Ty Coleman having breakout freshman year to help lead the Aggies

While Ty Coleman was going through preseason workouts this spring, he did not expect to be a starter early in his freshman season. He thought he would get some opportunities and maybe a few starts by the end of the season, but a starting job was not on the front of his mind.

Well, so far in 2019, not only has Coleman penciled his own name into the starting lineup, but he now occupies a spot in the middle of the order and has been one of the Aggies’ most consistent hitters. His .333 batting average barely trails Braden Shewmake for the team lead, and he has racked up three home runs, 22 RBI and 19 runs scored.

Ty, the younger brother of A&M slugger Hunter Coleman, hit a home run in his first career start against Stephen F. Austin, and since then he has won the starting third base job.

“It’s all about confidence for me,” Coleman says. “That opportunity on a Tuesday night against SFA, my first start, I hit a home run. That put so much confidence in what I’ve been doing, what I worked for in the fall and during Christmas break, and now the hard work is starting to show out.”

Some of Coleman’s confidence comes from watching his older brother succeed early in his freshman season. While Ty was in high school, he and his parents would make the six-hour drive to College Station every time the Aggies had a home series. He would watch the games from the stands and spend the weekends with Hunter, getting familiar with the life of a college athlete and what it takes to succeed at the Division I level.

“Watching my brother [during] his first two years and seeing the confidence that he played with has really helped me have that edge to me,” Coleman said. “Seeing what it takes and observing how he’s gone about his business has been huge for me. Not many freshmen get that look, that opportunity, and being a part of that has really jump-started me into the position I’m in right now.”

That experience led to an easier recruiting job for Justin Seely, because the Aggies were already high on Coleman’s list. Hunter’s positive experience in the program was all Ty needed to commit.

“I was one of the last commitments in our class,” Coleman says. “I was just waiting for Hunter to come and see how he likes it. This was one of my top three options for sure, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so when he gave it his stamp of approval, I knew this was definitely where I was going.”

When he got to campus last summer, he already had a relationship with the coaching staff through his brother, and he was also closer to the older players than the typical incoming freshman. Add in his terrific talent, and he had all the makings of a breakout freshman campaign.

“I love the kid first of all, but he’s also a great player,” Shewmake says. “I remember last year he was coming in and Hunter said, ‘Ty is better than I am. Just wait until he gets here.’ Both of the Coleman brothers are great players, but Ty has been on another level right now and he’s playing really well.”

Bradley Countie, TexAgs

Ty Coleman has been a model of consistency at the plate for the Aggies.

Coleman spent his first few weekends hitting in the bottom-third of the lineup, but when he hit at a high clip while several of the other Aggies got off to rough starts, Coleman began to see opportunities batting second and fifth.

He possesses more power than his 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame might suggest, and his .480 slugging percentage trails only his brother, Braden Shewmake and Bryce Blaum on the team leaderboard.

“He’s got all the attributes that you want in a hitter,” said hitting coach Will Bolt. “He has a good swing, he’s got bat speed, he can get to the pitcher’s best fastball consistently. His body most of the time is in position to handle the offspeed pitch, he’s competitive, and he thinks he’s good – you have to have that in this game.”

Coleman has also flashed the leather at his new home on the diamond. He played solely second base and shortstop in his prep career (and he worked there in the preseason as well), but when he got his chance at third, he made the most of it. He says third base isn’t that much different than shortstop, easing his transition to the hot corner.

“Moving to third is some of the same responsibilities, knowing where the ball needs to be and where to go with it,” Coleman said. “You’re involved with a lot more bunts and stuff that brings you in, but it’s not too different, and I feel like I’ve grown comfortable over there.”

Coleman, who has hit mostly fifth in the A&M order of late, will try to continue his hot hitting this weekend in a home series against Missouri. The series opener begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on SEC Network+.