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Rob Childress
Nick Banks
Andrew Vinson
Texas A&M Baseball

Fall Baseball Begins: Aggies open up with lofty aspirations

October 7, 2015
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Texas A&M Baseball began its fall season Wednesday with intra-squad game No. 1, a six-inning contest featuring Ryan Hendrix vs. Tyler Stubblefield on the mound. Here are a few brief thoughts on the team…

1. Bring on the Boomer White era. The hero of TCU’s run to Omaha in 2014 transferred to the Aggies that summer and had to sit out the 2015 campaign. Well, now he’s eligible and figures to be a mainstay in the middle of the A&M lineup. The only question is where he’ll play positionally.

White could get a look at second base or left field, but I’ve actually been told he will get a crack at third base during the fall to see how he handles it over there. He hasn’t played much third base — he was a catcher in high school and played a little second but mostly left field at TCU — but is a tremendous athlete that would provide good range at the hot corner.

We’ll be at the park a lot this fall, so we’ll keep you updated on White’s progress and where he plays throughout. The bottom line is that you’re looking at a two-hole or three-hole option that will play nearly every day and has a chance to hit in the mid-.300s and drive in a lot of runs for the Aggies in 2016.

2. Two key questions involving Nick Banks: Where does he hit? Where does he play? Banks has the ability to handle center field if Rob Childress, Will Bolt and Co. feel the need to get a bat like Jonathan Moroney or Walker Pennington or Blake Kopetsky in the lineup. All three of those guys project more as right fielders, though Pennington is capable of playing center (he was starting at CF for the Plowboys in scrimmage No. 1).

Abigail Cook, TexAgs The question of where to put Nick Banks involves not only best utilizing his talent but making room for the best mix to fit around him. {"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"The question of where to put Nick Banks involves not only best utilizing his talent but making room for the best mix to fit around him.","MediaItemID":55074}
The other scenario is to play Banks in right field — where he has played predominantly during his first two years on campus — and start a speedy, more rangy glove in center such as JB Moss or Nick Choruby or Matt Collins.

Of course, the X-Factor is Kyler Murray, who will get a chance to play on the dirt due to his range at second base. But there is a chance that Kyler wins an outfield job in the spring. If that’s the case, it could very well be center field — sliding Banks into a permanent spot in right field.

As for where Banks hits in the lineup, it will be interesting to see if the Aggies tinker with hitting him in the leadoff spot to set the stage for guys like Ryne Birk, White, Ronnie Gideon, Joel Davis and Hunter Melton. Moss and Pennington are other leadoff options, but I think White is the three-hole hitter from day one. So do Pennington or Moss lead off and Banks hit second? I don’t love him in the two-hole because I don’t want to give up his bat to bunt a guy over all that much.

I wouldn’t mind having the Banks-White combo in the three and four spots, though, giving you a little pop and a lot of speed and OBP in those slots.

3. The big position question mark. It involves the shortstop position. Blake Allemand did an admirable job last year of handling the shortstop duties day-in, day-out as a natural second baseman on a team completely devoid of a true shortstop. Suddenly, there are three shortstops on the roster. That’s the good news.

The bad news? They’re all freshmen.

Starting the first scrimmage at shortstop were George Janca and Alan Campero. Fellow fish Tristan Metten played third base but will get his shot at short. The battle is underway and will play out through mid-February. We’ll keep you posted, but I would be shocked if a true freshman weren’t in the starting lineup at shortstop on Opening Day 2016. I’m fine with that, because they’re all salty with the glove. Campero is a light-hitting fella but he can pick it at an elite level.

4. The pitching will be the driving force. It comes as no surprise, but the arms will give the Aggies a chance to make a real run next year. Fighting for spots in the starting rotation are LHP Tyler Stubblefield, RHP Ryan Hendrix, RHP Corbin Martin, RHP Brigham Hill, RHP Turner Larkins and RHP Kyle Simonds.

My gut prediction is Stubblefield, Hendrix and Martin on the weekends and Hill on Tuesday. That puts Larkins and Simonds in the bullpen along with fellow experienced right-handers Mark Ecker (closer) and Andrew Vinson (setup), a slew of talented newcomers (Tyler Ivey, Stephen Kolek, Jace Vines, Hunter Spaeth) and an incredibly gifted sophomore flame-thrower in Cason Sherrod.

Matt Sachs, TexAgs Michael Barash and others will ensure the Aggies lack no shortage of stalwart leadership in the clubhouse. {"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Michael Barash and others will ensure the Aggies lack no shortage of stalwart leadership in the clubhouse.","MediaItemID":54192}
The Ags are very thin from the left side. Outside of Stubblefield and senior Ty Schlottmann, the only other lefties are sophomore Kaylor Chafin and freshman Wisconsin native Dakota Klein. It would be huge to be able to develop Chafin or Klein into a guy Childress can bring on to get a left-hander out in a big spot in the game. Schlottmann can’t pitch every game, so that is something to keep a close eye on during the fall.

5. I like the leadership of this group. Catcher Michael Barash is as strong of a clubhouse guy as you’ll find and one of those once-in-a-generation leaders for your team. Moss, White, Stubblefield, Hendrix and Vinson are all strong leaders. More will emerge; they need to if this team is going to accomplish the goal that will be discussed every day between now and June.

That would be getting to Omaha and being the last team standing.

A&M made a nice run at it in 2015. There were amazing moments. There was incredible heart break. This team could very well be better in 2016 than it was in 2015. It starts now.
Discussion from...

Fall Baseball Begins: Aggies open up with lofty aspirations

5,474 Views | 5 Replies | Last: 8 yr ago by MMantle
Gabe Bock
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Fall Baseball Begins: Aggies open up with lofty aspirations
Foxo
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Got a list of the two squads?
Yell Practice
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Yell Practice
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All the way to Omaha this year Ags.
Yell Practice
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MMantle
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1) A month ago, I talked to a source close to the program, it was his opinion that Murray would first be tried in the outfield.

2) I heard that they were leaning toward going back to co-closers in the bullpen, Hendrix and Ecker.

3) What about Tyler Ivey as a starting pitcher? Even though a freshman, wasn't he most impressive in the fall?

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