Texas A&M
Kentucky
Series Preview: at No. 13 Kentucky
Apr 20, 2023 | Baseball
Week 10: at No. 13 Kentucky
- April 21-23, 2023
- Kentucky Proud Park (Lexington, Ky.)
- Game Notes • Live Stats • SEC Standings • App
GAME ONE
- Friday, April 21 • 5:30 p.m. CT • SEC Network+
- Texas A&M: RHP Nathan Dettmer
- Stats: 1-3, 5.98 ERA, 40.2 IP, 45 K, 20 BB
- UK: RHP Logan Martin
- Stats: 1-1, 4.43 ERA, 20.1 IP, 24 K, 11 BB
GAME TWO
- Saturday, April 22 • 1 p.m. CT • SEC Network+
- Texas A&M: TBA
- Stats: --
- UK: LHP Tyler Bosma
- Stats: 4-2, 4.19 ERA, 38.2 IP, 26 K, 15 BB
GAME THREE
- Sunday, April 23 • 12 p.m. CT • SEC Network+
- Texas A&M: TBA
- Stats: --
- UK: RHP Zack Lee
- Stats: 3-2, 3.99 ERA, 38.1 IP, 36 K, 17 BB
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A recent string of success in SEC will be put on the line for the Texas A&M Aggies this weekend when they travel to Kentucky Proud Park for a three-game series with the No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats.
Kentucky has been a national surprise this year, holding a 29-7 overall record and 10-5 mark within the SEC; however, the Wildcats will be looking to get right on their home field after dropping consecutive road series at Georgia and No. 1 LSU in the last two weekends.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, has won three straight SEC series of their own over Ole Miss, Auburn and Missouri but will be facing its first ranked opponent since facing off against then No. 13 Tennessee in Knoxville in Week 2 of the league slate.
GAME COVERAGE
TV/STREAMING: Each game of the series in the Bluegrass State will be streamed on SEC Network+ with Dick Gabriel and Doug Flynn on the call.
RADIO: Each game can also be heard locally on SportsRadio 1150 AM/93.7 FM The Zone.... Andrew Monaco will be in the booth for each game... the pregame show begins 15 minutes prior to first pitch.
SOCIAL: Fans can get in-game updates on social media by following @AggieBaseball on Twitter.
AGAINST THE WILDCATS
- The Aggies are 11-7 all-time against Kentucky and are 8-6 in SEC play
- Texas A&M is 5-0 all-time in Lexington, including a sweep of the Wildcats in its first trip to Kentucky Proud Park in 2019
- The 2019 sweep is the last time the Aggies made the trek to Lexington
- The first time the Aggies went to Lexington was for an SEC series and as the No. 1 team in the nation in 2015, sweeping a doubleheader from UK before losing the final game to weather
- Texas A&M took two of three games from Kentucky last year at Blue Bell Park
THRIVING ON THE BIG INNING
In the Aggies last three victories - two vs Mizzou and Wednesday vs Prairie View - Texas A&M has been the benefactor of a huge inning each time. Texas A&M's biggest inning was a nine-run frame vs HCU on February 28 before equaling that with a nine-run inning in consecutive victories to open its series vs Missouri. The Aggies then bettered that on Wednesday against Prairie View, exploding for a 10-run fourth inning that included two-run homers from Kaeden Kent and Jordan Thompson and a grand slam from Brett Minnich.
DILLARD, GARCIA EARNING KEY INNINGS OUT OF PEN
The Aggies have been searching for quality innings throughout the year and recently have found that in left-handed relievers Matt Dillard and Brandyn Garcia. Both are in their first season with the Aggies after transferring in from Sam Houston and Quinnipiac, respectively, and after taking some time to find their footing have been turning in quality appearances over the last month. Dillard picked up his first win as an Aggie with 2.1 scoreless innings against Prairie View, his fourth straight scoreless outing. He's riding a streak of 9.0 scoreless innings during those four appearances with nine strikeouts and just two walks in that span. Meanwhile, Garcia has only allowed one run in his last four appearances which have spanned 7.2 innings and has only allowed three hits in 11.0 total innings since March 28. He has 17 strikeouts and only four walks in that span.
GOING FOR FOUR IN A ROW
Texas A&M won eight of its 10 league series a year ago, including each of its final seven weekends. But such things are a difficult task in the SEC and the Aggies' series win over Missouri was their third straight after dropping its first two. It is the first time since the 2016 and 2017 seasons the Aggies have had consecutive seasons with a streak of at least three consecutive series wins in SEC play. The 7-8 record in the SEC is only one game off the pace of the 2022 squad who was 8-7 at the midway point of the league slate.
GOLDEN BOY
Aggie shortstop Hunter Haas got a nod of approval from USA Baseball when he was named as one of 45 players in the country to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. He earned another honor earlier this week when he was one of 101 players named to the initial Brooks Wallace Award watch list, honoring the top shortstop in the country. Haas enters the weekend ranked second to teammate Jack Moss for the team lead in batting average (.358) and on-base percentage (.458) and has been error free in 35 of 37 games in the field.
KAEDEN'S BIG DAY vs PRAIRIE VIEW
Coach Jim Schlossnagle hit the right button when he inserted Kaeden Kent in as a late addition to the lineup on Wednesday vs Prairie View. The freshman had only made one start since March 24, but took full advantage of the opportunity with a 2-for-3 night that included his first career home run and four total RBI, tying his season high.
LAVIOLETTE NOT LOOKING LIKE A FRESHMAN
Aggie outfielder Jace LaViolette earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after his big series at Auburn, and continued his strong play within the SEC last weekend vs Missouri. He hit his ninth and tenth home runs of the season against the Tigers and ran his RBI total to the year to 38. Those numbers, along with 11 stolen bases have him leading Texas A&M in all three categories and are the most by an Aggie freshman since Braden Shewmake led the team in each category in his 2017 breakout freshman campaign. John Byington holds the Aggie freshman record for home runs (17) and RBI (78), set during the 1987 season.
SERIES PREVIEW PRESS CONFERENCE
Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
UTL Ryan Targac
LHP Brandyn Garcia
