Good Bull Hunting - 2013 Aggie Baseball PreviewBeating the hell outta the blogospherehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50575/gbh-fav.png2013-02-13T11:00:05-06:00http://www.goodbullhunting.com/rss/stream/37536592013-02-13T11:00:05-06:002013-02-13T11:00:05-06:00Olsen Magic is Back! (Part 3)
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<figcaption>Courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>In the 3rd and Final part of our preview, we take a look at the Aggies' schedule in their first season in the SEC. Is baseball in the SEC even better than football?!</p> <p>"TEXAS A&M WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN THE SEC!" If you had a dollar for every time you heard that in the last year or so, how many dollars would you have? Could you pay for a suite at Olsen? Maybe pay for the naming rights to Kyle Field? Sure, this may have most often been said in reference to football but you have to think that there may be some SEC teams who aren't taking Texas A&M Baseball seriously.</p>
<p>Having said that, there is absolutely no doubt that the Southeastern Conference is the best league in the country when it comes to college baseball. In fact, I think the gap between the SEC and the rest of the country is even greater in baseball than (gasp!) football. Yes, we all know that SEC football teams have won the past 7 national championships, but let's take a look at the case for dominance on the diamond. 10 of the 14 SEC schools this year made the NCAA postseason in 2012, 9 of the last 22 national championships were won by SEC teams, and 6 of those 22 times an SEC team finished runner-up. Put a different way, only 7 times in the last 22 years has the National Championship game not featured an SEC baseball team. In every single preseason poll for 2013, the SEC has eight teams in the Top 25 - and 3 others, including Texas A&M, are either ranked or just outside of the Top 25 in at least one poll. Ladies and gentlemen, those numbers do not lie. SEC Baseball is the definition of dominance, and that will be no different in 2013.</p>
<p>So will the Aggies be able to survive the gauntlet of playing an SEC schedule? How does the nonconference portion of the schedule stack up for A&M? I will be doing a weekly article that previews every opponent throughout the season, so in today's preview I'm going to focus on the most important conference and nonconference series for the Aggies. I'll give some predictions for each series that we look at, but take those with a grain of salt knowing that a lot can change between now and the time these match-ups happen.</p>
<h3>Key Nonconference Opponents</h3>
<h4>University of Illinois-Chicago<br><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2157501/UIC__1_.jpg" class="photo" alt="Uic__1_"><br id="1360717010625">
</h4>
<p><i>Date: February 15-17<br>Location: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park<br>2012 record: 23-34</i></p>
<p>The Flames (yes, a team from Chicago where the weather is currently frigid is called the Flames. I'm surely not the only one who saw this as ironic, right?) return their top 5 hitters from 2012 along with 2 of their 3 main starting pitchers. Then again, this is a team that was swept by the Aggies to open the 2012 season and outscored 26-2 in 3 games. Their best starting pitcher is Charlie Weinberg who finished 3-3 with a 3.75 ERA in just 36 innings for UIC in 2012. Senior 1B Alex Grunenwald hit for a .345 average and is a member of the 2013 preseason All-Horizon League team. At the end of the day, not starting the season with a series sweep would be a disappointing result for the Aggies.</p>
<h4>Pepperdine</h4>
<p><i>Date: February 22-24<br>Location: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park<br>2012 record: 36-23 (made NCAA Regionals)</i></p>
<p>The Pepperdine Waves will come to College Station looking for revenge after the Aggies swept them in Malibu last season, and they will do so with a trio of talented junior pitchers. Scott Frazier (7-5, 3.93, 69 K) is an outstanding MLB Draft prospect who throws in the mid-to-upper 90's (can hit 97) and has improved his command. Corey Miller logged 101 innings for the Waves in 2012 and posted a 8-3 record with a 3.38 ERA and 67 strikeouts. Lefty Matt Maurer only threw in 65 innings for Pepperdine last year, but finished 6-1 with a 3.56 ERA and is likely to see more action this season. The Waves' biggest challenge in 2013 will be replacing their 4 leading hitters from last year - OF Bryan Langlois (.310, .393, .370) is their best returning player this season. Keep an eye on 1B Sam Meyer (.276, .389, .344) who is capable of hitting for power and doing some damage to opposing pitchers. Pepperdine was actually a better team last season (they won the West Coast Conference), but this still will not be an easy series for the Aggies. I would look for A&M to take 2 games out of 3 from the Waves at Olsen.</p>
<h4>Houston College Classic</h4>
<p><i>Date: March 1-3<br>Location: Minute Maid Park (Houston, TX)<br></i></p>
<p>As if Pepperdine wasn't a good weekend test for the Aggies, the Houston College Classic will be an excellent measuring stick for A&M fans to see where their team stands relatively early in the season. The <b>Houston Cougars</b> went 18-35-1 in 2012 and return leading hitter OF Landon Appling (.324, .399, .410) and their most used pitcher Austin Pruitt (3-4, 4.25, 57 K). This is a game that A&M should win, and is definitely the most winnable game in this tournament.</p>
<p>Things get more difficult in a hurry for the Aggies on Saturday as they take on a familiar opponent in the <b>Rice Owls</b>. The Owls went 41-19 in 2012, including a 5-4 win over Texas A&M at Olsen, and hosted a regional. The Owls will have a new look in 2013 though as they return just 4 everyday starters from last season's team, although included in that is star 2B Christian Springer (.343, .458, .448). I have to believe that Rice will be favored in this one, but I could see A&M pulling an upset in Houston.</p>
