Feature: Omaha Stakes - 2016 Expectations High for Aggie Baseball

Tyler Stephenson, Texas A&M Media Relations
 
It's just a dot on the map for most Americans. For some it epitomizes the perfect Peyton Manning impersonation. But for college baseball players, the city of Omaha, Nebraska is the pinnacle of success, the highest stage of them all, the home of the NCAA Men's College World Series.
 
In 2010, the South Carolina Gamecocks raised the Division I baseball trophy for one last time in Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. The iconic red, yellow and blue seats would no longer hold any fans at the June classic.
 
Instead, the NCAA had decided to switch venues from the vintage ballpark to the new and modern TD Ameritrade Park.
 
The change was bittersweet, because so many memories were made in a stadium that was soon to be demolished. But the decision was made and all that could be done was to begin making new memories and transfer the special atmosphere, despite the change in scenery.
 
Texas A&M was one of the first teams to do so.
 
The Aggies had a remarkable run in the Big 12 in 2011, ending the season with a share of first place.
 
From there they emerged victorious from the College Station Regional, and upset Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional in order to become a part of the first College World Series of the new era.
 
The 2011 team faced obstacles along the way, including losing starting pitchers John Stilson and Ross Hales to injuries.
 
This was expected to cripple the Aggies. But instead, other players stepped up.
 
While star players like sophomore pitcher Michael Wacha and sophomore outfielder Tyler Naquin remained a consistent presence and anchored the lineup, players like junior pitcher Ross Stripling arose into the spotlight and helped carry the team.
 
Although it was a successful run, several small things had to go their way. For instance, a rainout in the College Station Regional allowed Wacha to obtain extra rest which helped the Aggies beat Arizona in a decisive 1-0 game.
 
"That team was so fun because we started off without major expectations," Stripling said. "We just gradually kept getting better and better and better. Everything just kind of came together perfectly for us at the right time. By the end of the year everything clicked and everything was perfectly synchronized."
 
Stripling said that while the team may have not have had as much talent as other years, their effort, motivation and strong team chemistry were never in question.
 
"I know for a fact we were the most prepared, physically and mentally," Naquin said. "A lot of guys sold out on their position. Baseball is a game that is a little bit selfish. But, to a certain extent, the rest of your ball club has to take care of their job.  And when everybody takes care of their single job, that creates a pretty good team. That's something that those guys did."
 
Just last year, Texas A&M was inches away from reaching TD Ameritrade Park again, but wasn't able to catch one of those lucky breaks. They lost a heartbreaking 16-inning game to the TCU Horned Frogs in the Fort Worth Super Regional in the deciding game.
 
While the Aggies are focused on the upcoming season, the players admit the sting of the loss still hasn't gone away completely.
 
"Obviously our team last year was really good and I see the same talent in this team too. Last year made kind of a sad ending to a good season," senior first baseman Hunter Melton said. "I feel like that's motivation, just trying to get better each and every day and not get ahead of ourselves."
 
After the 2015 season, Texas A&M lost several key players to both the MLB Draft and graduation.
 
"I think that's the biggest question," head coach Rob Childress said. "When you lose two nine-game winners [Matt Kent and Grayson Long] and guys like Logan Taylor, Blake Allemand and also Mitchell Nau, who was the first first-team SEC player that we've had in the history of our program, you're going to have to have some guys step up."
 
The roster holds a bevy of new faces, including not only freshmen, but junior college transfers. In addition to the new players poised to make a great impact, returning players will make a difference as well.
 
Childress emphasizes a next-man-up mentality and isn't worried about the talent he has to choose from, looking to players like Boomer White, Kyle Simonds, Jace Vines, Tyler Ivey and others to bring new energy and talent to Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
 
However, less than a month before opening day, not everything is set in stone.
 
"The pieces are there," Childress said. "It's just about us as a coaching staff finding the best place to put them in the puzzle so we can be the most successful we can be.
 
"The players write their name in the lineup, not me."
 
Though filling the voids is admittedly a difficult task, no one on the team seems concerned.
 
The players have faith in Childress' system, which has proven to be effective in his tenure at Texas A&M. Since taking the reins in June of 2005, Childress has only missed the NCAA Tournament once (his first year at A&M), making nine straight appearances entering the 2016 season. 
 
From the players' perspective, it's easy to see why the team has bought in to Childress' program. When asked about their head coach, players expressed high praise and the utmost respect.
 
