Analysis: Weekend of mixed results for Aggies on the baseball field
By Turner Dawson | Maroon Weekly
The Texas A&M baseball team played four games this past week and it was a fairly disappointing week. The Aggies traveled to Texas State on Tuesday and dropped that game in extra innings before returning home to start a three game set with Kansas and had every result possible. They lost one, won one, and tied one.
On Tuesday, the Aggies sent sophomore pitcher Ross Hales to the mound for the first time all season. Hales had an outstanding freshman season but has been recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. Hales pitched just 1 and 2/3 innings, striking out 2 and giving up one home run.
The game went to extra innings and the Aggies looked to make the winning play in the top of the 11th as Brandon Wood hit a sacrifice fly deep to right field to drive in Kevin Gonzalez with the go ahead run. But Jake Feckley gave up two runs in the bottom half of the inning to allow Texas State to get the win.
On Thursday, the Aggies returned home and gave the start to their ace, Barrett Loux. He has been dominant all season, but had a mediocre start in this one as he went six innings, gave up four runs on five hits and struck out six. He also walked four batters. When Loux has good command, he is almost un-hittable. When he walks a lot of batters like he did in this one, he becomes an average pitcher.
Third baseman Caleb Shofner was 2-for-5 at the plate with one RBI to go with it but also struck out twice. Kenny Jackson got the start at DH and had a solid game going 4-for-5 and scoring one run. Scott Arthur also played well, going 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored. Despite some good performances at the plate, the Aggies dropped this one, 9-5.
On Friday, the Aggies sent Ross Stripling to the mound and got another mediocre performance from their starting pitcher. Stripling went 4 and 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits with just one strikeout. The Aggies then sent in John Stilson who shut it down the rest of the game. Stilson pitched the rest of the 4 and 2/3 innings, gave up no earned runs on four hits and struck out six. Stilson now has an unbelievable 0.96 ERA on the season and picked up his sixth win this season.
Brandon Wood got the start in right field and hit in the leadoff spot and went 2-for-4 with one run scored. Adam Smith, who has been moved all over the place since losing his starting spot at shortstop, got the start in left field, managed to go 1-for-4 at the plate drove in 2 runs. And starting catcher Kevin Gonzalez went 2-for-5 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored.
On Saturday, the Aggies had another extra innings affair as Ross Hales got another start. The results were not quite as nice as his first outing against Texas State. Hales lasted just 2/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs on three hits and stretched his ERA out to 11.57 on the season. The Aggies then sent Shane Minks to the mound and he gave them 3 and 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits. Michael Wacha came in and did an adequate job going 4 and 1/3 innings, giving up 2 earned runs on 2 hits with 2 strikeouts.
Brodie Greene had a solid game at the plate going 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored. Adam Smith also turned in a nice performance going 2-for-5 with two RBI’s and one run scored. Brandon Wood was also crucial as he continued his impressive week in the leadoff spot going 2-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored.
As the game went into the 11th inning, the Aggies once again appeared to make a play to win the game. Brodie Greene started the inning with a single, then stole second and advanced to third on an error. Kansas pitcher Colton Murray then balked one out later to send in the go ahead run.
But in the bottom half of the inning, Jake Feckley was once again on the mound and gave up another run in the bottom half of the inning. The game was then forced to end in a tie as the Aggies travel plans forced them to leave. This was the first tie for an Aggie team since 2006 and just the second time ever in school history in Big 12 play.
This next week the Aggies will be playing host to UTSA at Olsen Field before playing host to the Baylor Bears on Friday and then heading to Waco to play the next two games of the three game set.