<p>Lastly, the Aggies will face off with the <b>North Carolina Tar Heels</b> who are ranked as the #1 team preseason by Baseball America. UNC comes into the 2013 season expected to make it to Omaha and is considered one of the favorites to win the national championship. If there is any positive for A&M in this matchup it would be that they do get to go against the Tar Heels' Sunday starter, but it would be a relative shocker if the Aggies can win this one.</p>
<h4>Cal State Fullerton</h4>
<p><i>Date: March 8-10<br>Location: Goodwin Field (Fullerton, CA)<br>2012 record: 36-21 (made NCAA regional final)</i></p>
<p>The Titans took 2 out of 3 games from the Aggies in College Station in 2012, and A&M will make the return trip to Fullerton this season to take on another strong Titans squad. Fullerton enters 2013 with a solid rotation led by sophomore Grahamm Wiest (5-5, 3.12, 57 K) and returns two-way stud Michael Lorenzen (.297, .435, .353) who plays in the outfield but also features as a closer for the Titans (2-0, 1.23, 16 saves, 22 innings, 17 K). Fullerton presents yet another challenging matchup for the Aggies, and I expect that the Titans will win 2 of 3 games in this series at home.</p>
<h3>Key SEC Opponents</h3>
<h4>Ole Miss</h4>
<p><i>Date: March 22-24<br>Location: Swayze Field (Oxford, MS)<br>2012 record: 37-26 (made NCAA regional final)</i></p>
<p>The Ole Miss Rebels dealt the Aggies their first loss in the College Station regional last season, and A&M will make their first trip to Oxford as members of the SEC. Ole Miss was picked by the SEC coaches to finish 4th in 2013, one spot ahead of Texas A&M, so this may be a key series for both teams. The Rebels return 2 outstanding starters for 2013 - Bobby Wahl (7-4, 2.55, 104 K) and Mike Mayers (6-3, 3.50, 71 K) who both feature fastballs in the upper 90's. Leading the Ole Miss offense will be OF Tanner Mathis (.359, .416, .460), and the Rebels are expected to return to the NCAA postseason again this season. I look for the Rebels to win 2 of the 3 games, aided by playing at home at Swayze Field, but I think the Aggies can take a game on the road and avoid a sweep.</p>
<h4>South Carolina</h4>
<p>Date: March 28-30<br>Location: Carolina Stadium (Columbia, SC)<br>2012 record: 49-20 (lost in NCAA Championship Game)</p>
<p>The South Carolina Gamecocks came close to winning their third straight National Championship in 2012, before ultimately falling to Arizona, but they have a number of major contributors to replace in 2013. Names like Michael Roth, Matt Price, and Christian Walker have moved on but the Gamecocks are still a very talented team that can make another NCAA Tournament run. Look for lefty pitcher Jordan Montgomery (6-1, 3.62, 57 K) to step up and have a big sophomore season on the mound for SC, and another sophomore Tanner English (.298, .355, .341) will look to take charge offensively for the Gamecocks. This strikes me as another road series that A&M is going to have a difficult time winning more than 1 game in, and may do well just to avoid a sweep.</p>
<h4>Mississippi State</h4>
<p><i>Date: April 12-14<br>Location: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park<br>2012 record: 40-24 (made NCAA regionals)</i></p>
<p>This shapes up to be a key series at Olsen Field, perhaps moreso for the Aggies than the Bulldogs, and Mississippi State returns plenty of talent from a squad that won 40 games in 2012. The Bulldogs will have 2 big offensive weapons this season in SS Adam Frazier (.371, .445, .482) and 1B Wes Rea (.300, .500, .417) and will be led by Brandon Woodruff (1-2, 2.38, 37 K) on the mound. Although I think the Bulldogs are the better team on paper and are a team that can make a run in the postseason this year, I'm optimistic that the Aggies can win 2 games out of 3 in this series at home.</p>
<h4>Arkansas</h4>
<p>Date: April 19-21<br>Location: Baum Stadium (Fayetteville, AR)<br>2012 record: 46-22 (reached College World Series)</p>
<p>The Arkansas Razorbacks enter 2013 as one of the teams expected to compete for a National Championship; the Hogs are ranked #1 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll, and were picked to finish 1st in the SEC by the league's coaches. Arkansas may have the deepest pitching staff in the SEC, if not the country, featuring starters Ryne Stanek (8-4, 2.82, 83 K) and left-hander Randall Fant (2-3, 3.27, 39 K) along with Barrett Astin (3-5, 1.99, 61 K) who could feature either as a starter or in the bullpen. The Razorbacks biggest offensive contributor returning is Dominic Ficociello (.290, .429, .387) who will likely move from 1B to 2B in 2013. I would truthfully not be surprised to see the Aggies leave Fayetteville without a win against an extremely good Arkansas team.</p>
<h4>LSU</h4>
<p><i>Date: May 9-11<br>Location: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park<br>2012 record: 47-18 (lost in NCAA Super Regional)</i></p>
<p>The Tigers will look to bounce back from a disappointing Super Regional loss at home to Cinderella team Stony Brook, and there is plenty of talent on their roster in 2013. However, they will have to replace a number of key contributors including star pitcher Kevin Gausman and SS Austin Nola. The Tigers will have pitcher Aaron Nola (7-4, 3.61, 89 K) back on the mound in 2013 to go with 1B Mason Katz (.320, .552, .414, 13 HR) and first-team All-American LF Raph Rhymes (.431, .530, .489) who will anchor their offense. While I am not sure that the Tigers can have quite the kind of regular season that they did last year, I would not be the least bit surprised to see LSU make it to Omaha in 2013 and I think they take 2 of 3 games from the Aggies at Olsen.</p>
<p>Side note - the guys over at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.andthevalleyshook.com/">And The Valley Shook</a> have done a good job of previewing their team this year and I expect they'll have strong coverage throughout the year, so stop over there if you want to know more about their team.</p>
<h4>The Rest</h4>