"He doesn't try to be too powerful and dictate. He lets us be who we are, which makes our team closer together," senior pitcher Andrew Vinson said.
 
Childress has also been described as a father figure, or second dad to some, and a strong positive influence on who the players are, not only as athletes but also as people.
 
"He's a guy that's your biggest fan, but also your biggest critic," junior outfielder Nick Banks said. "He's going to make sure you have your head on straight at all times, on and off the field. It's like a tough love with him. If he's on you, it's because he cares about you."
 
Despite losing players, the team chemistry has remained, if not strengthened, in the Aggie locker room.
 
"The locker room is just as good as it was last year, maybe even better," Melton said. "We're starting to associate with the freshmen and younger guys, and new transfers, making it a priority to be with them and get them involved more. I think starting it out in the locker room takes it a long way out on the field."
 
Still, a core group of veterans anchors the Aggie roster, poised for a run at the title.
 
A&M returns five position players who started over 30 games last year: Banks, Melton, junior second baseman Ryne Birk, junior third baseman Ronnie Gideon and senior outfielder JB Moss.
 
Despite losing two aces, the pitching staff returns many players who saw a lot of action on the mound last year, such as Vinson, Ty Schlottmann, Ryan Hendrix and Turner Larkins.
 
Childress said that the pitchers have shown a lot of growth and impressed the coaches in the fall with their progression.
 
Banks, a preseason All-American, isn't worried about the hype surrounding him. Instead, he is focused on the team as a whole.
 
"I don't care about one-person awards," Banks said. "The only thing I care about is team success. I could hit .200, but as long as I have a championship with my teammates and get to experience that with my coaches, that's all that matters."
 
Coming into the season ranked No. 3 by Baseball America, the bar is set higher than last year for the Maroon and White. However, they don't pay any mind to it.
 
"I think it's great recognition for our program, our athletic department, our university," Childress said. "But at the end of the day, our goals and expectations are much higher than anyone else's outside our program."
 
Stripling faced high expectations as well. His freshman year the team started the season ranked No. 1, but ultimately didn't achieve the success that they wanted.
 
His words of advice for this year's team: "You have to have a short memory and stay together as a team. Don't blame anybody and don't get too down on yourself because that's just the way baseball is."
 
Naquin is still a presence in the Aggie program, working out in College Station in his off-seasons and spending time with the players.
 
"Having fun is overlooked so much, you get caught up in it," he said. "Baseball is a game of failure and you have to accept what it is. I believe that if you take care of your business and you work hard, the game of baseball is going to reward you in some type of way. Enjoy the ride because you don't want to wake up and regret that you didn't enjoy yourself while you were there."
 
Before Omaha is even a possibility, the Aggies must first take it one step at a time, going through non-conference games and contending in an always-rough SEC gauntlet.
 
Childress said that navigating a schedule of this difficulty is always a unique challenge.
 
"It's like eating an elephant," Childress said. "All you can do is take one bite at a time. If you start getting too far out in front of yourself, or if you start worrying about yesterday, you can get overwhelmed. Our job as a coaching staff is to keep our guys pointed forward and focused on today. Let's go out and have fun, play hard and focus on this day."
 
Top down, the SEC is stacked, having seven teams ranked in the Baseball America Top 25. Big matchups are already looming ahead for the Aggies, which include hosting No. 11 LSU, No. 1 Florida and No. 7 Vanderbilt.
 
At the end of this grueling schedule, the Aggies hope to have a solid foundation to make it back to the Promised Land. With the strong team bonds and the depth of talent, the future looks bright for the Aggies in 2016.
 
"The road to Omaha is awful crowded early in the year," Childress said. "Everybody's got those same goals and aspirations. That highway starts to thin out as you get through conference, teams start to splinter and go different directions. Taking a team to Omaha is a pretty special thing."
 
It's also evident how much the destination means to the players. Some even delay the chance of going professional. That's especially true for Vinson.
 
"It's the dream," Vinson said. "It's what everyone talks about. It's something if you've been there, you can never take back. I told myself if the draft were to come up after the loss to TCU, there's no way that I wanted to [leave] just because we didn't go to Omaha and I wanted one more chance to get there."
 
The 2016 Texas A&M baseball season opens Friday, Feb. 19, when the Aggies host Hofstra inside Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
 
Not only are the Aggies looking to return to Omaha, they're also striving to win that final game of the season, to hoist the trophy, and to add another chapter to the new tradition of TD Ameritrade Park and Aggie Baseball history.