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Texas A&M Baseball: Aggies continue to hover around Top 10 after wild week

By Robert Ford

(Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Texas A&M baseball (23-6-1, 6-2-1 SEC) did not win or lose the series against Missouri thanks to a tie on Sunday due to travel logistics.

Texas A&M baseball felt their first true adversity on the season during a wild weekend series with Missouri in which they lost a tough game in 15 innings and the rubber match ended in a tie so the Tigers could get back to Columbia at a descent hour.

Before we dive into the series, let’s recap the midweek tilt against Lamar. The Aggies would give the ball to Dustin Saenz, who pitched 2.1 innings before giving way to Brandon Birdsell, Chandler Jozwiak, Kyle Richardson, Jake Nelson and Kasey Kalich. Overall, the staff pitched well besides a tough ninth inning for Kalich.

On offense, every starter had at least one hit, and Hunter and Ty Coleman along with Mikey Hoehner had two in the game. The run support came from Braden Shewmake, Zach DeLoach and H. Coleman who provided the big three-run triple that opened the game up in the sixth. A&M would close out Lamar (10-7) to move their midweek record to 7-2.

Now back to the Mizzou series. As I said earlier, the Aggies faced some adversity and their reaction to this weekend could determine the outcome of the rest of the season.

John Doxakis pitched well although he would probably say his stuff was not his best. He struck out eight, did not walk a batter, but did give up 10 hits in 6.2 innings. Most managers will take their starter going into the seventh only giving up three runs. This was the case Friday night as the Aggies were able to pull it out late, 7-3.

Offensively, the punch came from the middle and bottom of the lineup. Logan Foster and H. Coleman continue to have hot bats since conference play started. The Tigers helped out the Aggies late in the game with a couple of big errors that helped spark a five-run eighth that basically put the game away.

With the win on Friday and with a red hot Asa Lacy going in game two, the Aggies had their minds at a potential sweep. That looked like it would happen after Lacy and Kalich had retired 26 Tigers before Missouri tied the ballgame with a big pinch hit two-run homer by Thomas Broyles. Missouri would end up winning the marathon with a run in the 15th, 3-2.

At the plate, the Aggies struggled to string together any solid at bats. Only Shewmake and Foster had great games combining to go 6-for-12. The rest of the Aggies were a combined 4-for-37. The inability to get a big hit and to only walk three times in 15 innings made it very difficult for the Aggies to have any run scoring opportunities.

The rubber match on Sunday turned out to be a lot like the previous game except it was the Aggies that tied the game at two. Joseph Menefee would get the start and he would go 3.1 innings giving up the only two runs the Tigers would score. Bryce Miller, Chris Weber and Kalich would shut Missouri down the final six-plus innings.

Offensively, their struggles continued and injuries hampered the Aggies all day. With Bryce Blaum, Hoehner and H. Coleman not starting, A&M had to go deep into the bench to replace three big weapons. The game was called after 10 innings with the Aggies and Tigers tied at 2 because A&M never really threatened to score after tying the game in the fourth.

With those results, A&M moved up several spots in each poll.

This week, the Ags only play one midweek game and it’s a big one against our rivals from Austin. SEC play continues with a trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU with first place in the West on the line.

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