Texas A&M Looks To Rebound With Weekend Series Against Portland

The Aggies will return to Blue Bell Park for a three-game set against the Pilots.

Texas A&M Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle won't downplay the Aggies' 7-4 loss Tuesday night to Lamar. He also won't discredit the Cardinals for their ability to fight through adversity in the late innings, something Texas A&M will have to learn before the start of conference play. 

“Lamar played really well,” Schlossnagle said. “We had a lot of good at-bats. We hit a lot of balls hard, [but] just not enough and they didn’t fall in. I thought we played well defensively. We pitched OK.”

Pitching "OK" won't suffice once the top contenders make the trip down to Blue Bell Park, so it's vital for the staff to work out the kinks early in the season. The next test? A three-game set at home against Portland beginning Friday night. 

The Pilots (3-1) might play in a lesser-known conference, but Schlosnaggle and the Aggies won't let that fool the program. Last season, Portland finished second in the West Coast Conference behind San Diego with a 17-10 record. Overall, the Pilots finished 32-23, barely missing the NCAA Conference Tournament. 

"Definitely play a West Coast brand of baseball," Schlossnagle said. "They are going to make you handle the ball. They have some pitchers on the mound who have a really good feel for the baseball and throw multiple pitches for strikes, mostly right-handed."

One of the hurlers that could give A&M (3-1) fits is junior right-hander Bock Gillis. Known for his command on the hill, Gillis finished with a 9-2 record and a 2.24 ERA. In his season debut against Utah Tech, Gillis tossed four strong innings, allowing five hits while striking out seven batters. 

Gillis will get starting nod Saturday. Joey Gartrell is expected to make the start Friday night, while Nick Brink will end the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. 

For Schlossnagle, he hopes to get more out of his starting rotation in their second series of the new year. Nathan Dettmer, who's slated to start Friday, only lasted 4 2/3 innings before being pulled in an 8-2 win to begin the year due to pitch count. Purdue transfer Troy Wansing pitched 3 1/2 innings after throwing 72 pitches on Saturday.

"He supposedly made an adjustment this week with coach (Nate) Yeskie that may allow him to throw more strikes and be more consistent in the strike zone. I thought he had a really good breaking ball going," Schlossnagle said of Wansing's outing. "He punched out seven. But he also gave up some free bases. So he’s got to clean that up."

While Dettmer and Wansing will need to lower their pitch count to extend their outings, sophomore Chris Cortez might be A&M's ace in the hole. Last week in his second career start, Cortez allowed two runs on six hits and struck out a pair of Seattle bats en route to a 14-2 victory. 

Schlossnagle and teammates have praised Cortez's work ethic on the mound to better his secondary pitches. On Sunday, both punchouts came on off-speed throws instead of fastballs.

"Sunday is actually the best he has ever pitched in his entire life. … He said, ‘Yeah, in high school, I never threw an off-speed pitch for a strike. I never had to.’ Last year, he was throwing a 78-mile-per-hour breaking ball, not very often for strikes," Schlossnagle said. "The other day, it is not where it is going to be, but it was the best he has ever been."

Schlossnagle isn't just looking for consistency on the mound. He also needs it in the heart of the lineup. Against the Cardinals, the Aggies' No. 3-7 hitters went 2-of-17 with a walk and three strikeouts. 

Maybe having a cold night at the plate won't matter against the Pilots. It will be at Minute Maid Park for the Shriners Children’s College Classic next week. 

The Aggies are slated to take on a pair of top-25 opponents in No. 16 Louisville and No. 24 Texas Tech. On Saturday, they'll face Rice as one of three games scheduled in 2023. 

"We’re really hunting for people," sophomore right-hander Robert Hogan said. "We have a target on our back, and we’re not going to let that stop us. We’re going to keep going and be us.”

First pitch Friday night is set for 6 p.m. 

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