Slugger Chris Andritsos eager to finally swing the bat for Texas A&M

Nutrabolt Stadium, the home ballpark of the Brazos Valley Bombers, is infamous for swallowing up deep fly balls. Its large dimensions and the fact that the wind is always blowing in make home runs hard to come by.

But Texas A&M first baseman Chris Andritsos, who is playing for the Bombers this summer, still manages to make it look small when he steps into the batter’s box.

“He’s got some juice — he smashes balls,” says Bombers infielder Michael Helman. “Even with the wind always blowing in, he still smashes balls out of here.”

Deep in the left center-field gap, over 400 feet away from home plate at the top of the 15-foot wall, is an advertisement that says, "Let our family help your family." Andritsos launched one over that sign in a game this summer.

“He put one over the ‘Family,” Bombers head coach Trey Porras says with a touch of amazement in his voice. “That ball would’ve been up on the train tracks at Minute Maid Park.

“He’s displayed a lot of power at times. A lot of long, hard contact. He can do things that few people can do — he put one off the light pole in batting practice.”

However, because he transferred to A&M after one season at Oklahoma, Andritsos did not get to show off his skills in 2017 as the Aggies advanced all the way to the College World Series. It was a mix of reward and frustration for the most part — rewarding as he hit well in practices andintrasquad scrimmages, frustrating because he couldn’t play in games — but downright maddening at times.

Especially when Andritsos and the Aggie coaching staff were informed midway through the season that the NCAA had changed the rule that allowed transfers to play once the school year concludes. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound slugger thought he was going to be able to play in the last couple of SEC series and the postseason, but those plans went up in smoke when the NCAA closed that loophole.

“That was one of the hardest things I ever could have done,” Andritsos says of sitting out an entire year. “Just knowing you do everything [the team does] and then when they go in and put the jersey on, you just go sit. You put in all the work and you’re just as dedicated as all the others and then you don’t get to reap the benefit.

“There were certainly days where you want to say, ‘This is dumb — I’m done with this.’ But I just tried to keep a lackluster attitude about it. Take everything seriously, but at the end of the day you have to make everything funny somehow.”

Andritsos, one of the country’s best recruits coming out of high school after a decorated four-year career at The Woodlands, committed to Oklahoma in the eighth grade. As his prep career progressed he got the urge to look at other schools — including Texas A&M — but ultimately stuck to his pledge.

But even after being the Sooners’ Friday night starter and getting 48 at-bats as a freshman, Andritsos wanted a change of scenery. The coaching staff he committed to in middle school was long gone, the OU experience wasn’t what he expected and he didn’t want his three remaining years of eligibility to go to waste.

“I knew I had three years left so I thought I’d make the most of it, so I transferred to A&M,” says Andritsos, a three-time All-State selection in high school. “I’m just looking forward to getting after it and playing against the best of the best. It’s a lot more competitive down here, I feel like. Everyone is more into it versus it being the second sport — at Oklahoma, baseball is definitely second. Baseball I’d say here is one of the higher sports on the chain. It’s a priority down here.”

After going more than a full calendar year without live in-game at-bats, it has taken some time for Andritsos to find his groove for the Bombers. His .235 batting average and one home run don’t jump off the page, but he hit .320 (8-for-25) in July with six RBI and two doubles.

“It’s tough to do — that’s why they send big-leaguers to rehab assignments to get back into it,” Porras says. “There was a little bit of rust to shake off, but I know he’s going to work extremely hard and get back into it once the fall comes.”

Andritsos gave the Bombers a win on June 23 with a walk-off RBI single, and he remains a positive influence in the dugout regardless of what is happening on the field.
 
“He’s a jokester,” says Helman, who will also play for the Aggies next season. “He takes himself seriously when he’s out on the field, but he’s definitely one of those guys that messes with you all the time and keeps up the enthusiasm in the dugout.”

It will be interesting to see how Andritsos and his prodigious power will fit into the Aggies’ 2018 plans. He has played primarily first base for the Bombers this summer — and recruiting coordinator Justin Seely says first is where the coaching staff wants to see him in the fall — but he also projects as a possible designated hitter if Hunter Coleman wins the first base job.

Even though Andritsos has the ability to hit tape-measure shots — Seely ranks him in the top two or three on the roster in terms of raw power — he also possesses quick hands and a good swing that give him the potential to hit for a decent average, too.

“Chris is unique for most power guys — he has a short swing and a quick bat,” says Seely, who helps coach the A&M hitters in addition to his recruiting duties. “A lot of big physical guys have long swings with not as fast a bat.

“He’s got a lot of at-bats he needs to catch up on. We’ll have to do some things in the fall and the winter to make sure that he is getting to see the pitches he needs to see in order to catch himself up.”

Andritsos is expected to slot somewhere in the middle of the order next spring, hitting amidst a potent lineup consisting of Braden Shewmake, Logan Foster, Coleman and several other talented players.

He has been chomping at the bit to get on the field ever since the Aggies’ last game of the season, and he says he’s excited to finally be able to wear the maroon and white in a game setting.

“Ever since the season was over I’ve been ready to go,” he says. “I think we’ll be one of the top offenses in the country with what we have coming back. It’s always fun to be a part of a good offense and help the guy on the mound.”

Meanwhile, Andritsos can finally show off his power when the stakes are higher than batting practice, and the Aggies can try to make another run to the College World Series with one of their best power hitters actually available to produce.