Ryan Targac Totals Five RBI In Texas A&M's Double-Digit Win Over Wagner
COLLEGE STATION -- Twenty-one? Twenty-fun.
At least 21 players in Texas A&M's clubhouse must be having fun at the start of the new season, right?
Behind a three-hit outing from second baseman Ryan Targac, the No. 8 Aggies coasted to a 21-2 victory over Wagner Sunday afternoon at Blue Bell Park in seven innings, securing their second sweep of the regular season.
A day after pitching prevailed, hitting hit its stride to set the tone once more.
“The Aggies got better today, beyond just winning the game,” A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “It’s good to really learn some good things about this pitching staff.”
Targac, voted on by teammates as A&M's newest 12th Man, wasted little time connecting on a high fastball in the second that landed over the right-field wall for a two-run homer. Entering Sunday, Targac had struggled to find a rhythm at the plate, totaling one hit in 10 at-bats.
Maybe it's nerves. Every player hits a slump before finding a consistent swing at the plate. Perhaps that was Targac against McNeese and Incarnate Word.
Texas A&M Aggies second baseman Ryan Targac (16) advances home on a error against the Texas Longhorns in the second inning at Charles Schwab Field.
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Against the Seahawks, it seemed effortless. Targac picked up two more RBI on a single in the fourth. He'd drive in another frame later on an RBI single to score Jett Johnston from second.
“My mentality was I'm just going to do damage and just get my swing off,” Targac said. “In order to hit, you got to swing it, so, that’s been my thought process going in.”
Jacksonville State transfer Tanner Jones made his debut after being eased back to practice last week. Schlossnagle, who enters his third season with the Aggies (7-0), mentioned Saturday that the pressure to perform was off but focus and consistency needed to be on.
Despite being on a pitch count, Jones looked the part of a rotation starter. In 23 pitches, the junior didn't allow a hit and struck out three Seahawks (0-6) to pick up the win.
“I didn’t want him to get up and down twice,” Schlossnagle said of Jones. “We were thinking 30-ish pitches.”
Two innings was the ideal frame for Jones. Left-hander Shane Sdao, who tossed five scoreless frames last Sunday, picked up where he left off in two innings of work. He tacked on four more punchouts and didn't issue a walk.
Wagner's first hit didn't come until the top of the fifth off a two-out double from Zach Kent.
“It felt great just to see a different face in the box,” Jones said.
Braden Montgomery kept his hitting streak alive with an RBI double in the fourth and picked up another home run with a solo shot to left in the fifth. Gavin Grahovac drove in Kaeden Kent on an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch.
Jace LaViolette showed off the speed with an RBI triple and finished 1-of-4 at the plate. Seven of A&M's starters recorded a hit while eight reached base on a Ted Burton walk.
The hits keep coming for the Aggies, but only in a positive form. In seven games, A&M has outscored opponents 80-8 off 83 hits. Offensively, the Aggies bolster one of the league's top batting orders due to their consistency.
The top five of A&M’s lineup are hitting .370 through the first seven games. Grahovac and Montgomery are currently hitting over .400.
“This is a talented team, and there’s going to be some positions where we ride some guys out and some other positions where we mix some guys in and try and lay the hot hand,” said Schlossnagle.
Following a hiccup in the fifth, three bullpen arms combined for 1.2 innings of hitless ball. Zane Badmaev fanned three. Josh Stewart struck out one. .
Wins won't always come behind a strapping offensive outing. A&M found that out Saturday behind an eight-hit 2-0 win largely thanks to four shutout frames from reliever Evan Aschenbeck.
The Aggies won't complain. Yes, the team still has to find out more about themselves before being dubbed the SEC's team to beat.
Do they still need to find a closer? Without question. Does the rotation need some tinkering? Depending on Schlossnagle's thought process of the midweek starter, it could.
Those are penny-pinching problems at best. A&M, for now, is going for broke and seems to keep hitting the jackpot with each swing.
The Aggies return to Blue Bell Park for a midweek series against Lamar Tuesday at 6 p.m.. Right-hander Chris Cortez will start his second game of the year.