<table border="0" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Opponent</h5>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Date</h5>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Location</h5>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">2012 Record</h5>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Steven F. Austin</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">2/19</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">26-33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Texas Southern</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">2/20</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">26-27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Northwestern State</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">2/26 - 2/27</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">19-32</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Prairie View A&M</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">3/5</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">28-25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Houston Baptist</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">3/12</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">28-33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Georgia</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">3/15 - 3/17</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">31-26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Dallas Baptist</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">3/19</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">41-19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">UT-Arlington</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">3/26</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">36-25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">UTSA</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">4/2</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">22-32</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Auburn</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">4/5 - 4/7</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">31-28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Sam Houston State</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">4/9 & 4/16</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX (4/9) & Huntsville, TX (4/16)</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">40-22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Texas State</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">4/23</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">San Marcos, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">32-24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Alabama</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">4/26 - 4/28</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Tuscaloosa, AL</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">21-34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Grambling State</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">4/30</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">22-26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Missouri</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">5/3 - 5/5</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">33-28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">UT-Pan American</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">5/14</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">College Station, TX</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">30-22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Tennessee</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">5/16 - 5/18</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Knoxville, TN</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">24-31</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4><br></h4>
<h4>So.. Postseason?!</h4>
<p>Aggie Baseball fans have grown accustomed to Rob Childress coached A&M teams making the NCAA postseason with relative ease - 2006, which was also Childress' first season in College Station, was the last time the Aggies missed the postseason. Is that 6-year streak in danger this season? The short answer to that question is probably yes. Having said that...</p>
<p>I am of the belief that the Aggies will indeed make it back to the NCAA postseason again in 2013, although I do not expect it to be an easy road in the slightest. A myriad of young talent, an extremely difficult schedule, and so many unknowns are going to make for quite an interesting, albeit hopefully exciting, season of baseball in Aggieland. I would be surprised if A&M earns the right to host a regional in College Station in 2013, although I certainly hope that I am wrong on that front.</p>
<p>One last thing worth noting is that although the Aggies have a relatively challenging slate of nonconference opponents, things could have been worse in terms of the SEC schedule. A&M manages to avoid 3 of the top SEC East teams in 2013 - Vanderbilt, Florida and Kentucky - and the Aggies also drew LSU and Mississippi State at home. Part of the beauty of baseball is that anything truly can happen throughout the course of a season - if the starting pitchers hold up and a number of young guys make big contributions, A&M could suddenly find themselves making noise in Regionals or Super Regionals.</p>
<p>One of my favorite baseball quotes of all-time comes from Hall-of-Famer Rogers Hornsby - "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Get ready, baseball fans, spring is here at last! We're just 2 days away from Opening Day and the return of Olsen Magic.</p>
<p>See you at Olsen and BTHO UIC!</p>
https://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/2/13/3982322/2013-aggie-baseball-season-preview-part-3jzimmermann112013-02-12T11:00:06-06:002013-02-12T11:00:06-06:00Olsen Magic is Back! (Part 2)
