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2010 Season
Preview: Position by Position
We have questions on the mound and transfers competing in the
field. What most outside the program don't know is that the 2007 team was
setup the exact same way and with no expectations, had a great chance to go to
Omaha. The outside expectations for this year are not nearly as high as last
season, but the team's goals are still the same. Win enough games to host
regional and super regional games and return to the College World Series.
In the rankings.
NCBWA has A&M at #28
USA Today has A&M at #29
Collegiate Baseball has A&M at #29
Rival's College Baseball has A&M at #29
Baseball America has A&M unranked but...
Aaron Fitt: Yes, after placing five teams in the top 25
last year, the Big 12 had just one this year. I just think that league is wide
open after Texas - there are a bunch of teams that have a lot of questions to
answer. Texas A&M was probably the closest to the top 25, but I could see
Kansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State being in the mix also.
Fitt's questions will be answered by Fleece, Loux, Stilson,
Stripling and Hinojosa on the mound. No one in 2007 besides Childress thought
that Kyle Nicholson and Newmann could go 24-3 between them.
Fitt's questions will be answered by Juengel, Collazo,
Hinojosa, Naquin or Wood in the field. No one outside the program thought
Hicks, Stouffer, Dalton, Anders, Stinson, Feltner, Brown or Greene would hit
above .300 either.
This coaching staff's track record is much deeper than the
offense struggling with RISP last year and the pressure it put on the coaching
staff. It has been low key around here, but "Team No Name" will have
everyone knowing how good they are very soon.
Here is a position by position look at the Aggies with less
than two weeks to go before the regular season opens against Seton Hall on
February 19.
2 Gregg Alcazar C JR-TR 5-11 195 R/R Galveston,
Texas/O'Connell/San Jacinto College
10 Kevin Gonzalez C JR-2L 5-10 195 R/R Houston, Texas/Mayde Creek
30 Parker Ray INF/C FR-HS 6-0 180 R/R Katy, Texas/Katy
Kevin Gonzalez is one of, if not the best catcher in the Big
12 this season when you consider his defense, throwing ability and his
consistent improvement at the plate. One of the few players that are certain
to start this year, Gonzo should even be better this season with quality
backups behind him that can give him a chance to rest and not wear down at the
end of the season. That was the key factor in bringing Gregg Alcazar to campus
to compete with Gonzalez. The defensive player of the year last year in the
Texas JUCO circuit, Alcazar's hitting was better than advertised during the
fall. Parker Ray is a redshirt candidate and the former infielder is learning
the position.
Caleb Shofner was the surprise of the team last year and was
in the top two in hitting all season long while starting at third base. He can
play any of the infield spots except shortstop and could return to starting at
third this year. Shofner has worked hard to learn the position and should be
an A+ plus defender. Also working to learn the position this fall was Joe
Patterson, and he improved each and every day. Patterson has a way to go to
have as good a glove as Shofner, but he needs a position to play if a position
player turns out to be a closer.
6 Andrew Collazo INF JR-TR 5-11 180 R/R Paterson,
N.J./Paterson Catholic/Howard College
14 Scott Arthur INF/OF SO-1L 6-2 185 R/R Spring, Texas/Klein Oak
After playing on the JUCO national championship team at
Howard JC last year, Andrew Collazo was a spark plug this fall for the Aggies.
He showed a great glove up the middle and is a natural at turning the double
play. He looks to bat near the top of the Aggie lineup and though he might not
steal bases at the same clip he did at Howard, he does have enough speed to
cause headaches for the opponents. Despite being overshadowed by Collazo,
Arthur had a great fall and is one of the best athletes on the team. His
ability to also play in the outfield gives him a chance at early playing time.
12 John Stilson P/INF SO-TR 6-3 195 R/R Texarkana,
Texas/Texas/Texarkana College
20 Adam Smith INF SO-1L 6-3 200 R/R Spring, Texas/Klein
Adam Smith was the first freshman to start at shortstop for
the Aggies since Tom Chandler was the head coach, and his growing pains at the
plate and in the field only never overshadowed his tremendous talent. Many
scouts think his future is on the mound with as strong an infield arm as in
college baseball and his 10 HR (excuse me-- the inside the park homerun to
beat Texas was called an out so nine dingers) showed just the tip of the
offensive iceberg in 2009. His improving plate discipline led to fewer
strikeouts this fall. John Stilson will have a key role for the Aggies on the
mound this spring, but his ability to play shortstop gives the coaches a solid
second option at the infield's most important position but he is a pitcher
first.
5 Kenny Jackson INF JR-TR 6-4 195 L/R Corpus Christi,
Texas/Carroll/Alvin College 33 Matt Juengel INF SO-TR 6-3 170 R/R Houston, Texas/Clear Brook/Panola
College
Two Texas JUCO transfers are battling Shofner for the third
base position. Juengel's offensive potential assures him a spot somewhere in
the lineup. While offense is his strong suit, he is a solid third baseman and
after playing third base all last year for Panola JC, he has experience making
all the plays. Kenny Jackson can play any spot on the infield after starting
two years at shortstop at Alvin JC and spending the fall playing both first
and third base during the fall scrimmages. Jackson's ability in the field
might get him on the field as a defensive substitution in plenty of games this
year.
Brodie Greene has started on both the infield and outfield
in his career but this year he will captain the outfield and replace
three-plus year starter Kyle Colligan. Greene has the speed to make all the
plays defensively, and the second half of the season he was as clutch a hitter
as the Aggies had in the lineup. Joaquin Hinojosa transferred in and will play
a key role in the outfield as well as the pitching mound as a late game
reliever. He has surprising power, he tied for the TCL lead in homeruns
despite having limited at-bats, and of course a great arm while playing the
game with the same kind of passion that Will Bolt had under Coach Childress at
Nebraska. Two freshmen showed tremendous skill and potential in the fall and
look to be stars in the future. Brandon Wood, bouncing back from a senior
season that didn't live up to many's expectations, is an elite athlete who
will be a star in the future. He played centerfield this fall but will battle
for a corner spot this spring. Tyler Naquin showed flashes at the plate that
had him as one of the top players in Greater Houston the last three years. He
is a star defensively and has an outfield arm that is reminiscent of Cory
Patton, Daylon Holt and Johnny Hunter. Brett Parsons played first all summer
for the Brazos Bombers and is competing with Hinojosa in left. His powerful
bat could earn him significant playing time if he can make constant contact.
Other players that could see time in the outfield include Arthur and even
Patterson (who saw limited action last year when Brooks Raley was on the
mound).
