Aggies Look To End Homestand With Win Over Texas State
Jim Schlossangle isn't upset with how his second season with the Texas A&M Aggies baseball program has begun. He's more so disappointed in the lack of consistency on both sides of the rubber.
While A&M picked up its first series win in conference play over Ole Miss last weekend, there are plenty of questions surrounding the program. The bats came to life — especially the duo of Brett Minnich and Ryan Targac, who combined for four home runs and five RBIs in three days.
The starting pitching? It's currently dead on arrival past the first third of a game. Even with a switch of Chris Cortez and Troy Wansing moving into different roles, no one has been able to find sustainable success and last deeper than what Schlossnagle projected.
Could that change in the second half of SEC play? Perhaps, but Schlossnagle is focused on the present. That starts by ending the home stand at Blue Bell Park with a win Tuesday night over Texas State.
The Bobcats (19-9) head to College Station after a series win over Arkansas State. Currently, Texas State is tied for fifth place with Southern Mississippi in the Sun Belt standings with a 5-4 conference record, trailing Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion, Louisiana and Appalachian State.
Texas State is expected to start junior right-hander Peyton Zabel against the Aggies. In his last outing against UT Rio Grande Valley allowed three runs on three hits and struck out four in 3.1 innings pitched.
Wansing, who initially won the Saturday job in A&M's weekend rotation, will make his first mid-week start of the season. A Purdue transfer, the 6-4 Southpaw has struggled at times with command despite possessing one of the top sinker-fastball combinations on the roster.
Schlossnagle said last month that changes could be coming to the rotation, but whichever pitchers remained the most consistent would likely garner a spot in the weekend slot.
“I think it would be awesome just to get three starters get us into the fifth or sixth inning all in one weekend, and that way we can manage it from that point,” Schlossnagle said following Friday's 8-6 win over the Rebels. “But when you’ve really had two not giving us that, you’re really piecing together the rest of the week.”
Minnich's power to the middle of the lineup has been a focal point in A&M's turnaround. After suffering a broken hand while sliding into first on Opening Day, the senior outfielder has been on a tear at the plate and defensively since his return last week against Texas.
Minnich is currently batting .306 with three home runs and four RBIs while owning a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage.
“The coaches have done a great job of letting me get in there,” Minnich said. “Coach [Nate] Yeskie has done a great job of letting me sit in on bullpens and stuff like that. I’ve got my timing down for a while, so now it’s just translating into the game.”
The long ball was a catalyst for the Aggies' success last week against Ole Miss as five hitters launched home runs out of Olsen Field. Minnich hit three alone, while freshman Jace LaViolette's grand slam in the seventh inning cemented a comeback Friday night. Targac, who entered the week on an 0-for-19 hitless streak, smacked a walk-off solo shot over the right-center field wall to pick up the series win.
Trevor Werner and Hank Bard each hit solo home runs on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
“It was very sweet,” Targac said of the homer. “I’m self-aware of what’s been going on, struggling a little bit. Some hits weren’t falling. I’m just worried about barreling up baseballs. That’s all I’m worried about. Just catching barrels and I got one right there.”
First pitch Tuesday night is scheduled for 6:02 p.m.
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