Texas A&M Opens SEC Baseball Against No. 1 LSU

The Aggies will look to set the tone in conference play with a three-game series at home against top-ranked LSU.

Jim Schlossnagle said following the Shriner's College Baseball Classic Tournament that Texas A&M Aggies baseball was far from playing up to its standard. Since a 14-5 loss to No. 14 Louisville at Minute Maid Park, the Aggies have been swinging their way to a perfect road. 

A&M is currently on an eight-game win streak following a five-game stretch of games that featured a series sweep over Northern Kentucky. While the Aggies might be hitting their stride, that's only in non-conference games. 

For Schlossnalge, it's about being the best every night on the mound at the plate. The No. 15 Aggies will have a chance to back up their status as top conference contenders with a three-game set against No. 1 LSU starting Friday evening at Blue Bell Park. 

"This is why you come to a place like this," the second-year manager said Wednesday. "It's to be a part of these games in the big environment and everything that comes with it." 

In the SEC, things can change quicker than a mound visit. Last season, the Aggies were projected to finish 13th in the conference and remained unranked entering SEC play. The Tigers ranked No. 8 in the country behind first-year manager Jay Johnson and featured one of the more potent batting orders in the country. 

A&M ended up winning the SEC West behind a veteran presence at the plate and strong relief pitching. That carried the program all the way to a College World Series appearance and deep into the tournament. As for LSU, a matchup against Southern Mississippi in the Hattiesburg Regional ultimately sent the program back to Baton Rouge hungry for better play. 

The season is young, but the Tigers are proven vets. They lead the nation in hits allowed (79), and rank second in ERA (2.27). Defensively, LSU only has committed five errors all season, two of which came against Western Michigan in the season-opening weekend. 

"Pitching, defense, offense, they got great players, great big draft prospects,” Schlossnagle said. “So, yeah, it’s a great team. But it’s never about the best team, only about the team that plays the best.”

Finding a way to limit hits from outfielder Dylan Crews could do wonders for the Aggies. As the reigning SEC Co-Player of the Year, Crews hasn't missed a beat since returning to Alex Box Stadium. The projected first-overall pick in this year's draft is currently hitting .519 with an OPS of .653. He's struck out seven times in 50 at-bats and has totaled 28 hits, 12 of which have been for extra bases. 

Crews isn't the only Tiger cleaning up at the plate. Five LSU players at hitting at least .340, with four totaling five or more home runs. Freshman right fielder Paxton King has been one of the biggest risers this season thanks to his .425 batting average. Sophomore designated hitter Tommy White leads LSU in RBIs with 27 and is hitting .396. 

"Our players have shown a strong mindset, and I think if they continue to be themselves and execute the fundamentals — quality at-bats, play great defense, apply strike-zone pressure from the mound — we will be headed in the right direction," Johnson told reporters Wednesday in Baton Rouge. 

For A&M, the rotation remains the same. Right-hander Nathan Dettmer will take the mound Friday night. Lefty Troy Wansing will make his SEC debut Saturday, while Chris Cortez will close things out Sunday afternoon. LSU will trust Paul Skenes to set the tone Friday, followed by Ty Floyd and Thatcher Hurd. 

Skenes, a 6-7 right-hander, transferred from Air Force after posting a 10-3 record for the Falcons. Through five starts, Skenes has a 4-0 record and a team-low .75 ERA. 

“He’s a 98- to 101-mph arm and everything is hard,” Schlossnagle said of Skenes. “Whereas Nathan, he can throw hard, 95 to 96 mph, but he’s better when he’s sinking the baseball, and if he tries to match the velocity of what’s going on the radar gun on the other side, then that’s probably not going to turn out well for us. He needs to be who he is and execute pitches, and we need to play defense behind him.”

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

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