11 Joaquin Hinojosa P/OF JR-TR 6-0 185 R/R McAllen,
Texas/McAllen/Texarkana College
12 John Stilson P/INF SO-TR 6-3 195 R/R Texarkana, Texas/Texas/Texarkana
College
13 Clayton Ehlert RHP SR-3L 6-1 195 R/R Orange, Texas/Little
Cypress-Mauriceville
16 Shane Minks RHP SR-3L 6-3 215 R/R West Columbia, Texas/West Columbia
21 Denny Clement RHP SO-1L 5-11 190 R/R Bartlesville, Okla./Cascia Hall Prep
22 Jake Feckley RHP FR-HS 6-0 190 R/R Wylie, Texas/Wylie
24 Nick Fleece RHP JR-2L 6-3 220 R/R Fort Worth, Texas/Boswell
32 Kyle Martin RHP FR-HS 6-6 205 R/R Austin, Texas/St. Michael's
34 Corey Brooks RHP FR-HS 6-4 200 R/R Mesquite, Texas/Dallas Christian
36 Ross Stripling RHP SO-1L 6-3 190 R/R Southlake, Texas/Carroll
38 Michael Wacha RHP FR-HS 6-6 195 R/R Texarkana, Texas/Pleasant Grove
45 Steven Martin RHP JR-1L 6-6 225 R/R Brenham, Texas/Brenham/Seminole State
College
50 Barret Loux RHP JR-2L 6-5 220 R/R Houston, Texas/Stratford
55 Rafael Pineda RHP FR-HS 6-6 200 R/R Fort Worth, Texas/Crowley
Nick Fleece was recently added to the NCBWA "Stopper of
the Year" award list but has moved into a starter's role and should
continue to flourish after a terrific year in the bullpen for the Aggies. He
has improved his off speed pitches, and his hard cut fastball will create many
ground balls. Barret Loux is completely recovered from the bone spurs in his
elbow that sapped him of his tremendous fastball but is pitching better than
ever headed into spring practice. Ross Stripling's complete game in the Fall
World Series pushed him up the ladder, and he will start plenty of games this
year (either on the weekend or in midweek). His curveball is a huge weapon at
the college level. John Stilson, despite logging plenty of innings last spring
and this summer, showed why he was the nation's top JUCO pitching prospect
during a dominating fall. His performance this spring will have the Aggies
exceeding the preseason projections, and his versatility could have him close
games if he is not in the starting lineup. After a solid sophomore season,
Clayton Ehlert won his first five decisions last year and will want to forget
his two losses in the post season. When pitching with confidence, he is a
great at keeping the ball low in the zone and getting ground ball outs.
In the bullpen, Joaquin Hinojosa closed for Will Bolt last
year at Texarkana and again during the summer for the Brazos Bombers. He is a
solid pro prospect, and his performance will give the Aggies a bulldog in the
pen. Shane Minks turned down an opportunity to sign this summer to return and
will have a big role in relief. His arm slot gives the righties fits. He is a
senior leader for the young bullpen and effectiveness against the southpaws
will get him more innings. Denny Clement looked like a freshman at times last
year, but after a successful summer closing games he has his confidence back
and is ready to blossom. Steven Martin missed the fall after summer surgery,
but his work during conditioning drills this spring has him back on the mound
and impressing Coach Childress. Jake Feckley closed all fall long and looks to
compete with Clement and Martin for innings this spring. If he can be as
consistent in the spring as he was in the fall, he should get a great chance
to contribute. Four towering freshmen hold important keys to future success of
the program. Michael Wacha, Kyle Martin and Rafael Pineda look more like
basketball players than baseball players, and Corey Brooks was a three-sport
star in high school. Wacha had tremendous success his junior and senior years
and pushed his team to the state final four each year. He pitched very well
this fall, and he will compete for a starter role this spring. Brooks and
Martin pitched in private schools and have a big adjustment to Big 12
baseball, but their abilities just need to be combined with experience. Pineda
is also a raw prospect but he already showed flashes of his talent this fall.
28 Ross Hales LHP SO-1L 6-3 195 L/L Baytown,
Texas/Barbers Hill
31 Dylan Mendoza LHP FR-HS 5-10 175 L/L Lake Travis, Texas/Lake Travis
35 Estevan Uriegas LHP SO-1L 5-9 175 L/L Round Rock, Texas/Westwood
37 Tyler Dyer LHP SR-1L 5-10 180 L/L Deer Park, Texas/Deer Park/San Jacinto
College
It was great news for the program with the continued speedy
recovery of Ross Hales from summer surgery. He showed his pitching ability all
last season, but his 3-0 shutout over the 'Horns was a highlight. He should be
ready to pitch in conference play, and the coaches will have to watch his
workload leading to May and beyond. Estevan Uriegas, ticketed for a
situational role, was a surprise last year in his ability to get right-handed
hitters out which earned him an expanded role on the mound. He has improved
over last year after a solid summer pitching in Alaska. Dylan Mendoza is a
young player that I am very excited about. He already has command of a
breaking ball to get right hander hitters out and pitches with tremendous
confidence. After replacing a MLB prospect, he was the best player in central
Texas last year. Tyler Dyer could see more time on the mound this year with
fewer LHP on the staff, but he will have to improve to leap over Uriegas and
Mendoza.
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Fans are invited to join head baseball coach Rob Childress this Wednesday evening as he discusses the upcoming season on a live one-hour radio show.
The Aggie Baseball Hour will take place on Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. at the University Drive location of Wings N More in College Station. Childress will join host Dave South on the broadcast, which will air live locally on WTAW-AM 1620 and worldwide on radioaggieland.com.
Fans will be able to ask questions at the restaurant or via the internet by sending an email to coach@athletics.tamu.edu.
Childress and the Aggies are in the midst of preparations for the February 19 season opener against Seton Hall at Olsen Field. Texas A&M returns 17 letterwinners, five position starters and 10 pitchers from a 2009 squad that posted 37 wins and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season.
Coach Childress to Speak at Coaches for Children dinner
Chip Howard Interviewed Rob Childress to talk about the Coaches for Children dinner as well as the upcoming season. (click here to listen)
Info on the FREE Dinner...
Coaches For Children- Thursday, January 28, 2010 C&J's Barbeque, 1010 Texas Avenue, Bryan 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm FREE! RSVP to 822-9700 or vfc@voicesforchildreninc.org Join us as TAMU Head Baseball Coach Rob Childress and TAMU Head Softball Coach Jo Evans discuss their upcoming 2010 season and partner with VFC to promote awareness about the need for more Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) for abused and neglected children in Brazos, Burleson and Grimes Counties. KZNE's Chip Howard will serve as emcee for the night's events.
Aggie Signees on 2010 Pre-Season All Greater Houston
The great players were honored at 25th Houston Baseball Dinner this week.
Jameson Taillon (The Woodlands) John Simms (College Park) Jordan Jolly (Elkins) Kendrick Perkins (La Porte) Jared Lakind (Cypress Woods) Drew DeKerlegand (Pearland) Kevin Semien (Atascocita) Krey Bratsen (Bryan) Trevor Teykl (Kempner) Alex Silver (Bellaire) Nick Bergmann (Memorial) Stefan Crichton (Cinco Ranch) Jake Wise (Cypress Falls) Erich Weiss (Brenham) John Cialone (St. John's) Cody Perkins (Kingwood)
Also, Brenham head coach Jim Long will be honored with the Ray Knoblauch Award as the area's outstanding high school baseball coach in 2009.
Texas A&M has announced a schedule change for the upcoming baseball season. The three game series with Western Illinois has be dropped after their coach passed away from Leukemia and didn't want to travel to Aggieland.
Left with three games to make up on short notice on a weekend that was completely full around the country, the Aggie coaches struck gold with a mini-tournament in Waco. Replacing the #279 RPI of Western Illinois, Texas A&M will play (#42 RPI) Western Kentucky Friday 2-26 at 6 p.m., (#29) Baylor Saturday 2-27 at 1 p.m. and (#33) Texas State 2-28 at 5 p.m.. Now it was pretty good planning on Baylor's part to play at the same time as the Aggie-Longhorn basketball game in College Station while their team is on the road but getting the later game on Friday and Sunday make up for it.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M baseball team signed 11 student-athletes to national letters of intent, head coach Rob Childress announced Thursday.
