Ross Stripling 'proud' of upcoming induction into A&M's Hall of Fame

Former Aggie baseball pitcher and current hurler for the Oakland A’s, Ross Stripling is a part of the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2024. The two-time All-American joined Friday's edition of TexAgs Radio to discuss the honor, Michael Earley's program and more.

Key notes from Ross Stripling interview

• I feel good to get back out on the mound. It's always frustrating going out with an injury, but it always feels good to be back on the big league mound. I had to knock off some cobwebs, but I was able to get out of it and ended up having a clean last couple of innings and got the win.
   
• You can tell the fans are frustrated. Oakland is about to lose its last power sport, so you can tell they're frustrated. They know it's not our fault, and at the end of the day, we have a bunch of kids who are in their first or second years, just trying to get their careers started and wipe out the noise. They’re just letting us play baseball.
   
• I was really lucky to have guys like Chase Utley, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner when I was young to lead the way and show me how to do it. I’m vocal when I have to be, but I mostly lead by example. It’s hard to do when you miss seven weeks with an injury, but I make myself available whenever I can.
   
• It’s so special to be named to the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. My grandfather was the head yell leader back in the 40s, and my dad was at Texas A&M in the 70s. I had essentially quit baseball, but I wanted to be an Aggie, so I basically convinced Rob Childress to let me walk on.
   
• Childress was the one to call me to tell me I made the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame, so it was a full-circle moment. I’m an Aggie through and through. I still live an hour down the road in Houston, and I try to make as many games as I can. To have the Stripling name enshrined somewhere in Aggieland is something I am really proud of.
   
• The one thing I am passionate about is that kids should play anything they are passionate about. I didn’t throw my first pitch until I was 18, and I found myself walking on the Texas A&M baseball team. I just told Rob Childress to teach me. I was coachable, and I knew if I just got bigger and stronger, I could perfect my craft.
   
• I was drafted as a junior, and similar to Ryan Prager, I felt like we had unfinished business so you come back for another year. We fell short in 2012, but we still had a fun run in Omaha. Then I got drafted to a great situation in Los Angeles, and the rest is history.
   
• My freshman year of college I was 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds, not strong, and just a total stringbean. I worked hard and made it my dream, and now here I am. At 34 years old, I'm still playing a kids' game for a living, so it’s special.
   
• Obviously, I am very excited to have Ryan Prager back. He’s a good kid, comes from a good family and is really passionate about baseball. To get that arm back with all of those bats back is just so huge. At the end of the day, pitching still wins games.
   
• I am sure that was a really tough decision. He turned down almost seven figures, is my bet, so I know it was a tough decision. To have him back in the Maroon & White is going to be huge, and you can tell we are going to be a powerhouse next season.
   
• It’s not unheard of now to move really quickly through the minor leagues. We have shrunk the minor leagues, so there are not as many kids or levels, so maybe it makes sense to stay in college baseball, where it's so competitive and then move into pro ball, where it's so fast and find yourself in the big leagues within a year or two of being drafted.
   
• I was talking to some of the guys from my time, and we really enjoyed this season. This was the greatest season A&M baseball has ever had. We had three kids hit 25 homers or more, so we felt like we could beat anybody any day.
   
• We had Prager, obviously, and then Chris Cortez throwing 102-mile-an-hour sinkers. We were watching, and it just took us back to when we were making runs to Omaha. Then seeing them not able to celebrate because of the madness that ensued afterwards. 
   
• I screamed it from the rooftops that Jim Schlossnagle was never an Aggie, and I think he showed that at the end. His departure makes me more than happy, to be honest. His reputation followed him through. I’m excited that we got the guy that we want in Michael Earley, and I am looking forward to him steering the ship in the right direction.
   
• I don't disagree that Rob Childress’ era came to an end. I hate that his worst year was his last year. This is a competitive league, and expectations were really high. Obviously, Schlossnagle is an amazing coach. I just always felt that if you are going to coach at A&M, you have to buy into it.
   
• I love the idea of Michael Earley. He’s going to have to balance giving out scholarships, giving or taking playing time and making lineups every night. He seems like he has the character and skill set for it. I’m excited for him and for what he does.
   
• It really couldn't be a better situation. It’s a juggernaut team where we are returning such an amazing lineup, adding from the transfer, and then even got Prager back. Expectations are high, but that’s part of it. You’re in the SEC, and you're coaching a team that was the runner-up in the national championships.
   
• Mike Elko is just an Aggie. I love every time he speaks. I love what you see from him. I hate that we are favored in a lot of games, that just feels like we are getting set up for a disaster. It’s a winnable schedule and a winnable road schedule. Then there’s the Texas game. It can’t get here soon enough, and I can’t wait for the football season.
   
• The coolest story was I was supposed to graduate the day of my last start at Olsen Field. I went to coach Childress and asked him if I could pitch on Friday. He said no, and I thought it was a bummer because my whole family was here. Instead, I threw a no-hitter in my final start at Olsen Field with my entire family in attendance. It just goes to show how important Aggieland is to the Stripling family. It really couldn’t mean more to me and my family.