Friday, June 3
Bryan-College Station
1:00 PM
Texas A&M
38-18
8
vs
2
Oral Roberts
38-19
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Oral Roberts
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
9
3
Texas A&M
0
2
0
0
1
0
3
2
X
8
14
2
Photo by: Kate Luffman/Texas A&M Athletics
No. 7 Aggies Top ORU in NCAA Regional Opener
Jun 03, 2022 | Baseball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Clutch two-out hitting lifted the seventh-ranked and fifth-seeded Texas A&M Aggies to an 8-2 victory over Oral Roberts in the NCAA College Station Regional opener Friday afternoon before 6,215 fans at Blue Bell Park.
The Aggies (38-18), who scored seven of their eight runs with two outs, advance to face the winner of Friday's TCU/Louisiana game on Saturday night with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ORU (38-19) will face that game's loser in an elimination game at Noon.
A&M trailed 1-0 in the second inning when Jordan Thompson delivered a two-out, two-strike home run over the wall in left field. The Aggies then extended a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh with a long two-out, three-run blast by Austin Bost deep into the parking lot in left. The round-tripper, Bost's eighth of the year, pushed the A&M advantage to 6-1.
Jack Moss added a two-strike, two-out double in the eight to close out the scoring.
Micah Dallas (6-3) went five strong innings to pick up the victory, scattering seven hits and allowing only one run.
Joseph Menefee was stellar in relief, ending the sixth inning with a strikeout as the tying run was at the plate and the seventh with a punchout with the game-tying runs at second and third. He would finish his three innings of work allowing three hits and one run while striking out seven.
Ledgend Smith (7-5) took the loss, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned) in 4.1 innings of work.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jack Moss (A&M) – 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Jordan Thompson (A&M) – 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Austin Bost (A&M) – 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI
Micah Dallas (A&M) – 5+ IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K (W, 6-3)
Joseph Menefee (A&M) – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Holden Breeze (ORU) – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
SCORING SUMMARY
T2 | Holden Breeze led off with a double down left field line, moved to third on a bunt single by Joshua Cox and scored on a squeeze bunt by Connor Beichler. ORU 1, A&M 0
B2 | Brett Minnich launched a two-out double off the base of the wall in right field. Thompson, the next batter, deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence. A&M 2, ORU 1
B5 | Moss led off with a single, moved to second on a base hit, went to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on a sacrifice fly to right center by Bost. A&M 3, ORU 1
B7 | Bost hit a two-out, three-run home run deep over the wall in left field, driving in Kole Kaler—who reached on an error leading off the inning—and Moss, who delivered a one-out single. A&M 6, ORU 1
T8 | Jackson Loftin opened the frame with a single to right and scored on Breeze's second double of the game. A&M 6, ORU 2
B8 | Singles by Thompson and Trevor Werner set the table for Moss' two-strike, two-out, two-run double to right center. A&M 8, ORU 2
QUOTES
TEXAS A&M Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
Opening Statement…
"I thought it was a great ballgame. I thought their lefty (Ledgend Smith) did a heck of a job making pitches. I thought Micah (Dallas) was not as sharp as he was last week and for as poorly we played defense last week, we played really good defense today. I think we turned two double plays during Micah (Dallas) inning and Werner made some other really nice plays. Dallas pitched out of trouble and kept us in the ballgame and Moo (Joesph Menefee) settled the storm. Austin (Bost) homer took a lot of pressure off.
On Joseph Menefee's progression this season…
"I think Joseph Menefee has made a few changes with Coach Yeskie mechanically. He has almost two breaking balls, an overhead breaking ball for strike and then he buries his slider. His velocity has jumped back into the lower 90's range, at the beginning of the season it wasn't that. Overall, his stuff has taken a leap back to where it was a long time ago before his injuries and his confidence has rocketed."