Krey Bratsen (Bryan), Blair Dickey (Amarillo), Kyle Chaskin (Houston), Charlie Curl (Amarillo), Spencer Davis (The Woodlands), Derrick Hadley (Navasota), Ty Marlow (Giddings), Kendrick Perkins (La Porte), Jace Statum (Orangefield), Kirby Taylor (Bellaire) and James Wooster (League City/Alvin JC) make up the all-Texan class that is slated to take the field for the Aggies in the fall of 2010.
"I think it's an incredible class," Childress said. "The position players all fit our criteria of strength and speed and will fit into our philosophy of what we're trying to do offensively, and the pitchers are all difference-makers that could help us today. It's a solid group of athletes that are also great people and great students, and I feel like they are going to fit very well into our program. (Assistant Coach) Justin (Seely) and (Associate Head Coach) Matt (Deggs) both spent countless hours on the road evaluating and recruiting these kids and have put together another outstanding class for Texas A&M baseball."
The group is comprised of four outfielders, four infielders and three pitchers, two of which are two-way players.
"My favorite part of this group is its versatility," said Seely, who is also the program's recruiting coordinator. "There are a lot of guys who can play several different positions. Athleticism was a priority with this group and I think we got that. It's a class that leans more towards position players, which will give us even more balance."
"This is a class made up of a bunch of guys that play hard, play the game the right way and really fit in to what we do," Deggs said. "This class is very versatile and athletic, and features a lot of strength, speed and interchangeable parts."
Krey Bratsen, the son of James and Karen Bratsen, is a two-time all-Brazos Valley selection by The Bryan-College Station Eagle for coach David Powers at Bryan High School. Bratsen earned second-team All-State honors in 2009 from the Texas Sports Writers Association after hitting .471 with seven doubles, three triples, five home runs, 25 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. He also compiled a 3.13 ERA in 13 innings of work on the mound, striking out 26.
Kyle Chaskin, the son of Marvin and Tracy Chaskin, was a first-team all-district and second-team all-greater Houston selection for coach Rocky Manuel at Bellaire High School. A three-year starter and two-way standout, Chaskin helped lead the Cardinals to the state semifinals as a sophomore and the regional semifinals in 2009 by hitting .459 with three home runs and 25 RBIs while compiling a 6-1 record on the mound. Chaskin is one of two Bellaire Cardinals in the signing class, joining Kirby Taylor.
Charlie Curl, the son of Charles and Jackie Curl, was a second-team all-district third baseman for Tascosa High School and coach Jason Patrick. He led the Rebels in three major offensive categories in 2009, posting a team-best .430 batting average, 35 RBIs and 47 runs scored. Curl played summer ball with fellow signee Blair Dickey on the Oklahoma Travelers.
Spencer Davis, the son of Kevin and Dianne Davis, is a two-way standout for coach Ron Eastman at The Woodlands High School. He helped lead the Highlanders to the regional round of the 2009 state playoffs. Davis played summer ball with the Banditos North Select team and was a member of the 2009 Texas Rangers Area Code Team.
Blair Dickey, the son of Kevin and Wazetta Dickey, hit leadoff for coach Gary Hix's Amarillo Sandies. A first-team all-district honoree as an outfielder, he compiled a .404 average as a junior with 29 runs scored and 23 RBIs. Dickey played summer ball with fellow signee Charlie Curl on the Oklahoma Travelers and participated in the Texas Rangers Area Code tryouts. Also a standout defensive back on the gridiron, he picked off five passes this fall in helping lead AHS to the second round of the playoffs.
Derrick Hadley, the son of Bill and Debra Hadley, is a three-year starter for Navasota and coach Calvin Barber. Named the team's most valuable player and District 24-3A Defensive Player of the Year this past spring, Hadley was a second-team All-Brazos Valley honoree by The Bryan College Station Eagle. He went 7-2 on the hill with a 1.43 ERA, striking out 66 batters in 41 innings of work while tossing a pair of no-hitters--one coming against second-ranked Taylor. Hadley also hit .443 with a pair of home runs.
Ty Marlow, the son of Mike and Page Marlow, is a first-team all-state shortstop for his father at Giddings High School. He hit .576 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs as a junior, leading the Buffaloes to the district title and the state championship game. Marlow played summer ball for the Austin Wings Junior Black team, helping the squad claim the Premier Baseball junior national championship in July.
Kendrick Perkins, the son of Kevin and Felita Perkins, is a two-time all-greater Houston selection for coach Ricky Torres at La Porte High School. Perkins was a first-team all-district honoree as the Bulldogs won the district title and advanced to the state playoffs. In addition, he joined fellow signee Spencer Davis on the 2009 Texas Rangers Area Code Team this past summer. A two-sport star, Perkins has also earned all-greater Houston honors on the gridiron at running back.
Jace Statum, the son of Kevin and Laura Statum, was a first-team all-district and second-team all-state outfielder for coach Jeff Bennett at Orangefield High School. Named the Utility Player of the Year by the Orange Leader on its All-Orange Leader Baseball Team, Statum led the Bobcats to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons after hitting .462 with four home runs, 13 doubles, 26 RBIs and 49 runs scored. He played summer ball for the Texas Sun Devils Select team.
Kirby Taylor, the son of Keith and Gina Taylor, was an honorable mention all-America infielder for coach Rocky Manuel at Bellaire High School. A first-team all-district selection, Taylor helped lead the Cardinals to the regional semifinals this past spring with a .456 average, eight home runs and 55 RBIs. In addition, he added 20 doubles and five triples and was 14-of-15 in stolen base attempts. Taylor is one of two Bellaire Cardinals in the signing class, joining Kyle Chaskin.
The Aggies' lone JUCO player in the class, James Wooster is the son of David Wooster and Kristal Flores, and was a standout two-way player for coach Bryan Alexander at Alvin Community College. Wooster led the Dolphins to the Region XIV tournament, earning all-region XIV honors after hitting .389 on the year with 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, 33 runs scored and 16 doubles. He was selected in the 44th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Mets.
Texas A&M opens the 2010 season on Friday, Feb. 19 when the Aggies host Seton Hall at Olsen Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.
2009-10 TEXAS A&M BASEBALL SIGNING CLASS (11)
Name Pos Ht Wt B/T Cl-Exp Hometown (High School)
Krey Bratsen OF 6-0 165 R/R Fr-HS Bryan, Texas (Bryan)
Blair Dickey OF 5-8 165 R/R Fr-HS Amarillo, Texas (Amarillo)
Kyle Chaskin P/INF 5-11 190 L/R Fr-HS Houston, Texas (Bellaire)
Charlie Curl INF 5-10 170 R/R Fr-HS Amarillo, Texas (Tascosa)
Spencer Davis INF 6-3 200 R/R Fr-HS The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands)
Derrick Hadley P 6-1 175 R/R Fr-HS Navasota, Texas (Navasota)
Ty Marlow INF 5-10 175 R/R Fr-HS Giddings, Texas (Giddings)
Kendrick Perkins OF/1B 6-2 220 L/L Fr-HS La Porte, Texas (La Porte)
Jace Statum OF 5-9 165 L/L Fr-HS Orangefield, Texas (Orangefield)
Kirby Taylor INF 6-0 175 R/R Fr-HS Bellaire, Texas (Bellaire)
James Wooster P/OF 6-2 200 L/L Jr-TR League City, Texas (Clear Creek/Alvin JC)
The Farmers swept away the Plowboys 10-6 to win the Omaha Cup at Olsen Field in a game filled with big hits and big defensive plays.
