Texas A&M Outfielder Brett Minnich Returns To Lineup In Aggies' Loss To Texas

Brett Minnich, a key component to Texas A&M's College World Series run in 2022, returned to the lineup for the first time since the season opener.

COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M baseball tacked on another loss to its four-game losing streak after falling 5-2 to in-state rival Texas Tuesday night at Blue Bell Park. 

For the short term, the Aggies can only think of how to get back to their winning ways this weekend when the reigning national champion Ole Miss comes to town for a three-game series starting Friday night. 

One way to start is by bringing back a key offensive player. 

Senior outfielder Brett Minnich returned to the Aggies' lineup for the first time since the season-opening win over Seattle last month. Minnich started in right field and was greeted with thunderous applause from the over 7,000 fans in attendance when he stepped into the batter's box for the first time against Longhorns' starter Lebarron Johnson. 

"It was really big and he stayed on the ball to left field really nice," A&M coach Jim Schlossnalge said postgame. "He moved fine in the outfield." 

Minnich, who started all 64 games for the Aggies in 2022, suffered a broken thumb while sliding into first base during his first at-bat of the regular season. Schlossnagle said that he would require surgery and miss roughly six weeks, though the rehabilitation process moved faster than expected, leading to an earlier return. 

While his homecoming to the diamond wasn't perfect, Minnich found a way to reach base more than once. During the second inning, the Colleyville native reached first on an error caused by second baseman Jack O'Dowd. In the seventh, he reached again thanks to an error by outfielder Porter Brown. 

"We put some really good swings on the balls tonight and it just didn't fall," Minnich said. "It happens. It's the game of baseball. You got to live through those days."

Minnich was hit by a pitch on the elbow in the bottom of the ninth to reach for a third time and later was replaced by pinch-runner Travis Chestnut. Schlossnagle said he planned to pull him even before the hit-by-pitch to keep him fresh for the weekend series. 

With Minnich's absence, the Aggies (15-10) have struggled to find a consistent bat in the heart of their order. Kasen Wells, Stanley Tucker, Jordan Thompson, Jace LaViolette and Tab Tracy have rotated between the three outfield positions since the opening series. All have struggled to replace the senior's defensive prowess, but also possess a consistent eye at the plate. 

LaViolette is currently hitting .262 with 27 strikeouts. Wells, the most consistent right fielder since Minnich's departure, is hitting .240 with 13 Ks against his name. 

"Just because I come back in the lineup doesn't mean they're not going to play," said Minnich of the freshmen. "The game will reward them. Kasen is fighting his booty off up there. Jace is finally starting to see some results. He's hitting the ball hard all year, but he's just now starting to find the results."

Last season, Minnich was one of A&M's more disciplined hitters, relying on contact over power. He finished with a .306 batting average with seven home runs and 51 RBIs. 

Schlossnagle will play the best starting nine for the weekend matchup against the Rebels in hopes of ending the losing streak before it gets out of control. A veteran presence both at the plate and patrolling the corner outfield, however, could provide stability for a program that's been missing a vital component to last season's College World Series run since the start of the new campaign. 

"If we can find the right group of strike throwers, then it's going to boil down how far the veteran offensive players take us," said Schlossnagle. "I still believe in those guys." 

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

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