Texas A&M Sweeps Seattle In Run-Rule Fashion

The Aggies totaled 28 runs in three games to begin the new campaign at Blue Bell Park.

Run, run, run as fast as you can. It's the start of a story about a cookie who terrorizes a small village, but it's also what Texas A&M baseball did for eight innings Sunday morning. 

Behind 11 hits — including a couple of long balls — and stellar starting pitching, the No. 5 Aggies run-ruled Seattle in a 14-2 victory at Blue Bell Park. A&M picked up its first series sweep and totaled 28 runs in three games to begin the new season. 

"Overall, we'll take the three wins," A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. "We had a lot of new Aggies get their feet wet, and I thought today's crowd was awesome. ... We're super thankful they came out on Sunday morning."

While A&M (3-0) would have loved to have seen the entire lineup nab a hit, plate discipline was a key factor. Redhawks starting pitcher Kian Hogan walked six of the 11 batters he faced before departing midway through the second inning. 

Combined, Seattle (0-3) used six pitchers and allowed 12 walks, along with two hit batters for 14 free bases. Once in scoring position, A&M attacked. 

"It just shows our patience," second baseman Ryan Targac said of the walks. "It means we're swinging at strikes and taking the balls. We're not going to go after stuff that's off the plate. That's something we take pride in."

Baylor transfer JD Gregson kicked off the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single. Jack Moss knocked in another following a Hunter Haas walk, while freshman Jace LaViolette drilled a single to right field to make it 5-0. 

Third baseman Trevor Werner drew a bases-loaded walk to tack on another run before the end of the frame. 

Werner and Targac picked up their first home runs of the season with back-to-back solo shots in the eighth to make it 11-2. Houston outfield transfer Tab Tracy notched his first hit with a double to center field. Four pitches later, Kaeden Kent's triple cleared the bases and ended the game. 

"Hitting a train track homerun was a great feeling," Targac said postgame. 

Chris Cortez (1-0) was the only starting pitcher to pick up a win during the open series. And while Troy Wansing and Nathan Dettmer did their jobs, their pitch count eventually forced Schlossnagle to go to the bullpen early. 

The substantial lead likely factored into Cortez's time on the mound, but his command ultimately was the selling point. Making his second career start, the sophomore punched out three Redhawks while only allowing two runs on six hits. 

"I thought he looked like a real starting pitcher," Schlossnagle said of Cortez. "He threw his offspeed pitches in and out of the strike zone. He needs to continue to improve as the competition level rises, but that was a really good sign for us."

Freshman Shane Sdao struck out two batters in two scoreless innings. Robert Hogan needed 17 pitches to deliver a clean eighth.

A win is always promising for any program, but A&M holds itself to a higher standard. Despite totaling 28 runs in three days, Schlossnalge said the offense still is looking for an offensive spark. That comes with time and more at-bats. 

Then again, if the Aggies are already averaging 9.3 runs per game, what will the total be when the bats come to life? 

"You saw a lot of pulling off the baseball, and that's not who we are," Schlossnagle said. "That's just part of baseball. We know we have a good offense. You have to go out there and do what we do." 

The Aggies will return to Blue Bell Park Tuesday for a one-game series against Lamar. A&M will remain home for a three-game series against Portland beginning Feb. 24. 

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