Joe Patterson, who hit two homeruns and had seven RBI in the first scrimmage of the fall practice period, capped fall practice with a 3-for-3 game with two homeruns and six RBI. His teammates saw him perform in the clutch situations as well, giving the Plowboys a 3-2 lead with is first homerun and his two run double in the sixth inning put the game out of reach. His eighth inning shot, just to the right of the green monster, was the exclamation point for a Farmer offense that might have featured six of next springs starters at the top of their batting order.
Brandon Wood, who had a great fall in the field and at the plate, gave the Farmer’s an early lead with a two run homer in the top of the third and they rallied after the first Patterson homerun with single runs in the fourth off Michael Wacha throwing error that allowed Kenny Jackson to score as well as a Kevin Gonzalez single off Shane Minks in the sixth that scored Caleb Shofner.
Loux was pitching one of his better games of the fall, striking out five batters, before seeming to tire in the sixth. Nick Anders plated Adam Smith on a Jackson error at first and even though Anders was picked off second, it gave the Farmer’s offense new life. Nick Fleece singled and Andrew Collazo doubled to chase Loux and bring freshman Jake Feckley to the mound. Facing the meet of the Farmer order, Feckley gave up three straight hits to Brodie Greene, Matt Juengel and Patterson. Greene’s single and Patterson’s double scored two each to make it 8-4.
Shane Minks, the winning pitcher, gave up a wind blown two run homer to Scott Arthur in the top of the seventh that scored Dylan Petrich but the Farmer’s answered in the bottom half on a Carson Middleton throwing error. After snaring a linedrive back to the mound, Middleton tried to double the sliding Joaquin Hinojosa off third, but his throw flew past Shofner and Hinojosa trotted home.
Denny Clement came in for relief of Estevan Uriegas and worked out of a bases load jam in the top of the eighth by striking out Petrich and retiring Wood on a foul ball near the right field corner. His defense sparkled again in the ninth, when after a one out single by Tyler Naquin, Greene caught a sinking liner off Shofner’s bat and doubled off Naquin at first.
Ross Stripling threw a complete game gem striking out eight and leading the Farmers to a 6-2 victory in the second game of championship week for the Aggies. He allowed just four hits and threw just more that 80 pitches and was in complete control. It was the second straight win for the Farmers. The only innings that he didn't register a strikeout were a three pitch inning in the second and again in the ninth. Stripling didn't walk a batter and only John Stilson in the fifth reached a three ball count.
His only mistakes came in the third inning, Kenny Jackson opened the inning with a single up the middle but Stripling retired John Stilson on a fly ball to right and he struck out Dylan Petrich. Freshman Brandon Wood blasted a two run homer to left center to cut into the Farmers 3-0 lead. Scott Arthur continued the inning, reaching first on a wild pitch while striking out. Arthur stole second and on a chopped ball over the mound by Tyler Naquin, he tried to score and SS Adam Smith gunned him down at the plate.
The only other hit Stripling would allow was a leadoff double by Caleb Shofner in the seventh inning. A Parsons grounder to second moved Shofner to third but he was gunned out at home on a short fly ball into right. 2B Andrew Collazo caught the ball going away from the plate and his flat footed throw to the plate easily the retired sliding Shofner.
Clayton Ehlert started for the Plowboys and after a scoreless first he gave up a Joaquin Hinojosa double to right. On a 1-1 pitch, Smith and he bombed a homerun over the 400 mark just to the left of the green monster in centerfield to make it 2-0.
Collazo opened the third with a single to left center off Ehlert and Brodie Greene bunted him to second. Juengel singled on the infield and that moved Collazo to third. A Joe Patterson single to right center brought Collazo home for a 3-0 lead.
After the Wood homerun in the bottom of the third, Smith tripled down the left field line to open the fourth and Alcazar drove him home with a ground out to second for a 4-2 lead.
Juengel bounced a towering homerun off the scoreboard with two outs in the fifth inning to push the lead back to 6-2. The drive plated Collazo after he reached on an error at short by Stilson.
Dylan Mendoza relieved Ehlert in the seventh and went to innings, allowing a Smith single while walking one and striking out one. Jake Feckley worked a 1-2-3 ninth with a strikeout.
Despite some rough defense played behind them, the Farmer's pitchers kept the Plowboys off balance and took game one of the Fall World Series 4-2. Nick Fleece went six innings, allowing just two unearned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three. Winning pitcher Estevan Uriegas earned the win with one inning pitched and fellow relievers Denny Clement and Joaquin Hinojosa followed with a scoreless frame each to finish off the Plowboys. Hinojosa struck out three after going 2-for-3 with a run scored while playing left field.
John Stilson was matching Fleece pitch by pitch through the first six innings. He ended up giving up four runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He seemed to tire in the seventh and the Farmer offense was ready to pounce. C Gregg Alcazar singled to right center to start the frame and Fleece advanced him to second on a sacrifice bunt to third. Andrew Collazo's two strike single up the middle plated Alcazar and the throw home allowed Collazo to move up to second as well. After Brodie Greene flew out to right, Matt Juengel smoked the first pitch he saw up the middle and that scored Collazo and made the score 4-2.
Last week the coaches took control of the offense and pitching and after Monday, each team was put in a situational practice scenario. Those situations might have not done much for the confidence of the pitching staff, it certainly gave the hitters a chance to work on last year's Achilles heel, hitting with runners in scoring position.
Monday
The teams played straight up with Matt Deggs running the offense and Rob Childress calling the pitches. Nick Fleece worked three strong innings, allowing just one run on one hit. That hit was an RBI double by Kevin Gonzalez that plated Brett Parsons, who reached on an error at shortstop. Estevan Uriegas had a rough first inning, allowing two runs. Caleb Shofner drove home Tyler Naquin with a sacrifice fly and later Gonzalez scored on another error at short. Joaquin Hinojosa replaced Uriegas and gave up two runs an RBI triple by Parsons scored David Alleman and Gonzo drove him home with a groundball.
Starting for the Plowboys was Barret Loux and he gave up three straight singles to Andrew Collazo, Brodie Greene and Matt Juengel which drove in Collazo. The next innings saw Nick Fleece double and Collazo singled him home. After stealing a base, he scored on a single by Greene. Loux gave up a single to Juengel but he kept the Farmers off the scoreboard. Tyler Dyer replaced Loux and Greene drove him Nick Fleece with a double down the left field line. Juengel picked up his third straight hit, a shot to left that scored Greene. The next frame saw Adam Smith double to straight away center and that blast drove home Hinojosa. Juengel's double, scoring Gregg Alcazar, gave him a perfect 4-for-4 day and an error in center on the play allowed Greene to score as well.
Tuesday Recap
The team situation would be a runner at first base with no one out and the pitching staffs for both teams would struggle. John Stilson would make the pitches to escape the trouble in his first inning but when Joe Patterson reached on a Scott Arthur error, Collazo and Juengel both came around to score. Stilson did not allow another runner to reach and struck out three in his last two innings. Kyle Martin did not fair as well as Stilson, giving up a two-out, two run homerun that scored Collazo (the runner placed at first). His struggles continued in the next inning. Smith drove home Hinojosa, placed at first before stealing second and Nick Anders followed with a walk. Alcazar bunted both runners into scoring position before the double squeeze off the bat of Fleece drove home both Smith and Alcazar. The offense continued to roll, Collazo singled, scored on a Greene triple to left and Juengel homered to deep left for a six run inning. Jake Feckley replaced Martin and worked around an Alcazar double to keep the Farmers scoreless.
