Preview: The Aggies Of Texas To Take On Aggies Of New Mexico
COLLEGE STATION — In old-time western movies, cowboys will meet in the street — guns ready to strike and eyes fixed on another. Before the bullets fly, one will usually throw out the line 'this town ain't big enough for the two of us'.
College Station might be known for its vast land, but it's not big enough for two different sets of Aggies. One will be going home a loser this weekend when New Mexico State arrives for a three-game series against Texas A&M.
"This is our last tune-up before conference play starts as fas as a weekend series goes," A&M manager Rob Childress said. "We need to tighten things up a little bit and be better defensively and certainly better on the mound that last week."
A&M (11-3) will enter the weekend series with a 13-game home winning streak, dating back to conference play against Arkansas last year. The Aggies managed to stop their three-game losing streak behind a clutch pinch-hit single from freshman Zane Schmidt.
A&M's ace Asa Lacy (2-0) will take the mound Friday night, hoping to build off his last start in the Frisco Classic. The junior left-hander allowed zero runs off two hits and struck out a season-high 11 batter in a 1-0 loss to Illinois.
Consistent play will be Lacy's pace of attack for the impending series — working on little details that will make the Aggies look like a viable opponent at the start of SEC ball.
"I'd really like to see us play three games back-to-back-to-back, where we do everything well," Lacy said. "We pitch, we hit and we field all at a very high level, and a level we're capable of."
Lacy, considered a top prospect heading into June's MLB Draft, could be facing off against a future slugger in New Mexico State's Nick Gonzales. Already vying for the National Player of the Year, the junior infielder currently leads the nation in runs (26), home runs (12) and RBI (36).
Gonzales also ranks third in both slugging percentage (1.354) and on-base percentage (.652).
"He's the kind of guy you cannot expect to go to one side of the plate of the other, one sequence, one pattern and expect to get him out," Childress said of Gonzales' hitting. "You going to have to mix each and every at-bat and execute pitches and even still, he has such great hand-eye coordination that he's going to get his hits."
But Lacy could be the one bring down the mighty bat of Gonzales should his defense back him up. Currently ranked 10th among NCAA active pitchers in career strikeouts (211), Lacy is the only active pitcher with over 200 strikeouts and under 150 innings pitched. This season, he ranks fifth in strikeouts (33) and strikeouts per nine innings (17.47).
A&M's bats though, could be the make or break reason for the team's success. Zach DeLoach ranks in the top 20 in the nation in numerous offensive categories, including runs (2nd – 22), on-base percentage (5th - .632), runs per game (6th – 1.57), base on balls (7th – 14), toughest to strikeout (8th – 39.0), slugging percentage (11th - .872) and batting average (13th - .487).
"I think we just want everyone clicking on all cylinders, "DeLoach said. "I think as a pitching staff, as a defensive and offensive unit. We're just hoping that we can get things going before SEC starts.
"My hope is we just get a lot of positivity out of this weekend."
First pitch Friday and Saturday night will be set at 6:32 at Blue Bell Park. The series finale will conclude Sunday afternoon with a 1:02 p.m. start.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• FRIDAY: #35 Asa Lacy (Jr., LHP, 2-0, 1.06 ERA) vs. #19 Chance Hroch (Sr., RHP, 2-0, 3.79 ERA)
• SATURDAY: #23 Christian Roa (Jr., RHP, 2-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. #45 Chris Barraza (So., RHP, 2-0, 1.80 ERA)
• SUNDAY: TBA vs. #12 Chris Jefferson (Sr., RHP, 2-0, 1.00 ERA)