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uE_c-ONtvDGLRgL9UOkbdfMGhJM=/0x3:800x536/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/8004413/mpwuyoppcyvvsnx.20110928235326.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>In Part 2 of 3, we break down what the A&M lineup is likely to look like and what you can expect from the Aggies offensively in 2013.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now that we've gone over the major contributors on the mound for the Aggies in 2013, let's take a look at what this year's lineup might look like. While there will be a lot of new faces for the A&M pitching staff in 2013, there will be quite a few names in this year’s lineup that Aggie Baseball fans are familiar with. The 3 biggest losses from last season offensively are RF Tyler Naquin, who was taken by the Cleveland Indians with the 15<sup>th</sup> overall pick in the MLB Draft, 1B Jacob House and 3B Matt Juengel who were graduating seniors. The versatile Scott Arthur also graduated last season, and while he did not have a major impact with his bat his defense was always sound and he was just a guy that you loved to watch play the game.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We're going to go through each position and review who is likely to contribute at that spot in 2013. As a formatting note, when you see a player's name followed by something that looks like (.380, .541, .458) those 3 numbers are batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage - and yes, I'll break that down for any baseball newbies. Batting average is simply the number of hits a player gets divided by the number of at-bats. Slugging percentage measures what it sounds like it measures, and is the number of total bases a player achieves divided by the number of at-bats. On-base percentage is also fairly self-explanatory, as it essentially calculates how often a player gets on base (excluding things like errors, fielders choice, etc.). I wanted to go ahead and get those 3 definitions out of the way now because I expect to use them regularly throughout the season. One last thing - I do want to encourage you not to just look at last year's statistics. In multiple cases they are not pretty, but a number of those guys saw limited time last year and have made major strides offensively since then. Now that we've gone through all of that, let's jump right in!</p>
<h4>Catcher</h4>
<p>Troy Stein (.304, .418, .387)<br>Mitchell Nau (.217, .250, .275)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Troy Stein</b> will be your regular catcher for the Aggies in 2013, with <b>Mitchell Nau</b> seeing some time behind the plate as well. Stein started 46 games for A&M as a sophomore in 2012 and although he only hit 2 HR last season, he is certainly someone who can provide some power for the Aggies. I expect that Stein will find himself in the middle of the A&M batting order, and will need to be a big part of the offense in 2013. Nau was not great offensively in 2012, but he had a better summer for the Acadiana Canecutters with a .284 batting average, 10 2B, 27 RBI, and 29 walks in 183 AB.</p>
<h4>1st Base</h4>
<p>Cole Lankford (.146, .146, .160)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It probably goes without saying when you look at those numbers that it was a disappointing freshman season in 2012 for <b>Cole Lankford</b>, who started off the season in the mix at catcher. However, Cole has really continued to develop offensively and you can expect to see him move into the 1B spot vacated by fan-favorite Jacob House this season. Lankford did put up good numbers during the summer season playing with teammate Matt Kent for the Rochester Honkers. In 169 at-bats, Lankford hit for a .320 average, including 10 walks, 3 HR, and 22 RBI. A number of people close to the A&M program expect Cole to be a major contributor in 2013, and I am very much anticipating the same. Freshmen <b>Hunter Melton</b> and <b>Logan Taylor</b> (or even Troy Stein) could step in at 1B for the Aggies if needed, but the spot is definitely Cole's to lose.</p>
<h4>2nd Base</h4>
<p>Blake Allemand (.289, .336, .395)<br>Charlie Curl (.154, .154, .154)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Blake Allemand</b> and <b>Charlie Curl</b> could both see time at 2<sup>nd</sup> or 3<sup>rd</sup> base this season, depending on how the rest of the infield shakes out. Blake was one of the biggest freshmen contributors for the Aggies in 2012 and I feel good about his chance to continue to develop and make a major impact this year. Blake isn't someone who will hit for power often, but he is going to make contact, put the ball in play, and get on base regularly. Curl saw action mostly as a defensive replacement in 2012 and only had 2 hits in 13 at-bats, but he did have much more success playing summer ball for the Sag Harbor Whalers in Long Island. Curl finished the summer with a .315 batting average and tallied 14 walks, 10 doubles, 7 HR and 19 RBI in 127 at-bats, not to mention 10 stolen bases.</p>
<h4>3rd Base</h4>
<p>Charlie Curl (.154, .154, .154)<br>Blake Allemand (.289, .336, .395)<br>Logan Taylor<br>Cory Raley</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As you can tell by now, there are a number of options for the Aggies across the infield. Allemand and Curl will be in the mix at 3<sup>rd</sup>, but also keep an eye on true freshmen <b>Logan Taylor </b>and<b> Cory Raley</b>. Taylor was a 1<sup>st</sup> team all-state SS for Houston’s Deer Park HS, and has apparently impressed the A&M coaches enough that he is getting serious consideration for the starting spot at 3B. The amount of playing time that Taylor sees may depend on how he is able to perform offensively. Raley is the younger brother of former A&M star Brooks Raley, and Cory is more of a big and physical player, checking in at 6'3, 190. Having said that, Cory can run as well and brings a nice combination of strength and speed to the table. I would not be surprised to see Raley get a good amount of playing time in 2013.</p>
<h4>Shortstop</h4>