Ross Stripling did not allow a run in his first inning but even after Shofner was thrown out after being placed at second, he was roughed up his second frame. Parsons and Gonzalez both singled before executing a double steal. Kenny Jackson's bad hop double brought both runners home. Petrich walked to move up the placed Stilson but a bunt by Wood to first was too hard and Stilson was thrown out at third. Naquin singled and that scored Petrich. Corey Brooks followed Stripling to the mound and allowed the placed Shofner to come home on a grounder by Gonzalez that saw Gonzo robbed by Collazo on a great diving stop. Jackson followed that play with a walk and after he stole second, Arthur drove him home with a sharp single up the middle. With two outs in the next inning, Wood singled and Naquin doubled him home with a shot to right center. Stripling didn't allow a run in his final inning and Hinojosa came on to replace him. He struggled with his command walking the bases loaded and hitting Alleman to drive home the placed Jackson. Naquin's pulled a single to right to score Arthur and Petrich and a bobble at short on a Shofner grounder scored Alleman for a four run inning.
Thursday Update
Starting with a runner at second with no one out is a tough situation for a pitcher to toe the rubber. Dylan Mendoza was first out of the box and with Fleece at second, Collazo's sacrifice bunt drew a wild throw from Jackson and Fleece came around to score. Collazo stole second and Greene plated him with great bunt toward first. With one out, Hinojosa and Smith had back to back singles and Anders' squeeze bunt scored Hinojosa. With Alcazar was at first, Fleece singled to start the next inning and Collazo moved both up with a bunt to the mound. Green singled home Alcazar and Juengel bunted home Fleece. Mendoza escaped his final inning without allowing a run and replaced by Carson Middleton. He responded with an impressive three innings where he struck out six. Alcazar and Collazo, who singled and stole second, both scored on a bloop double down the left field line just inside the line but Middleton struck out Patterson to end the inning. He struck out Smith and Anders in the next inning but a two out single by Collazo scored Anders in the final inning.
Denny Clement worked four innings, Petrich scored in the first on an error at short and Jackson doubled home Shofner (the runner placed at first). After a scoreless frame in the third, Naquin scored on a single by Shofner in the fourth. Aaron Daab followed Clement and Gonzalez scored on an Arthur grounder to short. Daab retired Petrich and Naquin on line drives to second around a Wood flyout to center. Naquin came into score on a Shofner grounder in the last inning that also saw Parsons thrown out on a spinning throw from Smith behind the second base bag in short right centerfield.
Friday update
Starting with a runner at third and one out made for a quick nine innings. Rafeal Pineda would not allow a hit in his five innings of work. In the first, he threw out Fleece at third on a Collazo bunt back to the mound and Gonzalez threw him out string to steal second. In the second, Collazo was placed at third and scored on a Greene grounder to short. Pineda followed with two more scoreless frames, striking out Patterson in the third and coaxing a lineout of the bat of Hinojosa. The fourth saw Hinojosa thrown out at home on a Smith grounder to third and Pineda struck out Anders. Alcazar's sacrifice fly to center scored Anders in the sixth but Pineda ended his stint on the mound by striking out Fleece. Feckley followed Pineda and the placed runner scored in each of his four innings. The sixth saw Collazo drive home Fleece with a single. In the seventh, Juengel drove home Greene with a single and in the eighth a two out Smith double drove home Patterson. Alcazar's grounder to short scored Anders in the ninth.
Michael Wacha was the starter for the Farmers and Wood greeted him with a double that scored Petrich and he came around to score on a double by Shofner. Jackson drove home Gonzalez in the second on a grounder to short and Arthur scored in the third on a sacrifice fly to center by Stilson. Wood plated Petrich again in the fourth on a sacrifice to center and Wacha's appearance ended after a fifth that saw Parsons drive home Shofner with a single to center. Uriegas worked a scoreless sixth, after Arthur walked, Jackson was thrown out at home on fielders choice grounder to third. Arthur was picked off second to end the inning. Petrich drove home Stilson on a sacrifice fly to right in the eighth but Esty responded with a scoreless ninth that saw Wood stranded after a Naquin grounder to a drawn in second baseman and a Shofner grounder to third.
The Aggies had three separate two inning games today. The first saw Clayton Ehlert facing Shane Minks. Minks worked a 1-2-3 first inning, having both Brandon Wood and Scott Arthur ground out to Adam Smith at short and Tyler Naquin went down swinging. Ehlert saw Andrew Collazo single to right center and Brodie Greene sacraficed him to second. On a medium deep flyball to Naquin in right, Collazo tagged at second but he was gunned down on a perfect throw to third to end the first. Minks fielded a hot shot up the middle to retire Caleb Shofner but Brett Parsons doubled to left center and Kevin Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to put two on base. Minks struck out Kenny Jackson and coaxed a fly ball off the bat of Dylan Petrich to escape the jam. Joe Patterson greated Ehlert with a double into the left field power ally and Joaquin Hinojosa drove home the winning run with a shot into the left field corner.
Dylan Mendoza and Denny Clement were matched up in the next game. Mendoza sat down Matt Juengel (5-3), Gregg Alcazar (F6) and Nick Anders (F8) in his first inning. Clement was nearly as efficient, retiring John Stilson on a grounder to the mound and after walking Wood, Arthur grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing to end the inning. Nick Fleece reached on an error at third and after Mendoza struck out Collazo, Greene beat out the relay throw on a fielder's choice grounder to first that the diving Shofner righted himself to retire Fleece at second. Smith singled to left and Patterson walked to load the bases when Mendoza pitched around him. Hinojosa liner into left scored Greene but a strong throw from Petrich gunned down the sliding Smith for the third out. David Alleman coaxed a walk off Clement but was retired on a Naquin bunt attempt to third. Shofner smoaked a ball up the middle that took the glove off Clement's hand but Smith fielded the ball an retired Shofner at first. Clement got ahead of Parsons 1-2 but Parson's turned on the next pitch for a walkoff 2-run homer to the 375 mark in right center for a 2-1 victory.
Looking like twin towers, Michael Wacha and Kyle Martin battled in the day's final game. It was the first time that I had seen Martin and both pitchers were impressive. Gonzo reached on an error at third by Juengel and Wacha's throw on a Jackson bunt was wild to put two on with no out. Wacha bounced back and did a fine job of fielding his position to throw Gonzalez out at third on a out on a bunt off the bat of Petrich. Stilson's line drive to left was snagged by the leaping Smith at short to retire the side. Martin worked a 1-2-3 inning, Juengel lined out to Jackson at third and both Alcazar and Anders flew out to right. Wacha had no trouble with the top of the lineup, striking out Wood, seeing Arthur ground out to second and Smith ending another inning when he caught a line drive off the bat of Naquin. Martin hit Fleece to start the bottom of the frame but he caught Collazo looking before Greene flew out to short and Smith ended the game with a drive to center.