On advantages of the afternoon game…
"I didn't expect the north wind, that was a little bit different. It wasn't nearly as hot we expected, I know it is supposed to get hotter this weekend. I am super thankful for the fans that showed up. This is the way I always thought about this place like this. I don't think it matters what time you play; the 12th man is always going to going to show. Now that we have won the game, we will get a solid 24-hour rest time that we need to take advantage of."
Junior designated hitter Austin Bost
On hitting the three-run home run…
"They were mixing up the pitches all day, and their lefty (Ledgend Smith) was good and out there for a reason. They brought in the righty (Kaleb McCullough) and threw some pitches away, but then brought one in and I was able to put my hands inside and get a nice swing on it. Good things happen when you put a good swing on it."
Sophomore first baseman Jack Moss
On finishing the game…
"I started off the game not so great. It was a tough match up when you are meeting a guy like that for the first time left-on-left and then my second at bat I faced some good pitches and had to tip my cap. If I have learned anything from my time in college baseball it is that it is not about how you start, it is about how you finish."
On the afternoon game advantage…
"I can speak from first-hand experience from last year playing in a regionals, playing that night game where we went to extra innings is definitely a little different. That next morning you don't have the rest that you do playing the afternoon game. We need to take advantage of this as a team and be ready to go tomorrow."
QUOTES
ORAL ROBERTS
Head Coach Ryan Folmar
Opening statement...
"What a great place to come play. I thought that the atmosphere was unique and special. That's the first thing that stands out to you. In terms of the game, I thought the game started and we had everything under control. We were right where we needed to be. We were hanging in there. We didn't make very many good swings with runners on base and runners in scoring position. We made defensive mistakes that we don't normally make. Those cost us. I'm proud of the way we competed and I'm proud of our effort. The good thing is that we have an opportunity to come back and play tomorrow, so we're excited about that."
On facing Texas A&M pitchers...
"He (Joseph Menefee) was good. I thought that he was good today. I thought his fastball played up a little bit. It was crisp and clean. I thought he was the difference in the game. He came in and really solidified the game for them. I thought we handled Micah Dallas ok. I don't think he had his best stuff today, but when he made a mistake, we put some good swings on him."
On the damage caused by A&M's home runs...
"When you look at the eight runs that they scored, five of them were on home runs. Both of those were big swings in big moments, and those were big momentum swings too. We've got to keep the ball in the yard. I think, going back to the home runs though, it's about what happened before the home runs. You look at the bunt play with Kole Kaler, we lay out on a ball that's borderline fair or foul, and it doesn't go our way. Whatever it was, it didn't go our way. The next guy hit a home run. If you look at the other one, it was a two-out, three-run home run. When you go back to the start of that inning, we made a defensive mistake, otherwise the inning would have been over. It's not necessarily about those swings in those moments, it's about what happened before those. If they were both solo home runs, we would have been in good shape."
Sophomore third baseman Holden Breeze
On what he saw against Texas A&M RHP Micah Dallas...
"I think he just placed it right where we weren't looking for it. He was working inside and outside, hitting his spots. His stuff wasn't moving like we expected, but he made the adjustments and started placing it where we weren't hitting it. We didn't really make the full adjustments we needed, but I feel like we did a decent job of putting it in play."
On facing Texas A&M LHP Joseph Menefee...
REGIONAL SCHEDULE
(all times Central)
Friday, June 3
Game 1: Texas A&M 8, Oral Roberts 2
Game 2: TCU vs Louisiana, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 4
Game 3: Oral Roberts vs TCU/Louisiana loser, 12 p.m.
Game 4: Texas A&M vs TCU/Louisiana winner, 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 5
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday, June 6
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs Game 5 winner (if necessary), 6 p.m.
The Aggies (38-18), who scored seven of their eight runs with two outs, advance to face the winner of Friday's TCU/Louisiana game on Saturday night with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ORU (38-19) will face that game's loser in an elimination game at Noon.
A&M trailed 1-0 in the second inning when Jordan Thompson delivered a two-out, two-strike home run over the wall in left field. The Aggies then extended a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh with a long two-out, three-run blast by Austin Bost deep into the parking lot in left. The round-tripper, Bost's eighth of the year, pushed the A&M advantage to 6-1.