<p>Mikey Reynolds (.306, .403, .417)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mikey Reynolds</b> was actually selected in the 20<sup>th</sup> Round of last year’s MLB Draft, but an elbow issue affected negotiations and led to his decision to return to Aggieland for a senior season. Reynolds will most likely be in the leadoff spot for A&M this year after an impressive season in 2012. Mikey having a strong senior season might be one of the keys offensively for this A&M team to make some noise in the SEC. It will be extremely important for the top of the order to get on base regularly in order for the Aggies' offense to be fully successful, and Mikey will be a key part of that quite often.</p>
<h4>Left Field</h4>
<p>Jace Statum (.289, .356, .414)<br>Brandon Wood (.258, .410, .343)<br>Chance Bolcerek (.289, .371, .358)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Brandon Wood</b> returns as the most experienced of the outfielders for A&M in 2013, and he will look to improve upon a pedestrian (and perhaps even disappointing) 2012 season for his senior year in 2013. Perhaps Wood’s biggest struggle in 2012 was strikeouts, leading the team with 58, and it seemed it was often "all-or-nothing" at the plate for most of the season. Wood must have a better approach with more consistency in 2013 and reduce his number of strikeouts. I would not be surprised if Wood saw more time at DH to allow him to focus on his hitting, and <b>Jace Statum</b> (or even <b>Chance Bolcerek</b>) was put into the LF role. Since both Bolcerek and Statum will also be in the mix at RF, I'll discuss them below.</p>
<h4>Center Field</h4>
<p>Krey Bratsen (.226, .286, .316)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After being named a Freshman All-American in 2011, Krey Bratsen had a "sophomore slump" in a disappointing 2012 campaign for the Aggies. Bratsen’s saw a significant drop from 2011 to 2012 in nearly every offensive category: batting average (.332 to .226), runs (45 to 34), RBI (36 to 25), and even stolen bases (31 to 21). However, Bratsen is a tremendous asset defensively for A&M, committing just 1 error on 137 chances last season and making countless plays that held opposing hitters to singles or doubles instead of doubles or triples. Bratsen’s speed can be a difference-maker on the base paths, but he must do a better job of getting himself on base this season in order to utilize that speed. Look for Bratsen to go after the 1st pitch more often than he did last year to give himself a better chance to make good contact and put the ball in play.</p>
<h4>Right Field</h4>
<p>Chance Bolcerek (.289, .371, .358)<br>Jace Statum (.289, .356, .414)<br>Daniel Mengden (.222, .389, .222)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Chance Bolcerek</b> might be the most likely option in right field for the Aggies, but don't be surprised to see <b>Jace Statum </b>or <b>Daniel Mengden</b> (the A&M coaches may want his bat in the lineup when he is not pitching) in this spot at times. Bolcerek was named to the Big12 All-Freshman team for the Aggies in 2012, appearing in 42 games (starting 26) and hitting .289 for the season. Statum posted an identical batting average as Bolcerek, but did so in half the number of at-bats. In terms of summer ball, Bolcerek hit .274 for the McKinney Marshals, including 21 RBI and 9 stolen bases, while Statum posted a .309 batting average for the Shelter Island Bucks (NY) to go along with 15 stolen bases. Mengden, meanwhile, hit .286 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in 28 at-bat's for the San Luis Obispo Blues over the summer. This spot is obviously flexible depending on Wood's status in LF, and Mengden will be the wild card depending on how much Childress and Co. want to use him in the outfield when he is not on the mound.</p>
<h4>Designated Hitter</h4>
<p>Brandon Wood (.258, .410, .343)<br>Mitchell Nau (.217, .250, .275)<br>Daniel Mengden (.222, .389, .222)</p>
<p>As mentioned, Wood may find himself playing in the DH role more in 2013 to give him the chance to focus solely on his hitting. Brandon does have power, but it will be important for him to be more consistent at the plate and make better contact. I fully expect Mengden to get the opportunity to hit as DH on nights that he pitches since the A&M coaches would very much like to have his bat in the lineup whenever possible. Nau is another option at designated hitter when he is not behind the plate, but he also needs to be more consistent at the plate than he was in 2012.</p>
<h4>Projected Opening Weekend Starters</h4>
<p>I expect to be much worse at predicting who starts in the lineup for the Aggies this weekend (just 3 days away, y'all!), but I'll give it a stab regardless. These predictions are just who starts in what position, not the actual batting order.</p>
<p>C - Troy Stein<br>1B - Cole Lankford<br>2B - Charlie Curl<br>3B - Blake Allemand<br>SS - Mikey Reynolds<br>LF - Jace Statum<br>CF - Krey Bratsen<br>RF - Chance Bolcerek<br>DH - Brandon Wood</p>
<p>We can be honest - this is not an A&M offense that is built to go up to the plate and smash the ball out of the park every time. The debate of power hitting versus "small ball" is one as old as time - the Aggies have trended on the small ball side more often than not, and I expect the same in 2013. The biggest key to this is being able to get runners on base to start innings, something that the 2012 team had an extremely difficult time doing in stretches. I do think that the Aggies will eclipse last year's homerun total of 23 in 2013 (we can call that my bold prediction), but being able to start innings with guys getting on base is going to be much more important for A&M. There are certainly some question marks offensively going into this year, but look for a number of young guys to step up and have big seasons and hopefully surprise some folks in the SEC.</p>
https://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/2/12/3978300/2013-aggie-baseball-season-preview-part-2jzimmermann112013-02-11T08:55:03-06:002013-02-11T08:55:03-06:00Olsen Magic is Back!