Friday 10-16 Report
John Stilson and Ross Stripling were the first two pitchers out of the box on Friday. Stilson retired Collazo on a grounder to Parker Ray at short, he got Greene on a flyout to right but Smith walked. Stilson retired Patterson on a grounder to second. Stripling worked a 1-2-3 inning with Wood flying out to center, Arthur grounding out to second and Naquin going down swinging. Stilson struck out Hinojosa and retired Juengel on a ground to short before running into some trouble. Alcazar singled and Anders walked before Stilson struck out Fleece to end the inning. Shofner singled against Stripling but he was gunned out trying to steal second. Parson struck out before Gonzalez drew a walk. The game ended in a 0-0 tie whe Jackson grounded out to second.
Carson Middleton and Aaron Daab matched up in the second game of the day. Petrich walked and stole second against Daab before he was sacrificed to third by Ray. Stilson hit a chopper to third but after running Petrich back to third, Juengel's throw to first was wide of the bag and allowed Petrich to score and Stilson to move to second. Wood walked but Daab escaped further trouble with a double play grounder to short by Arthur. Middleton retired Collazo on a grounder to the mound and Greene flew out to center before Smith walked. Patterson drove a pitch to center but Wood tracked it down for the inning's third out. Alleman and Naquin both grounded out to second but Daab hit Shofter. Parson's grounded out to short to end the frame. Hinojosa reached on a Stilson error at short but Middleton bounced back to strike out Juengel and get Alcazar to flyout to right. Anders singled to push Hinojosa to third and he moved to second on a stolen base. Middleton struck out Fleece to end threat and take the 1-0 victory.
Coach Childress would move Tyler Naquin and Adam Smith in from the field to pitch the last game of the day. Naquin retired both Collazo and Greene on flyouts to right before he hit Patterson with a pitch. He escaped furthur damage when Hinojosa flew out to center to end the inning. Smith got two quick outs to start his trip to the mound, Gonzalez flew out to center and Jackson flew out to left. Petrich walked and Stilson singled before an errant throw by Collazo subbing at short off the bat of Wood loaded the bases. Arthur walked to drive home Petrich and Stilson came around to score when Smith uncorked a wild pitch to Naquin. He singled up the middle, scoring both Wood and Arthur and chasing Smith. Collazo moved to the mound but Hinojosa's diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Shofner ended the inning. Naquin had troubles of his own, Smith walked with one out before Juengel singled. Alcazar drove home Smith with a sharp single up the middle and Anders followed with a hit to right that scored Juengel. Fleece walked to load the bases and Wood came to the mound to replace Naquin. Collazo was retired on a terrific over the shoulder catch by Stilson and Wood struck out Greene to end the game at 4-2.
All week long, weather permitting, the teams will play two games a day and each game will last two innings long. These games simulate end of game situations and the
Nick Fleece and Barret Loux matched up in the first scrimmage. Loux worked a 1-2-3 inning to start the game, Brandon Wood ground out to third, Tyler Naquin flew out to left and Caleb Shofner ground out to short. Loux retired Brodie Greene on a ground ball to the mound for the first out. Andrew Collazo doubled to the right field gap went to third on a balk and scored on a wild pitch to Joaquin Hinojosa. Hinojosa was cheated out of the RBI when he singled up the middle. After Joe Patterson flew out to left, both Matt Juengel and Adam Smith drew full count walks to load the bases. Loux struck out Nick Anders to end the threat. Fleece made sure that 1-0 lead would hold up as he coaxed Brett Parson's to line out to short, struck out Dylan Petrich and Kevin Gonzalez ground out to third.
The second scrimmage saw Tyler Dyer and Estevan Uriegas work two innings each. Fleece greeted Dyer with a walk and moved to second on a great sacrifice bunt down the first baseline. Dyer escaped the jam when Greene popped out to first and Collazo flew out to right. Kevin Jackson was the first to face Uriegas and he popped out to short. Scott Arthur was robbed of extra bases when his line drive past third was snagged by the diving Juengel. John Stilson flew out to left to end the frame. Dyer hit Hinojosa to start the next inning but Patterson's grounder up the middle was corralled by Arthur to start the 4-6-3 twin killing. Smith humpback liner was hauled in by Naquin on a fine running catch near the right field line. David Alleman singled off Smith's glove to start the bottom of the inning but he was cut down at second on attempted bunt that Gonzalez pounced on an fired a laser shot to second. Esty struck out both Naquin and Shofner to end the scrimmage in a 0-0 tie.
Plowboy power was the theme for Monday's practice in a 10-2 victory. Every starter except Tyler Naquin had a hit and six of the Plowboys had multiple hits. Leading the way, and continuing his torid start to the fall was Brandon Wood. He was 3-for-5 and just a homerun short of the cycle, scored three times and drove in one. Brett Parsons went 3-for-5 and drove Wood home in the first, fifth (on a double) and eighth while scoring in the fifth as well. Dylan Petrich went 1-for-5 with an RBI double and Kevin Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with a homerun. Kenny Jackson went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Scott Arthur was 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. David Alleman went 1-for-4 with two RBI and Parker Ray rounded out the lineup with a 2-for-4 day while scoring twice.
Nick Fleece was the only Farmer pitcher to slow the Plowboys as he worked three innings allowing three hits, an earned run and he struck out two. Estevan Uriegas struggled, going two innings while allowing seven hits, six earned runs with a walk and two strikeouts. Corey Brooks went three innings allowing six hits, three earned runs with a strikeout.
The Plowboys only runs came in the second inning. With one out, Matt Juengel singled, moved to second on a Nick Anders' walk and walk to Fleece loaded the bases. Gonzalez tried to catch Juengel off third base but his high throw went into left allowing Juengel and Anders to score and take a 2-1 lead. Alcazar followed with a hard hit single into right that Naquin charged and his pinpoint throw held Fleece at third.
Barret Loux went two innings, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) with two walks and two strikeouts. Tyler Dyer went three innings (retiring the first seven he faced) allowing just a Texas League single to left by Joe Patterson. Rafeal Pineda, who allowed the first batters he faced to reach, worked two innings and retired five in a row 9two by strikeout) after that rough start. Jake Feckley worked one inning and gave up a leadoff walk to Brodie Greene before retiring the final three batters of the game.
Patterson was 1-for-2 on the day and Greene, Juengel and Alcazar were 1-for-3. Hinojosa was 1-for-4 but was robbed of extra bases in the third when Wood made a terrific diving catch at the warning track.
A pretty good game between the Plowboys and the Farmers was hijacked by a few too many errors by the Farmers as they fell 12-7.
Brandon Woods smoked a triple to the gap to great Nick Fleece in the bottom of the first. Tyler Naquin drove him home with a ball to second for the 1-0 lead. It wouldn't get any easier for Fleece after that when he saw Brett Parson and Kevin Gonzalez both single and Kenny Jackson walk to load the bases. Scott Arthur's sinking line drive bounced just in front of LF Corey Brooks and skidded to the wall for a three base error and Fleece was down 5-0 when everyone crossed the plate. He gave up another run in the second when Parker Ray scored on a double play ball off the bat of Naquin. Jackson scored the final run charged against Fleece on another single by Arthur in the third.
Barret Loux set an early tone when he allowed just one run and punching out five in the three innings he was on the mound. He allowed singles by Brodie Greene in the first and Nick Fleece in the second but stranded the runners each time. That lasted until the third, when a two out rally started by a Joaquin Hinojosa double was followed by an aluminum bat single into short left by Adam Smith that scored Hinojosa.
Tyler Dyer followed Loux with a 7-1 lead but three straight hits by Fleece, Gregg Alcazar and Brooks made it 7-2 in the top of the fourth. Estevan Uriegas came in for Fleece and his luck was even worse than his teammate. With two outs, Brooks had trouble with another ball in left and Naquin scored an unearned run when Parsons drove him home.
