Friday, May 3, 2013

SEC Weekend: Texas A&M Aggies

♦  Be sure to check out Sam Nasci's Mizzou Matchup preview of the Texas A&M Aggies here at SimmonsField.com

♦ Also check out our off-season South By Southeast posts about Vanderbilt Baseball:

JUST ANOTHER BUNCH OF COLLEGE GUYS





AGGIES



Aggies bust out the bats against Grambling State (AggieSports.com)
There were smiles and even a few chuckles as the A&M baseball team huddled Tuesday night after a 6-2 victory over the Grambling State Tigers at Blue Bell Park.

The Aggies, having lost five straight and nine of 10, needed to walk off the field a winner in the worst way. It didn't matter that it came against a team that's in last place in the Western Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, that three weeks ago made national news with a 30-0 loss at Central Arkansas.

Tuesday was all about the Aggies (23-22), who used an 11-hit attack to score their most runs since a 5-3 victory at Arkansas 11 days ago. Sophomore Blake Allemand had four hits, including a pair of doubles, and freshman Hunter Melton added three hits including a solo homer.

"This feels good to get that dirty taste out of our mouth," A&M head coach Rob Childress said
...
A&M's eight-game home stand will continue this weekend against Missouri in a meeting of former Big 12 teams in their maiden Southeastern Conference season.

Missouri is 7-14 in league play and A&M 7-13, having lost seven of eight.

"We are where we are and there's no one more disappointed than the coaches and the players because we have high expectations," Childress said. "But there's still a lot of baseball in front of us."

Childress said having Reynolds and Lankford back at full strength, not out of the lineup or forced to be the designated hitter, will help.

"I know the guys feel good about themselves, and that's important," Childress said. "That's been our biggest challenge as coaches in continuing to make these guys understand we do have talent. We do have a good team, it's just a matter of playing a little better."..
In for the save (The Batt)
Jester’s performance spoke to the impact he has had on this year’s A&M squad.

“When the game’s on the line or when the game is tied or if we need to bring [Jester] in, in the seventh just to shut someone down, I think the entire team and the coaching staff has confidence in him to do that,” said junior catcher Troy Stein.
...
This season, Jester has become an anchor of the A&M bullpen. In 31 and one-third innings pitched, Jester has ten saves and 31 strikeouts with a 2.87 earned run average, good for second on the team.

Childress said Jester’s success is due to how he embraces his role.

“To have a guy that you know is going to go out and throw strikes with above average stuff at the end of the game that really embraces that role is a luxury,” Childress said. “A
closer in the 20-plus years [crowd] is not the guy with the best stuff but the guy who relishes in that role.”...

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