Series Preview: Fordham

Feb 17, 2022 | Baseball

By: Thomas Dick, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

OPENING SERIES: vs Fordham

February 18-20, 2022
Blue Bell Park • Bryan-College Station, TX
Gameday Central: Click Here

THE MATCHUP

Texas A&M: 0-0, 0-0 SEC
Game Notes: Click Here

Fordham: 0-0, 0-0 A-10

WATCH

SEC Network+
Friday 6:30 pm: Click Here
Saturday 2 pm: Click Here
Sunday 12 pm: Click Here

LISTEN

Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App
Local Radio: 1150 AM / 93.7 FM

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M baseball team kicks off the 2022 campaign this weekend with a three-game series against the winningest program in NCAA history, the Fordham Rams. The series starts Friday night on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park with a 6:32 p.m. first pitch. Action continues with games at 2:02 p.m. on Saturday and 12:02 p.m. on Sunday.

ABOUT THE AGGIES
The Jim Schlossnagle era starts with a squad that welcomes 21 newcomers, including eight Division I transfers. Heading into the 2021 campaign, the Aggies have had 15 consecutive winning seasons. Texas A&M has posted a winning record in 59 of the last 61 years.

The Aggies are 82-32-5 all-time on opening day, including 19-2 since the 2001 campaign. This season marks Texas A&M's 10th year in the Southeastern Conference.

NEW STAFF
Schlossnagle, a two-time National Coach of the Year, brings an 811-393 (.674) mark to Texas A&M, including five College World Series appearances. He guided TCU to their Omaha debut in 2010 and four consecutive CWS trips from 2014-17. Schlossnagle earned National Coach of the Year honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2010 and Baseball America in 2016.

Renowned pitching coach and 2017 D1Baseball Assistant Coach of the Year Nate Yeskie is in his first season in Aggieland as associate head coach. Yeskie arrives in the Brazos Valley after two seasons on Jay Johnson's staff at Arizona, including the 2021 College World Series campaign. He also coached 11 seasons at Oregon State with his tenure culminating in a College World Series title in 2018.

Assistant coach Nolan Cain is nationally recognized as one of the top recruiters in the nation. Three of his last four recruiting classes at LSU were ranked in the Top 5, including a No. 1 rating by Baseball America for his 2020 class. During Cain's eight season the LSU staff, the Tigers earned five NCAA Tournament national seeds, two College World Series appearances and four SEC crowns.

Hitting coach Michael Earley has built a reputation for developing hitters with his most notable work being the rise of Spencer Torkelson to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. In the 2020 draft, four of Earley's hitters were selected as Arizona State was the only school in the country to boast five players chosen in the shortened five-round draft.

NEW BLOOD, BUT EXPERIENCED
The Aggies hit the transfer portal to find eight Division I transfers to fill spots for departed players. The list includes four hitters and four pitchers. In the field, infielders Kole Kaler (Hawaii) and Jack Moss (Arizona State), catcher Troy Claunch (Oregon State) and outfielder Dylan Rock (UTSA) give the coaching staff four veteran starters to bolster the lineup. On the mound, Micah Dallas (Texas Tech), Trey Dillard (Missouri), Xavier Lovett (Mississippi State) and Jacob Palisch (Stanford) provide a young group of returners with valuable experience to lean on.

PITCHING MATCHUPS (2021 stats)
• FRIDAY: #35 Nathan Dettmer (So., RHP, 3-2, 4.37 ERA) vs. #15 Gabe Karlso (Sr., RHP, 4-2, 5.04 ERA)
• SATURDAY: #34 Micah Dallas (Jr., RHP, 4-3, 2 Sv, 3.51 ERA*) vs. #34 Brooks Ey (So., RHP, 0-4, 4.99 ERA)
• SUNDAY: #18 Ryan Prager (Fr., LHP, first season) vs. TBA
* - stats from 2021 campaign at Texas Tech

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Rams baseball is in its 163rd season. Beginning as the Rose HIlls, they began playing in 1859, and they lead the NCAA in all-time wins with 4,551. Fordham is coming off a 2021 campaign in which they posted a 24-19 mark, including an 11-9 mark in the Atlantic 10. The squad boasts six position starters and 11 pitchers among their 25 returning lettermen.

Their pitching staff lost All-American Matt Mikulski who was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 2nd round of the MLB Draft. Gabe Karlso (4-2, 5.01 ERA) and Brooks Ey (0-4, 4.99 ERA) will take the ball to the mound to start the first two games. Fordham welcomes back two .300 hitters, including C.J. Vazquez (.312, 15 RBI, 11 SB) and Will Findlay (.300, 12 R, 5 2B). Speedster Jason Coules swiped 22 bags last season on a squad that hit just 15 HR in 43 games.

SERIES NOTES
The Aggies have met on four occasions - all A&M wins in 2019. The Maroon & White opened up the 2019 campaign with a three-game sweep of the Rams, outscoring Fordham 26-7 on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. The teams also met in an elimination game at the 2019 Morgantown Regional with A&M scoring an 11-2 victory, powered by Hunter Coleman's five RBI.

Jonathan Childress and Joseph Menefee are the only current Aggies to see action against Fordham. Childress started the series finale, working 4.2 innings, yielding one hit on three hits while striking out three. Joseph Menefee was 0-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance in the Saturday win.

PROMOTIONS
Friday – Opening Day extravaganza includes 12^th Man Whoop City Towels for the first 4,000 fans
Saturday – Bubble Machine raffle for all fans
Sunday – Purchase of one full-price GA ticket at Blue Bell Park ticket window allows an adult to bring 4 kids to the game for FREE. Only available as a walk-up sale on the day of the game. No advance purchases

FOLLOW ALONG
All five A&M games are available for streaming via SEC Network+, while fans can tune in locally on 1150 AM/93.7 FM or inside the 12^th Man Mobile App. Additionally, live stats are available for fans to follow all three games.

Tickets are available for purchase at 12thman.com/baseballtickets.

For details regarding student seating options, click here.

To learn more about Texas A&M baseball, log on to 12thMan.com or follow @AggieBaseball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.