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SzSIpsHIwheVPzs_5-s8Wy0_u8Q=/0x33:800x566/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7958975/pegwtvrbqataokx.20110919172515.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>Olsen Magic is back! Texas A&M prepares for its first season of SEC Baseball, and we start by taking a look at the pitching staff.</p> <p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><i>"Well, beat the drum and hold the phone – the sun came out today! <span>We're</span> born again, <span>there's</span> new grass on the field." </i><span>That's</span> right, baseball fans, Leo has the Olsen Field grass looking pristine (it may not quite be "new" but <span>we're</span> not going to split hairs here) and the long <span><span>offseason</span></span><span> is finally coming to a close. Olsen Magic is back! Opening Day is just 4 days away <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> the <span><span>Aggies</span></span> kicking off the 2013 season against the University of Illinois-Chicago in a 3-game series this weekend.</p>
<p>After a disappointing exit from postseason play in the College Station Regional last season, Aggie Baseball will look to follow the lead of Kevin <span><span>Sumlin</span></span>, Johnny <span><span>Manziel</span></span> and Co. and take the SEC by storm. Losing a number of last <span>year's</span> major contributors to graduation and the <span><span>MLB</span></span> Draft will not be easy to overcome, especially entering what is without a doubt the best baseball league in the country in the Southeastern Conference, but there is plenty of young talent on the roster that has a chance to step up and make a statement.</p>
<p>To make this a little easier for everyone, <span>we're</span> going to take a look at this <span>year's</span> 2013 Aggie Baseball team in 3 pieces. <span>I'll</span> start by breaking down the pitching staff in <span>today's</span> segment, then tomorrow <span>I'll</span> take a look at the options for the lineup and who some of this <span>year's</span> main contributors should be, and lastly on Wednesday <span>I'll</span><span> wrap up <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a preview of what to expect from the <span><span>Aggies’</span></span> schedule in their first season in the SEC.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>How's</span> this for a fun fact: every year since 2009, there has been a Texas A&M pitcher taken in the first three rounds of the <span><span>MLB</span></span> Draft. That certainly speaks to the job that Coach Rob <span><span>Childress</span></span> does of selecting and developing talented young pitchers in <span><span>Aggieland</span></span><span>. Last year was no exception, <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> weekend starters Michael <span><span>Wacha</span></span> and Ross Stripling being drafted in the 1<sup>st</sup> and 5<sup><span><span>th</span></span></sup> rounds respectively. While it undoubtedly will not be easy to make up for losing 2 starters who combined for 19 wins in 2012, there is a myriad of young and talented pitchers who have a chance to contribute in 2013. Coach <span><span>Childress</span></span> also has a nice mix of right and left-handed pitchers at his disposal this year, which is a positive change since featuring a mostly right-handed staff in 2012.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h3>Weekend Starters (the likely candidates)</h3>
<p>Senior <b>Kyle Martin</b> worked hard in the <span><span>offseason</span></span><span> to move from closer to starter, and he also changed his delivery from sidearm to throwing over the top again. Pitching primarily in the closer role in 2012, K-Mart posted a 6-5 record <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 3.20 ERA, including 7 saves, 52 strikeouts and 21 walks in 56.1 innings. Martin pitched in 19 innings for the Brazos Valley Bombers over the summer and finished wi<span><span>th</span></span> a 2-0 record, including 18 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA. It may take some time for K-Mart to get all the way to where he wants to be as a starting pitcher, but he should be a major piece of the rotation this season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sophomore <b>Daniel <span><span>Mengden</span></span></b> had a strong end to the season on the mound last year and is expected to move into the weekend rotation in 2013. Velocity has never been an issue for <span><span>Mengden</span></span><span>, but control issues plagued him early in the 2012 season. He seemed to have worked out the kinks by the end of last year, but he will have to continue to be accurate on the mound on a regular basis if he wants to keep a starting spot. Daniel finished 2012 <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 3-4 record and 3.83 ERA for the <span><span>Aggies</span></span>, but in his last 2 starts of the regular season he threw 14 innings and gave up just 1 earned run while striking out 9 and not walking a single batter. That is the kind of form that Coach <span><span>Childress</span></span> hopes to see from <span><span>Mengden</span></span> on the mound in 2013. <span><span>Mengden</span></span> was actually featured as a closer during summer ball for the San Luis <span><span>Obispo</span></span><span> Blues, picking up 9 saves and 18 strikeouts <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 1.46 ERA in just 15 innings of work.