Dyer struck out Smith to start the fifth but he walked Matt Juengel before Anders singled him to third. Dyer struck out Fleece but Alcazar plated Juengel with a single to center that saw Wood gun down Anders trying to advance to third for the third out. Uriegas saw the defense melt down behind him with two errors in the first three batters allow Alleman and Jackson to reach. Three straight hits made him pay after that, Arthur doubled home Alleman and Stilson's triple cleared the bases. Ray singled him home to make it 12-3 with all five runs allowed by Esty to be unearned.
Rafael Pineda and Corey Brooks each had scoreless innings in the sixth (the only time it happened in the game) with Pineda retiring Greene, Collazo and Hinojosa while Brooks sat down Parsons, Petrich and Gonzalez. Pineda would not be as fortunate in the seventh. Juengel hit a one out homerun to left, then Anders (a walk) and Fleece (a single) reached and eventually scored. Brooks shot to left drove home Anders for his second RBI.
Brooks carried that good at-bat to the mound and retired his fourth, fifth and six batters in a row. Jackson and Alleman grounded out back to the mound and Arthur was out on a ball to short.
Jake Feckley came in for the eighth and gave up a two out double to Smith an RBI single to Juengel but that is where the Farmer's rally ended.
Friday was a wonderful day at the ballpark and the Plowboys held on to beat the Farmers 8-6. It was a strange day with the lineup since several players that were playing in the field eventually went to the mound to pitch, and that would cause them to miss an at-bat while warming up. The hitters have had their way but expect the pitchers to get a freer hand in what they are allowed to pitch next week.
CF Tyler Naquin, who is showing why he was such an important recruit and has the potential to surpass the other outfield recruits that signed with pro baseball, had a one-out single in the first inning against Ross Stripling. 1B Caleb Shofner singled and after a LF Brett Parson's pop up, DH Dylan Petrich singled home Naquin. It took a great diving catch by RF Joaquin Hinojosa on a ball lined right at him to rob C Kevin Gonzalez and keep the score 1-0.
John Stilson took the mound and was impressive. Hinojosa reached on a 3B Kenny Jackson's error but Stilson worked around the error by retiring CF Brodie Greene, 2B Andrew Collazo and 3B Matt Juengel.
Stripling walked Jackson to start the second but retired 2B Scott Arthur, SS Parker Ray and leadoff hitter RF Brandon Wood. Stilson worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the second.
Naquin again was a thorn in Stripling's side, starting the third with another single, but the sophomore righty was nearly out of trouble after retiring both Shofner and Parsons. Petrich's routine grounder to second skipped under Collazo's glove and the inning continued. Gonzalez pulled a sharp single into left, plating Naquin, and when LF Corey Brooks missed the ball, it rolled all the way to the wall. That allowed Petrich to come around and score and moved Gonzo to third. Jackson drove in the third run of the inning with a single into the outfield to make it 4-0.
The Farmers did scratch out a run against Stilson in the third. After Shofner snared a liner off the bat of Greene, Collazo battled for a full count walk. Hinojosa popped up to Shofner, but Juengel picked him up with a single. Nick Anders took a pitch to right to score Collazo but after just missing the ball on a diving catch, Brandon Wood came up throwing and gunned down Anders at second to end the frame.
Aaron Daab, after battling arm injuries for two years went to the mound to replace Stripling and struck out Stilson for the first out. Wood doubled into the left field gap but a great relay from Greene to Smith to Juengel gunned him out at third. Naquin battled Daab for a walk, but Shofner flew out to left to end the inning.
Carson Middleton, returning to the squad after redshirting last season, followed Stilson and gave up singles to Brooks and Collazo but coaxed a routine ball to right to end the inning.
David Alleman was hit by a Daab pitch to start the fifth, and he tagged up and advanced to second off a flyout to center off the bat of Parsons and scored on a single to left by Petrich. Gonzalez smoked a ball to center for the second out, but Jackson singled to extend the inning. Daab loaded the bases when he plunked Scott Arthur and looked to be out of trouble on a routine grounder by Stilson to Adam Smith at short, but his throw was wild and the error allowed Petrich and Jackson to score. Arthur tried to come all the way around from first but was thrown out at home to keep the score 7-1.
Middleton saw his defense come up with a gem in the bottom of the inning. Juengel grounded out to short for the first out but then hit Anders. Naquin made the play of the game, coming up with a sinking liner off the bat of Gregg Alcazar, rolling on the ground and coming up firing to just nip Anders returning to first for a huge double play.
Daab bounced back, retiring both Wood and Naquin (finally making an out) with grounders to second. Shofner reached on an infield single and moved to second when the throw from Jackson was lost in the dirt. Daab ended the inning with a called strikeout of Parsons.
Brooks reached on a error to start the bottom of the sixth and went to third on a Greene double. Middleton left a pitch up, and Collazo drove the ball over the leftfield fence for a three-run homer. Hinojosa and Juengel flew out to right, but Anders drew a walk to continue the rally and came around to score on an Alcazar double. After a Brooks single, Greene was retired on a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Collazo moved to the mound for an inning, retiring Petrich before Gonzalez continued his hot streak with another single. Collazo didn't wilt, striking out Jackson and retiring Arthur on a fly out to left.
It was Wood's turn to move from the field to the mound for an inning. Collazo grounded out to third to start the inning, but Hinojosa cut the lead to 7-6 when he homered to left. Wood's bounced back to retire Juengel on a grounder to short, and Anders on a flyout to center.
Hinojosa replaced Collazo on the mound, and Alleman greeted him with a battle that lasted 11 pitches before Alleman went down on strikes. Hinojosa threw out Stilson for the second out on a grounder to the mound, but a ball to right by Wood was dropped before Hinojosa got Naquin to fly out to center.
Naquin was next on the mound. He retired Alcazar, Brooks and Greene on two flyballs and a strikeout for the first 1-2-3 inning since the second.
Minks replaced Hinojosa but after striking out Shofner, he gave up an opposite field homer to Parsons to make it 8-6. Petrich reached on an error, and Gonzalez singled. Minks came back to get Jackson and Arthur on grounders to end the top of the ninth.
Jake Feckley replaced Naquin and walked Collazo, but Hinojosa grounded into a 5-4-3 twin killing. Juengel doubled, but the game ended on a hard hit liner by Anders that Arthur corralled for the final out at second.
Senior Luke Anders hit a go-ahead, two-run
home run in the top of the eighth inning and the Farmers added a seven-run
ninth to win the decisive fifth game of the Aggie Baseball Fall World
Series, 10-2, over the Plowboys and claim the coveted Omaha Cup Wednesday
evening at Olsen Field.
With the Plowboys up 2-1 entering the
eighth, Dylan Petrich lined a single to left center field with one out to
bring Anders to the plate. The senior delivered, lining a pitch just to
the right of the batter's eye in center field for his fourth round-tripper
of the fall.
Anders' heroics and the late run surge
complemented a tremendous pitching outing by Brooks Raley. The sophomore
allowed both Plowboy runs and all of their three hits on the night in the
first inning, before retiring 20 of the next 22 batters he faced.
"Both teams poured their guts out all
fall and laid it all out on the line," Anders said. "I haven't
been part of a fall like this before. It was amazing."