Jack Moss added a two-strike, two-out double in the eight to close out the scoring.
Micah Dallas (6-3) went five strong innings to pick up the victory, scattering seven hits and allowing only one run.
Joseph Menefee was stellar in relief, ending the sixth inning with a strikeout as the tying run was at the plate and the seventh with a punchout with the game-tying runs at second and third. He would finish his three innings of work allowing three hits and one run while striking out seven.
Ledgend Smith (7-5) took the loss, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned) in 4.1 innings of work.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jack Moss (A&M) – 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Jordan Thompson (A&M) – 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Austin Bost (A&M) – 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI
Micah Dallas (A&M) – 5+ IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K (W, 6-3)
Joseph Menefee (A&M) – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Holden Breeze (ORU) – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
SCORING SUMMARY
T2 | Holden Breeze led off with a double down left field line, moved to third on a bunt single by Joshua Cox and scored on a squeeze bunt by Connor Beichler. ORU 1, A&M 0
B2 | Brett Minnich launched a two-out double off the base of the wall in right field. Thompson, the next batter, deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence. A&M 2, ORU 1
B5 | Moss led off with a single, moved to second on a base hit, went to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on a sacrifice fly to right center by Bost. A&M 3, ORU 1
B7 | Bost hit a two-out, three-run home run deep over the wall in left field, driving in Kole Kaler—who reached on an error leading off the inning—and Moss, who delivered a one-out single. A&M 6, ORU 1
T8 | Jackson Loftin opened the frame with a single to right and scored on Breeze's second double of the game. A&M 6, ORU 2
B8 | Singles by Thompson and Trevor Werner set the table for Moss' two-strike, two-out, two-run double to right center. A&M 8, ORU 2
QUOTES
TEXAS A&M Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
Opening Statement…
"I thought it was a great ballgame. I thought their lefty (Ledgend Smith) did a heck of a job making pitches. I thought Micah (Dallas) was not as sharp as he was last week and for as poorly we played defense last week, we played really good defense today. I think we turned two double plays during Micah (Dallas) inning and Werner made some other really nice plays. Dallas pitched out of trouble and kept us in the ballgame and Moo (Joesph Menefee) settled the storm. Austin (Bost) homer took a lot of pressure off.
On Joseph Menefee's progression this season…
"I think Joseph Menefee has made a few changes with Coach Yeskie mechanically. He has almost two breaking balls, an overhead breaking ball for strike and then he buries his slider. His velocity has jumped back into the lower 90's range, at the beginning of the season it wasn't that. Overall, his stuff has taken a leap back to where it was a long time ago before his injuries and his confidence has rocketed."
On advantages of the afternoon game…
"I didn't expect the north wind, that was a little bit different. It wasn't nearly as hot we expected, I know it is supposed to get hotter this weekend. I am super thankful for the fans that showed up. This is the way I always thought about this place like this. I don't think it matters what time you play; the 12th man is always going to going to show. Now that we have won the game, we will get a solid 24-hour rest time that we need to take advantage of."
Junior designated hitter Austin Bost
On hitting the three-run home run…
"They were mixing up the pitches all day, and their lefty (Ledgend Smith) was good and out there for a reason. They brought in the righty (Kaleb McCullough) and threw some pitches away, but then brought one in and I was able to put my hands inside and get a nice swing on it. Good things happen when you put a good swing on it."
Sophomore first baseman Jack Moss
On finishing the game…
"I started off the game not so great. It was a tough match up when you are meeting a guy like that for the first time left-on-left and then my second at bat I faced some good pitches and had to tip my cap. If I have learned anything from my time in college baseball it is that it is not about how you start, it is about how you finish."
On the afternoon game advantage…
"I can speak from first-hand experience from last year playing in a regionals, playing that night game where we went to extra innings is definitely a little different. That next morning you don't have the rest that you do playing the afternoon game. We need to take advantage of this as a team and be ready to go tomorrow."