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Rafael <span><span>Pineda</span></span></b><span> had an excellent start to the season as the Sunday starter last year, and although he did hit a bit of a rough patch down the stretch, it is probably safe to assume that he will be in the same role this season. Rafi started the first game of his collegiate career (after recovering from shoulder surgery in his freshman year) against Illinois-Chicago and held a no-hitter into the <span>eigh</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> inning, earning the win while giving up just 1 hit and no walks. <span><span>Pineda</span></span><span> threw a complete game against Kansas State in March in one of his more impressive performances, and he finished the season <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 5-1 record, an ERA of 2.71, 44 strikeouts and 16 walks in 83 innings of work.</p>
<h3>Midweek Starters/Bullpen</h3>
<p>In terms of the midweek starter role, Coach <span><span>Childress</span></span> is likely to give a number of different guys a chance until someone steps up and wins the job. Sophomores <b>Corey Ray</b> and <b><span><span>Gandy</span></span> <span><span>Stubblefield</span></span></b><span>, <span>bo</span></span><span><span>th</span></span><span> of whom saw time in the midweek starting role last year, are likely to get a look for the spot this season. Ray made 12 appearances in 2012, including 3 starts, and finished <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 2-0 record and a 3.52 ERA as well as 17 strikeouts and 10 walks. <span><span>Stubblefield</span></span><span> appeared in 10 games and posted a 3.86 ERA while not earning a decision, and struck out the same number of batters as he walked <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> 15. There are also a number of freshmen (bo<span><span>th</span></span> true and <span><span>redshirt</span></span>) who should have a chance to compete to earn the job – <b>A.J. Minter</b>, <b><span><span>Grayson</span></span> Long</b>, <b>Ty <span><span>Schlottmann</span></span></b>, <b>Matt Kent</b> and <b>Andrew Vinson</b> are among the most likely options. Kent and <span><span>Schlottmann</span></span><span> are <span>bo</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> left-handed <span><span>redshirt</span></span> freshmen who played in summer ball over the <span><span>offseason</span></span><span>, and actually posted relatively similar numbers. Kent logged over 78 innings for the Rochester Honkers, finishing the summer <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 3.46 ERA, 50 strikeouts and 14 walks. <span><span>Schlottmann</span></span><span> threw 65 innings for the East Texas Pump Jacks and ended <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 4.12 ERA, 43 strikeouts and 14 walks. If Minter <span>doesn't</span> win the midweek starting spot, you can almost certainly expect him to be a regular contributor out of the bullpen for the <span><span>Aggies</span></span>. Minter is a true freshman from East Texas who chose the <span><span>Aggies</span></span> over the likes of <span><span>TCU</span></span>, Arizona, Arkansas, and Mississippi State.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Also, keep an eye on sophomore left-<span><span>hander</span></span> <b>Nathan <span><span>Sorenson</span></span></b> as a possibility for the midweek starter role or as a key contributor in the bullpen. <span><span>Sorenson</span></span> is a transfer from Oklahoma State who <span><span>redshirted</span></span> last season, and was named one of the Top 10 players in the Texas Collegiate League this summer by Perfect Game USA. <span><span>Sorenson</span></span> won 4 out of 5 starts, posted a 1.67 ERA, and struck out 31 batters in 27 innings of work for the Brazos Valley Bombers over the summer. <b>Parker Ray</b> is another likely contributor for the Aggie bullpen in 2013 after making 16 relief appearances for the <span><span>Aggies</span></span><span> in 2012. Ray was teammates <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> <span><span>Mengden</span></span><span> in summer ball, and finished the summer <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> a 1.82 ERA in 29 innings of work which included 5 saves and 58 strikeouts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last but certainly not least, <span>don't</span> be surprised to see <b>Jason Jester</b><span>, a Junior College transfer who was ineligible last season but had an outstanding summer, make a big impact this season in the closer spot. Jester shattered the Texas Collegiate League record for saves over the summer <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> 19 (the previous record was 12), and put up an impressive 0.58 ERA wi<span><span>th</span></span> 42 strikeouts and just 3 walks in 31 innings of work. <span><span>Jester’s</span></span><span> impressive summer was recognized by Baseball America, who named him the top prospect from the Texas Collegiate League. Depending on how the weekend rotation works out, Jester might be <span>wor</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> remembering as a dark horse to move into a starter role should the need arise.</p>