"When you start talking about the
competition these two teams brought day in and day out, from August 25
until the last pitch tonight, it's very impressive," A&M coach
Rob Childress said. "There was extreme disappointment on the
Plowboys' part, and extreme joy for the Farmers, and that tells you it
meant something to them."
"It was a grind in everything they
did, and it will continue to be," Childress said. "There's a lot
of competition going on this fall, and the more you sweat and invest in
the program, the more it hurts when you lose and the more it means to you
when you win. Now that we can come together as one team, we've got a
chance to do some great things."
Practice
reports, short Q&A's, and other baseball updates
2008
Prospect Report
5.19.09
Mendoza Leading Lake Travis
Allows just one hit in two victories
The Cavalier baseball team was red hot at the end of the
regular season, undefeated in district play and hadn’t lost a game since
March 28.
Then the season was suspended because of the Swine Flu
outbreak, and there had to be a few people wondering if it would cool Lake
Travis (29-3) off at the wrong time.
But after two rounds of playoff baseball, the Cavaliers
have scored 34 runs, their opponents have scored three and ace Dylan
Mendoza has allowed exactly one hit.
It’s safe to say the break didn’t faze them.
Lake Travis topped Lanier, 7-0 and 12-3, in the
bi-district championship last weekend, and then toppled New Braunfels
Canyon Tuesday night in a one-game series for the area championship, 5-0.
Even when facing that one-game series against the
Cougars, the Cavaliers weren’t nervous.
“I was pretty relaxed. I mean, I’ve been here before
because of the experience and tradition we have,” Mendoza said. “So I
was pretty relaxed coming in.”
Mendoza went the distance, fanning 14 Cougars and
allowing one hit in a game that never felt like it was in doubt once Lake
Travis was on the board.
Even Lake Travis head coach Roy Kinnan, who notoriously
hates one-game playoff rounds, felt like his team was in good shape coming
into the game.
“You know, this is a different team, I’ve got a lot
of confidence in them, and they’ve got a lot of confidence in
themselves,” he said. “I felt good about the game coming out. We were
swinging the bat well in batting practice, and I just felt good about it.”
Lake Travis broke a scoreless tie in the third inning,
scoring four runs on three hits. Kevin Conroy led off the frame with a
double to center field, and Cody Gruber followed with a single to put
runners at first and second. Brad Kuntz hit a sacrifice fly to bring home
Conroy for the first run. Andy Holt doubled, putting runners at second and
third, and Wyatt Church doubled to bring home both runners. Cohl Walla hit
a rocket to deep right-center field, but it was snagged by the center
fielder. Church moved to third on the fly, and then scored on a wild
pitch, making it 4-0.
The Cavaliers tacked on another run in the fifth inning
when Church hit a grounder to short that was misplayed and allowed Gruber
to score from third.
Meanwhile, Mendoza stayed hot, shutting down the Cougars
five days after no-hitting Lanier in the Cavs’ 7-0, playoff-opening
victory, one in which he struck out 13 Vikings. The lead was more than
enough.
“I felt like even we didn’t score any more runs, we’d
be fine because I was on,” Mendoza said. “Everything was working well,
my fastball was on, curveball was on, slider, change, really the whole
repertoire was working.”
Kinnan agreed, and couldn’t say enough about the
senior gunslinger.
“His last three ballgames, I mean, he throws a
two-hitter in his last district game, a no-hitter in the first round and a
one-hitter tonight. He’s throwing the ball well, and he’s throwing
strikes, so his pitch count is down and he’s still throwing hard in the
sixth and seventh inning,” Kinnan then chuckled. “He had good stuff
tonight.”
But the competition in the first few rounds typically
isn’t as tough as the best teams Lake Travis has seen this year, and
Canyon offered few surprises, if any.
“They were a solid ballclub, but they don’t hit one
through nine,” Kinnan said. “We scouted them a little bit, and their
first four hitters do most of their work. That’s where they score their
runs, and after that, they struggle.”
The early lead cemented that theory.
“I think it’s important any time you can score a
couple runs in a burst like that,” Kinnan said. “We talked all game
about trying to score a run an inning, and trying to shut them out.”
Now, the Cavaliers turn right back around and start the
regional quarterfinal round against district rival Hutto. The Hippos are
no stranger to playoff baseball, and topped Boerne Champion 5-4, Tuesday
night. But this is their first venture into the 4A playoffs, which should
make for an interesting series.
“We beat them handily the first time, but we had to
come from behind the second time, and I’m sure they feel like they can
play with us,” Kinnan said. “I don’t care either way, whoever the
winner is, that’s who we’ll get ready to play.”
Lake Travis won the teams’ first meeting 8-2, behind
the arms of Cohl Walla, Brad Kuntz and Jack Hourin. Mendoza pitched the
second meeting, which the Cavaliers came back to win 4-3, after being down
3-0 heading into the seventh inning. Mendoza struck out 11, and allowed
three runs, though none of them were earned.
The playoff routine does get changed a bit with two
series in one week, though.
“I think it will be good for us because we have lots
of pitching, and everyone has been ready to play every day,” Mendoza
said. “We’ve been really sharp.”
Kinnan agreed.
“We play it now like a regular season game, and for
us, we’re set up pretty good pitching-wise because we’ll have Kuntz
and Walla going in the first two games. And we can always go to Mendoza at
the end because we won’t have to go again until the next Thursday,” he
said. “Then I’ve got Church, Ryan Feltner, Colin Butschek and Hourin
that can all go in game three if I need them to.”
Brandon Wood Honored by Houston BWAA
More
than 1,100 people will be at the Hilton Americas Convention Center Hotel
for tonight’s 24th annual Houston Baseball Dinner.
Slugger
Lance Berkman will be presented with the Astros Most Valuable Player Award
for 2008, as voted on by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers
Association of America. Berkman, a five-time team MVP, last year led the
Astros in batting average (.312), doubles (46), homers (29), RBIs (106),
on-base percentage (.420) and runs (114).
Closer
Jose Valverde, who tied Brad Lidge’s franchise record with 44 saves,
will be honored as Astros Pitcher of the Year, and lefthander Wesley
Wright will be recognized as Astros Rookie of the Year.
Other
award winners include outfielder Hunter Pence (Darryl Kile Award), first
base coach Jose Cruz (Allen Russell Distinguished Achievement Award) and
former Chronicle sports writer Neil Hohlfeld, who posthumously will be
given the Fred Hartman Long and Meritorious Service Award.
Los
Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Loney, a product of Elkins High
school, will be on hand to accept the Houston-area Major League Player of
the Year Award. The Houston Athletic Committee will present the Ray
Knoblauch Award for the area’s outstanding high school coach to
Bellaire’s Rocky Manuel. Rice’s Ryan Berry will be recognized as the
Greater Houston Area’s Preseason College Player of the Year.
The
Houston Athletic Committee also will honor its All-Greater Houston high
school baseball preseason team: Tyler Duffey (Bellaire), Jonathan Dziedzic
(Atascocita), Ryan Hornback (Sweeny), Jake Miller (Stratford), Tyler
Naquin (Klein Collins), R.J. Perucki (Tomball), Matt Purke (Klein),
Michael Ratterree (Memorial), Brady Rodgers (Lamar Cons.), Larry Rodriguez
(Channelview), Ryan Sedeno (Langham Creek), Cooper Smith (Second Baptist),
Andrew Stumph (Katy), Zach Thomas (Cy-Fair), Kyle Von Tungeln (Kempner)
and Brandon Wood (Clements).
