Texas A&M Looks To Remain Undefeated In Home Series Against Wagner
Just because Wagner isn't well-known doesn't mean Texas A&M baseball can be complacent.
Jim Schlossnagle knows first-hand what a team with a promising finish toward last season could look like to begin a new campaign.
"Really good club," Schlossnagle said Thursday in preparation for the Seahawks "They won 35 games last year, scored some runs against (North) Carolina, which has a good pitching staff. So we’ve got to be ready to go. Looking forward to getting back on the ballfield and moving forward with this season.”
The No. 8 Aggies return to Blue Bell Park with hopes of remaining undefeated following a three-game series with the Seahawks. Last week, A&M bested McNeese State in three games by a combined 31-1, including a run-rule 10-0 victory in Sunday's finale.
Schlossnagle is making a switch this week to the rotation. Against the Cowboys, the third-year Aggies manager decided to pitch all left-handers. Sophomore Ryan Prager got the call that Friday night after being cleared from Tommy John surgery while Justin Lampkin and Shane Sdao closed out the weekend.
Prager is set to start Friday at 6 pm. Lampkin will take over against on Saturday. On Sunday, the Aggies will turn to right-hander and Jacksonville State transfer Tanner Jones, who also will make his Aggie debut.
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Schlossnagle said last week they expected Jones to get a crack at the weekend rotation, but the team had been cautious with his rep count in practice. Last season, Jones posted a 7-3 record with a 4.67 ERA, striking out 84 in 79 innings.
"We wanted to be ultra careful with him," Schlossnagle said of Jones. "He is a guy who ever since he has been here has thrown low-to-mid 90’s, good fastball. We have not asked him to go a long stint. Two or three innings is probably the longest he has pitched. So hard to tell beyond that."
Sdao, who pitched five shutout innings in Sunday's finale, could compete against right-hander Chris Cortez for the midweek starter role. Lampkin, who lasted 3.2 innings in Saturday's 6-1 win, isn't a lock to remain Saturday's permanent starter.
Schlossnagle is content with the competition. It raises the importance during bullpen sessions and creates scenarios for new pitching Max Wiener to get creative. Schlossnagle also praised Sdao for his volume and consistency regardless of where he fits in the rotation.
"Shane has value," said Schlossnagle. "He can do anything. He did everything for us last year. Closed games, pitched in the middle. He is really good in shorter stints, but he can be a quality starting pitcher."
The Seahawks will turn to Connor Roche to set the tone at the plate. Last week in a series sweep against the Tar Heels, the freshman third baseman finished 2 of 6 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. He also was credited with four putouts from the hot corner.
Wagner, which finished 32-24 last year, including 21-9 in the Northeast Conference, trailed 3-1 in Game 1 heading into the sixth before right-hander Andre Stanley allowed five runs to cross home, extending UNC's lead to eight.
The Seahawks would eventually be outscored 36-11 in the final two games. Schlossnagle, however, isn't looking at the scoreboard but rather the style of play during games. One area Schlossnagle views as a strength for Wagner is its age as a veteran corps.
On top of senior catcher David Melfi, the Seahawks return infielder Chris Conniff and right-hander Connor Hayden. Senior left fielder Lukas Torres leads Wagner in average (.308), hits (four), and OPS (.708) among qualified hitters.
"Most teams are really old," said Schlossnagle. "So older players do not get spooked by the environment. So I know it sounds coach-y, but we have proven that we can – I mean, every baseball team, you look up and you see the scores across the country."