<h3>Senior Spotlight: Kyle Martin</h3>
<h3><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1435961/QITCQEQPGLHSRPQ.20130129192653.jpg"><img alt="Qitcqeqpglhsrpq" class="photo" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1435961/QITCQEQPGLHSRPQ.20130129192653_medium.jpg"></a></h3>
<p><i>Image courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>I had the chance to catch up <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> senior pitcher Kyle Martin after the <span><span>team’s</span></span> first scrimmage to talk a little about last <span>season's</span> disappointment, expectations for 2013 and more. Martin was honest about the 2012 season not ending how the team wanted it to, but also focused on how that can drive the team forward for this year. "Last year was a huge motivator for us this year," Martin said. "We look back and we have everything in place and it just <span>didn't</span> turn out the way [we wanted it to]. And <span>that's</span> how baseball is, but we take that into the fall and have a really good fall and just have that in the back of our minds pushing us to be that much better."</p>
<p><span>As mentioned, Kyle will be moving from closer to starter in 2013 and has also changed his delivery, so he shared some insight into that decision and how the process has gone. "Right at the end of the year we had our end-of-year meetings <span>wi</span></span><span><span>th</span></span> coach and he brought up the idea that he wanted me to work on starting and throwing over the top. So kind of like I did going from high school to throwing sidearm, I said <span><span>‘Coach</span></span> whatever you need me to do <span>I'll</span> do and <span>I'll</span> work hard at it.’ So I spent the whole summer just figuring out how to throw over the top again. I had a pretty good fall, and <span>I'm</span> still working to get there completely and all the way back, but [<span>I've</span> seen] very positive things." <span>Martin's</span> team-first attitude and willingness to do whatever is asked of him says a lot about his character and I expect to see him as one of the leaders of this 2013 squad. Speaking of this <span>year's</span> team, Kyle made it clear that they have set goals in mind and are going to work to achieve them, regardless of the players they lost from last season. "You know, our expectations <span>haven't</span> changed," Martin said. "Players move on every year but we keep our expectations the same: we want to finish at the top of the SEC, host a regional, host a super regional, and make it to the College World Series and actually win it. So our goals <span>don't</span> change, we have a younger team but we also have a very talented team and I think <span>we're</span> going to surprise some people."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K-Mart acknowledged that there are going to be a lot of new names and faces (and even some old ones featuring in new roles) for Aggie Baseball fans to watch this year, and gave us 3 names to keep an eye on going into the 2013 season. "I think everyone is going to contribute a lot and I think <span>we'll</span> see a lot of freshman playing and a lot of sophomores that <span>weren't</span> playing last year get to play a lot. But Cole <span><span>Lankford</span></span> moving over to 1<sup>st</sup> base is going to be huge for us. <span><span>AJ</span></span> Minter might be in the back of the bullpen – we <span>haven't</span> really gotten our roles yet. And <span><span>Grayson</span></span> Long too, <span>he's</span> got a great arm. And really all of the freshmen are extremely talented and <span>we're</span> going to see a lot of them this year and in the years coming." And last but not least, the regulars at Olsen need not worry about K-Mart changing his <span><span>walkup</span></span> song this year – "Have to keep it. Have to. Jump on it," said Martin.</p>
<h3>Projected Pitching Staff (the TL;DR version)</h3>
<p>Weekend Starters -- Kyle Martin (senior, <span><span>RHP</span></span>), Daniel <span><span>Mengden</span></span> (sophomore, <span><span>RHP</span></span>), Rafael <span><span>Pineda</span></span> (junior, <span><span>RHP</span></span>)</p>
<p>Midweek Starters/Long Relievers -- Corey Ray (sophomore, <span><span>RHP</span></span>), <span><span>Gandy</span></span> <span><span>Stubblefield</span></span> (sophomore, <span><span>RHP</span></span>), Nathan <span><span>Sorenson</span></span> (sophomore, <span><span>LHP</span></span>), Matt Kent (freshman, <span><span>LHP</span></span>), <span><span>Grayson</span></span> Long (freshman, <span><span>LHP</span></span>)</p>
<p>Short Relievers -- Parker Ray (junior, <span><span>RHP</span></span>), Ty <span><span>Schlottmann</span></span> (freshman, <span><span>LHP</span></span>), A.J. Minter (freshman, <span><span>LHP</span></span>), Jason Freeman (sophomore, <span><span>RHP</span></span>), Andrew Vinson (freshman, <span><span>RHP</span></span>)</p>
<p>Closer -- Jason Jester (junior, <span><span>RHP</span></span>)</p>
https://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/2/11/3974244/2013-aggie-baseball-preview-part-1jzimmermann11