Photo by Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Texas A&M Baseball
* It’s been unbelievable to think back to the summer and fall of 2007 when people started making trips around the region with the 12th Man Foundation to look at other ballparks and see how they were set up. It’s been great to watch all of the hard work put in by the contractors and sub-contractors the last eight months finally pay off.
* With all of the hard work and sacrifice from so many people, he will have a great deal of pride looking at the ballpark while the national anthem is being played on Friday. Olsen Field is such a special place for the players and fans to the media and students and they will all be blown away with the new facilities. A lot of season ticket holders were able to come in this past weekend and take a tour of the park and he is sure their breath was taken away just like everyone else’s will be on Friday. It’s turned out better than it was drawn and dreamt up and it’s going to be incredible.
* Every kid who comes in on a recruiting visit gets the disclaimer about, “Playing on this team will be the hardest thing you ever do.” The team will out work and out condition every team in the country. It doesn’t matter where you hang your jersey or your spikes because this team is going to get after it no matter what.
The recruits will also be shown the fantastic facility where they will be able to do everything from lifting, to studying, to rehabbing and actually training for the game of baseball. They will be able to do everything except go to class all in one place which is pretty special. With a place like A&M has now, you have to be careful with who you recruit because you will have a decent shot at landing anybody you offer.
* Likes what he has seen in the preseason workouts. The team still has a long way to go and he is glad that they have this week of practice to continue to improve. The team is ready to play somebody besides themselves and it’s the staff’s job to keep them focused on getting better every day. From an offensive standpoint, the team is very mature through the first five or six hitters. Then there are some very young but very talented new guys that will be sprinkled in throughout the lineup.
Defensively the team will be new behind the plate. Matt Juengel has done a great job so far at third base, Mike Reynolds has been fabulous at shortstop and there is still an ongoing battle at second base. From an outfield standpoint, this is as talented of a group as he has ever been around which is saying a lot. With the four returners, Jace Statum and Chance Bolcerek the outfield is very talented.
Pitching-wise the staff feels good about the one and two starters. The back end of the bullpen is coming together and the staff feels really good about Parker Ray, Kyle Martin and Daniel Mengden coming in at the back end with Estevan Urieigas in the middle of all of that. Parker Ray has a very short arm ball and gets on you with a very good breaking ball. Kyle Martin brings a totally different look from sidearm to submarines and Daniel Mengden throws a ton of strikes with above average stuff.
* At second base, there are three talent guys battling for the starting spot in senior Scott Arthur, sophomore Charlie Curl and freshman Blake Allemand. At catcher, sophomore Troy Stein, freshman Cole Lankford and freshman Mitchell Nau are battling it out. Daniel Mengden will be limited in his opportunities behind the plate because the staff is going to count on him at the end of the game on the mound.
* The main message to the team right now regarding getting back to Omaha is not putting the cart before the horse. The ultimate goal is to get back to Omaha, but you can’t get there unless you achieve some steps along the way. On Friday the team will play as hard as they can for each other and do their best to win the game that day. Illinois-Chicago brings in a talented team who will go anywhere at any place and time to play anybody. They have had decent weather up there to start the spring so they’ve been able to practice outside. They were here for the 2007 regional so the team will certainly have their hands full. On Friday and Saturday, Michael Wacha and Ross Stripling will start and on Sunday, Rafael Pineda will most likely take the mound.
Rob Childress on season opener and debut of Blue Bell Park
Notes from "Around the Horn" — Week One
* The weather fired him up for this weekend because you know when it’s 48 degrees and steady light rain it’s baseball season.* It’s been unbelievable to think back to the summer and fall of 2007 when people started making trips around the region with the 12th Man Foundation to look at other ballparks and see how they were set up. It’s been great to watch all of the hard work put in by the contractors and sub-contractors the last eight months finally pay off.
* With all of the hard work and sacrifice from so many people, he will have a great deal of pride looking at the ballpark while the national anthem is being played on Friday. Olsen Field is such a special place for the players and fans to the media and students and they will all be blown away with the new facilities. A lot of season ticket holders were able to come in this past weekend and take a tour of the park and he is sure their breath was taken away just like everyone else’s will be on Friday. It’s turned out better than it was drawn and dreamt up and it’s going to be incredible.
* Every kid who comes in on a recruiting visit gets the disclaimer about, “Playing on this team will be the hardest thing you ever do.” The team will out work and out condition every team in the country. It doesn’t matter where you hang your jersey or your spikes because this team is going to get after it no matter what.
The recruits will also be shown the fantastic facility where they will be able to do everything from lifting, to studying, to rehabbing and actually training for the game of baseball. They will be able to do everything except go to class all in one place which is pretty special. With a place like A&M has now, you have to be careful with who you recruit because you will have a decent shot at landing anybody you offer.
* Likes what he has seen in the preseason workouts. The team still has a long way to go and he is glad that they have this week of practice to continue to improve. The team is ready to play somebody besides themselves and it’s the staff’s job to keep them focused on getting better every day. From an offensive standpoint, the team is very mature through the first five or six hitters. Then there are some very young but very talented new guys that will be sprinkled in throughout the lineup.
Defensively the team will be new behind the plate. Matt Juengel has done a great job so far at third base, Mike Reynolds has been fabulous at shortstop and there is still an ongoing battle at second base. From an outfield standpoint, this is as talented of a group as he has ever been around which is saying a lot. With the four returners, Jace Statum and Chance Bolcerek the outfield is very talented.
Pitching-wise the staff feels good about the one and two starters. The back end of the bullpen is coming together and the staff feels really good about Parker Ray, Kyle Martin and Daniel Mengden coming in at the back end with Estevan Urieigas in the middle of all of that. Parker Ray has a very short arm ball and gets on you with a very good breaking ball. Kyle Martin brings a totally different look from sidearm to submarines and Daniel Mengden throws a ton of strikes with above average stuff.
* At second base, there are three talent guys battling for the starting spot in senior Scott Arthur, sophomore Charlie Curl and freshman Blake Allemand. At catcher, sophomore Troy Stein, freshman Cole Lankford and freshman Mitchell Nau are battling it out. Daniel Mengden will be limited in his opportunities behind the plate because the staff is going to count on him at the end of the game on the mound.
* The main message to the team right now regarding getting back to Omaha is not putting the cart before the horse. The ultimate goal is to get back to Omaha, but you can’t get there unless you achieve some steps along the way. On Friday the team will play as hard as they can for each other and do their best to win the game that day. Illinois-Chicago brings in a talented team who will go anywhere at any place and time to play anybody. They have had decent weather up there to start the spring so they’ve been able to practice outside. They were here for the 2007 regional so the team will certainly have their hands full. On Friday and Saturday, Michael Wacha and Ross Stripling will start and on Sunday, Rafael Pineda will most likely take the mound.
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