Youthful Trio Make Texas A&M Debut In Win Over Seattle

A combination of young and old Texas A&M players led the program to its first win over the year.

COLLEGE STATION -- Remember when you were a 17-year-old? What was the first thing on your mind entering the spring semester?

Was it Prom? How about the SATs or filling out your college application? Maybe spring break or graduation caught your attention?

Max Kaufer has other things to worry about these days. The biggest? Trying to figure out how to maintain his control behind the plate while Texas A&M ace Nathan Dettmer delivers sinkers that can hit the upper 90s with ease. 

One game isn't enough to say that Kaufer might be the best freshman catcher in college baseball. Still, the New Jersey native kept his composure while calling the game for four different A&M pitchers en route to an 8-2 victory over Seattle University Friday night at Blue Bell Park in the season opener. 

"He was the story of the game, to be honest with you," A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said of Kaufer. "To be 17 years old, you're still supposed to be going to high school in New Jersey, and you're catching Nathan Dettmer's power sinker in front of 7,000 Aggies? That's not normal, and he did it with body language and confidence."

Kaufer went 0-for-2 but did drive in a run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly to center. He also scored a run after drawing a walk in the seventh. 

Schlossnagle knows the bat will come around in time. The real storyline was his command behind the backstop. Kaufer guided Dettmer through 4 2/3 innings of work. The Aggies No. 1 pitcher struck out eight batters and didn't allow a walk while giving up four hits. 

Little changed once Dettmer was pulled with a pair of runners in scoring position in the fifth. Kaufer navigated USC transfer Carson Lambert (1-0) out of a jam with a flyout to right field, then helped Sam Houston transfer Matt Dillard coast his way through the final five outs following a two-run home run by Seattle first baseman Matt Boissoneault over the left-field wall. 

"He doesn't seem like a freshman," Dettmer said of Kaufer. "He immediately started asking questions [when he came in] and started talking to everyone in meetings. I would have been so nervous if I was home, but he seems like a veteran." 

Kaufer might garner the most attention entering the second game of the three-game set, but he wasn't the only freshman that made headlines in front of 6,716 Aggies.

Both outfielders Jace LaViolette and Kasen Wells provided a spark in their first collegiate games. LaViolette, a 6-6, 230-pounder power hitter from Katy, nabbed his first RBI with a base hit up the middle in the eighth while Wells drew a pair of walks. 

The young guns will have their time to be heroes. For now, this is still a veteran roster. It's why expectations of making it back to the College World Series are at an all-time high entering Year 2 of the Schlossnagle era. 

Ryan Targac started the offensive push in the fourth inning with a two-run RBI single following an error by Redhawk pitcher Peter Chronowski (0-1). Jack Moss tacked on a third run with an RBI double in the fifth, and later plated another with a single in the seventh to make it 5-0. 

"We're one of the best offenses in the country," Moss said. "We're not always going to hit every single inning, but we're really tough to hold down for a while.

"I felt like a lot of the guys, including myself, were a little sped up at first just playing in front of an atmosphere like this for the first time again, but now we're back in the routine of things and ready to roll."

The win did come with a massive loss for long run, however. Senior outfielder Brett Minnich suffered a broken thumb on his left hand after attempting to slide head-first on a ground ball to first base. According to Schlossnagle, Minnich will miss at least six weeks following surgery. 

"Just say a prayer for him tonight," Moss said of Minnich. "He's going to come back, and he's going to help us do a lot of really cool things this year. That's one of the best teammates I've ever played with." 

Dettmer said that the freshmen were able to see the Aggie standard in full swing to open the year. With wins come fans. Fans bring a hostile atmosphere. That alone could play a role in the regional and super regionals should A&M be lucky enough to host both rounds in the NCAA Tournament like it did last season on the way to Omaha. 

Kaufer still has plenty to learn at the college level before taking the program over by storm. Perhaps he'll get another crack at nabbing his first hit Saturday when the No. 5 Aggies take the field with left-handed transfer Troy Wansing on the mound at 2 p.m.

"Max Kaufer is not supposed to be in college right now," Moss said. "He was as energetic and as poised as any player I've ever played with, especially for that atmosphere." 

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