has not yielded a run in 15.2 innings, striking out 14 and scattering nine hits and seven 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 scattered three hits over 2.1 innings against Stephen F. Austin, striking out four. He blanked Penn State for two frames in the series opener and pitched two innings of A&M's 6-0 shutout of then-No. 16 Houston at the Houston College Classic. 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.
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 eight of 43 inherited runners to score. TY SCHLOTTMANN has been the most tested out of the bullpen and he has been up to the task, stranding 13 of his 14 inherited runners. KYLE SIMONDS has stranded five of the six 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.
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 77.2 innings out of the bullpen, posting an 8-0 record, eight saves, a 1.16 ERA, 51 hits and 20 walks while striking out 72. The bullpen sports a WHIP of 0.91, opponent batting average of .190 and a 3.60-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At the Houston College Classic, the bullpen allowed just one hit in 7.2 innings of scoreless relief.
The Aggie bullpen enters the Alabama series with a 16.2 inning scoreless string. The relievers are holding opponents to eight hits and 10 walks while striking out 17 over the span.
KYLE SIMONDS has worked the most innings, weaving 15.2 scoreless frames, scattering nine hits and seven walks while striking out 14 in seven appearances. He is 1-0 and owns one of the Aggies' eight saves, a four-inning outing in the season opener against Holy Cross. TY SCHLOTTMANN has been called on the most, with 13 appearances. The southpaw has worked 13.0 frames, earning a 2-0 record with 0.66 ERA, scattering seven hits and two walks while striking out 11. He has stranded 13 of 14 inherited baserunners. Eighth-inning set-up man ANDREW VINSON and dual closers RYAN HENDRIX and MARK ECKER have combined to work 28.0 scoreless innings – Vinson is 2-0, allowing four hits while striking out seven over 8.2 innings in nine outings; Hendrix has four saves and has scattered seven hits and three walks while striking out nine over 10.1 innings in eight outings; Ecker has three saves and has allowed just two hits while striking out 12 over 9.0 innings in eight outings.
SEEMS LIKE JUST LAST YEAR
Texas A&M is averaging 2.3 more runs per game and sporting a batting average .030 higher than the same point last season. Here's a comparison of the Aggies offensive numbers through 22 games in 2014 and 2015.
|
|
2014 |
2015 |
|
W-L |
15-7 |
22-0 |
|
Batting Average |
.279 |
.309 |
|
Runs Per Game |
5.32 |
7.64 |
|
Runs |
117 |
168 |
|
Home Runs |
9 |
21 |
|
RBI |
109 |
155 |
|
Slugging Percentage |
.380 |
.467 |
|
On-Base Percentage |
.364 |
.415 |
CLOSE SHAVES
The Aggies' road to 21-0 has had a few close calls.
Twice the Aggies trailed 3-0 going to the eighth inning, but escaped with victories. A&M trailed Dartmouth by three headed to the eighth of the series opener, but two-run dingers by HUNTER MELTON and LOGAN TAYLOR pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. The Aggies beat UTPA 4-3 in 11 innings after falling behind 3-0. In the eighth, BLAKE KOPETSKY drew a leadoff walk and, with one out, Taylor and GR HINSLEY hit back-to-back pinch-hit doubles and BLAKE ALLEMAND followed with the game-tying single. In the 11th, RONNIE GIDEON plated the winning run with a sacrifice fly.
At the Houston College Classic, the Aggies need an eighth-inning solo home run by JB MOSS to post a 2-1 win over Nebraska and held off a late charge by Baylor to post a 3-2 victory.
Last weekend, the Aggies trailed all three of their games against Auburn, but scored comfortable wins.
KENT HARDLY WAIT
MATT KENT has been a consistent performer in the first five weeks of the season. At 5-0, he is tied with for the SEC in victories on the mound. He is the first starting pitcher since Brooks Raley, in 2008, to earn a win in each of their first five starts in a season. The crafty southpaw has impeccable command with 33 strikeouts and just two walks on the season.
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 20 of the 21 games he's played in this season, currently on a seven-game win streak.
NICK BANKS has reached base (via walk, HBP or hit) in all 21 game he's played in 2015. He owns a .484 on-base percentage with 34 hits, eight walks and two HBP over the span.