QUOTES
ORAL ROBERTS
Head Coach Ryan Folmar
Opening statement...
"What a great place to come play. I thought that the atmosphere was unique and special. That's the first thing that stands out to you. In terms of the game, I thought the game started and we had everything under control. We were right where we needed to be. We were hanging in there. We didn't make very many good swings with runners on base and runners in scoring position. We made defensive mistakes that we don't normally make. Those cost us. I'm proud of the way we competed and I'm proud of our effort. The good thing is that we have an opportunity to come back and play tomorrow, so we're excited about that."
On facing Texas A&M pitchers...
"He (Joseph Menefee) was good. I thought that he was good today. I thought his fastball played up a little bit. It was crisp and clean. I thought he was the difference in the game. He came in and really solidified the game for them. I thought we handled Micah Dallas ok. I don't think he had his best stuff today, but when he made a mistake, we put some good swings on him."
On the damage caused by A&M's home runs...
"When you look at the eight runs that they scored, five of them were on home runs. Both of those were big swings in big moments, and those were big momentum swings too. We've got to keep the ball in the yard. I think, going back to the home runs though, it's about what happened before the home runs. You look at the bunt play with Kole Kaler, we lay out on a ball that's borderline fair or foul, and it doesn't go our way. Whatever it was, it didn't go our way. The next guy hit a home run. If you look at the other one, it was a two-out, three-run home run. When you go back to the start of that inning, we made a defensive mistake, otherwise the inning would have been over. It's not necessarily about those swings in those moments, it's about what happened before those. If they were both solo home runs, we would have been in good shape."
Sophomore third baseman Holden Breeze
On what he saw against Texas A&M RHP Micah Dallas...
"I think he just placed it right where we weren't looking for it. He was working inside and outside, hitting his spots. His stuff wasn't moving like we expected, but he made the adjustments and started placing it where we weren't hitting it. We didn't really make the full adjustments we needed, but I feel like we did a decent job of putting it in play."
On facing Texas A&M LHP Joseph Menefee...
"I think his fastball jumped on us a lot more than we expected. We were kind of passive for the first couple of innings against him. Just like Micah, he threw it where we weren't hitting it."
REGIONAL SCHEDULE
(all times Central)
Friday, June 3
Game 1: Texas A&M 8, Oral Roberts 2
Game 2: TCU vs Louisiana, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 4
Game 3: Oral Roberts vs TCU/Louisiana loser, 12 p.m.
Game 4: Texas A&M vs TCU/Louisiana winner, 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 5
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday, June 6
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs Game 5 winner (if necessary), 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dallas, Micah (6-3)
L: Smith, Ledgend (7-5)
Batting:
2B: Breeze, Holden 2
RBI: Breeze, Holden 1 ; Beichler, Connor 1
SH: Beichler, Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Loftin, Jackson 1 ; Breeze, Holden 1
Batting:
2B: Werner, Trevor 1 ; Moss, Jack 1 ; Minnich, Brett 1
HR: Bost, Austin 1 ; Thompson, Jordan 1
RBI: Moss, Jack 2 ; Bost, Austin 4 ; Thompson, Jordan 2
SH: Claunch, Troy 1
SF: Bost, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Werner, Trevor 1 ; Moss, Jack 2 ; Bost, Austin 1 ; Minnich, Brett 1 ; Thompson, Jordan 2 ; Kaler, Kole 1
SB: Moss, Jack 1 ; Minnich, Brett 1
CS: Rock, Dylan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF/RHP
/ BaseballLSU Postgame: Michael Earley, Jace Laviolette, Clayton Freshcorn
Friday, May 23
Highlights: A&M 3, LSU 4
Friday, May 23
Auburn Postgame: Michael Earley, Justin Lamkin, Kaeden Kent
Thursday, May 22
Highlights: Texas A&M 3, Auburn 2
Thursday, May 22