KYLE SIMONDS is on a 15.2 inning scoreless streak, covering seven outings. He's scattered nine hits and seven walks while striking out 14 over the span.
RYAN HENDRIX is unscored upon in eight outings in 2015, covering 10.1 innings. He's scattered seven hits and three walks while striking out nine over the span.
ANDREW VINSON is unscored upon in 10 outings in 2015, covering 8.2 innings. He's scattered four hits while striking out seven over the span.
MARK ECKER has not allowed a run in his last 11 career outings, covering 13.0 innings. He's scattered three hits and three walks while striking out 16 over the span.
MATT KENT is 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 own a 20-game win streak at Blue Bell Park dating back to the 2014 season. It marks the Aggies' longest home win streak since they won 21 in a row at Olsen Field in 1990.
The Aggie bullpen enters the Alabama series with a 16.2 inning scoreless string. The relievers are holding opponents to eight hits and 10 walks while striking out 17 over the span.
WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND
The Aggies' bullpen has been untouchable the last three weekends. The crew has combined to work 23.0 scoreless innings, allowing just six hits and eight walks while striking out 20. Over the span, the relievers are holding opponents to a .083 batting average and boast a 0.61 WHIP.
MORE PITCHING AND BULLPEN NOTES
In the last 16 games, the Aggie bullpen has allowed three runs in 55.2 innings of work dating back to the Sunday contest against Penn State. The relief pitchers have scattered 30 hits and 17 walks while striking out 50 over the span. The run includes seven bullpen wins and seven saves. The stretch included a string of 23.0 consecutive innings without yielding a run and the current 16.2-inning scoreless string. Aggie relievers own a 0.49 ERA and have held opponents to a .162 batting average over the span.
In the last 19 games, Texas A&M pitchers have held opponents to 138 hits and 42 walks while striking out 178 in 173.0 innings of work. The staff owns a 1.51 ERA, .218 opponent batting average and 1.04 WHIP during the span.
The Aggie pitching staff was the talk of the Houston College Classic. The staff combined to post a 0.67 ERA and hold opponents to a .156 batting average during the tournament. A&M allowed three runs, just two earned, in 27.0 innings of work. The Aggies came two botched pickoff attempts away from allowing just one run total for the three games. The staff sported a 7.5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (30/4) and a miniscule 0.67 WHIP.
FOR STARTERS
Aggie starting pitchers have been solid in 2015, posting a 14-0 record with a 1.99 ERA after 22 games. A&M starters are holding opponents to a .237 batting and boast a 4.43-to-1 strikeouts-to-walk ratio (133/30). MATT KENT is 5-0 with a 2.80 ERA, allowing 13 runs, 11 earned, in 35.1 innings of work. The junior lefty boasts four of A&M's five longest starts. He has issued just two walks on the season, while striking out 33. After a rough outing his first time out, GRAYSON LONG has regrouped in his last four starts. Over the span, he is 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 25.0 innings of work. He has allowed just four runs, two earned, on 16 hits and six walks while striking out 24 during the stretch. 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 21 home runs on the season. Last year, A&M didn't hit their 21st home run until the 52nd game of the season and hit just 25 home runs on the year. The Aggies had just nine home runs at this point in the season in 2014. A&M has hit 11 of their 21 home runs on Friday nights.
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 six occasions this season, going 6-0. The uniforms have been especially friendly to the pitching staff that owns a 1.61 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 56.0 innings of work in the look.
INJURY BUG
The Aggies are currently playing without a pair of left-handed pitchers who figured into the weekend rotation.
TYLER STUBBLEFIELD suffered a knee injury in a preseason practice, Stubblefield picked up steam throughout his freshman campaign in 2014, having his best out of the season at the Houston Regional when he pitched his first career complete-game to top Texas. For the year Stubblefield went 4-2 last season with a 3.81 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 59.0 innings.
AJ MINTER suffered a season-ending elbow injury after shining the first four Friday's of the season. Minter went 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 21.0 innings before his junior season came to an end.
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.
UP NEXT
The Aggies hit the road again on Tuesday as they travel to San Antonio for a 6:30 pm game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Wolff Stadium.
