Get to Know ... Texas A&M shortstop Blake Allemand

On why he picked his walk up song (Check Yo’ Self – Ice Cube)…

“Well I like to be different and unique and I was going through some old school rap songs and I stumbled upon that one on my iPod. It had a cool beat to it and the lyrics were kind of funny so I just kind of went with it.”

On which player has the worst walk up song…

“I don’t like Turner Larkins’ walk up song (Beat the Devils' Tattoo - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), I am not really sure what it is but it’s not very good. I don’t think a lot of the guys on the team really know what it is or like it a whole lot.”

On what the bubble machines do for team morale in the dugout…

“It just keeps things loose and keeps things light. We have a good time and it keeps things fun. Fun in the dugout keeps them engaged and into the game and it is just a fun way to keep us in the game when we do something big or do something good on offense.”

On what it meant to the team to drop from the number one spot in the rankings…

“The rankings aren’t really a big deal. I don’t think any of us ever really look at them to be honest with you. We just go out there and play every game, take it one game at a time and these rankings are not really going to mean anything any way. It is all about the ranking at the end of the year. We just kind of go out there and play our game and the ranking will take care of itself at the end of the year.”

On how he stays focused on Omaha while also thinking about being drafted…

“I am a senior, it I my last year here so I am just enjoying the ride and am taking it one game at a time. These are my last few games I will ever play in college and will ever play for this university so I want to enjoy it, enjoy my teammates and enjoy the ride. The draft talks or any of that stuff ... I am just going to take it one game at of time, focus on helping our team win and get to Omaha and then the rest will take care of itself.”

On being compared to Derek Jeter after his #SCTop10 play he made vs. LSU…

“It was pretty cool, I was at the hotel on Saturday night or one of the nights and I was in my room when I saw myself on TV. It was a pretty surreal feeling. When you are doing it, you are only thinking about it and praying that I made the play and accurate throw. It was pretty cool seeing that and I am sure it is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”

On his childhood gymnastics career…

**Check the video ... 3:00 minute mark**

On the pressure starting as a walk-on his freshman season…

“Freshman year I was trying to take it one game at a time and was trying to get on the field and do whatever I could to get in the lineup and play. I came out after I had a rough fall, I kind of struggled and learned some things about myself and had to reevaluate going home over Christmas break. Came back out and I was trying to work on getting better and doing whatever I could to help the team win. I changed some positions a little bit and thought I would just kind of take it one day at a time and just do what I could to get on the field.”

On the moment he realized he was no longer playing high school ball…

“One of my first at-bats, I was facing off with Michael Wacha who is now pitching in the major leagues. I struck out about four pitches in and I felt really overmatched. I remember calling my dad and saying I‘m not sure I can hit these guys. It was pretty impressive but come to find out that guy is pretty good and now he is making big leaguers look dumb also so I don’t feel as bad nowadays.”

On transitioning from different positions, especially to shortstop this season…

“It really hasn’t been that big of a deal. It feels like home, it is almost like riding a bike. I have played there my whole life so when I go back there I feel pretty comfortable. Defense hasn’t exactly been what I wanted it to be so far this year, I have got some work to do but it has been an easy transition over there. I have felt comfortable over there all year.”

On growing up in a competitive family...

“I think that is everything. I pride myself on being super competitive and I am competitive in everything I do, no matter what is happening I want to win. I am sure you can ask anybody that has been around me, that is my mentality. It is like you said, me and my sister have had some pretty heavy battles out there in the drive way playing basketball. That is just how our family has been raised, we are super competitive and we are going to fight as hard as we can to win something.”

On whether or not he could beat his sister today in a one-on-one basketball game…

 “I don’t know, it is probably a lot closer than I want it to be nowadays. I am going to say yes but in reality probably not so we will go with that.”

On him and his sister wearing the same jersey number…

“Well when I got here Coach Childress gave me number one so I didn’t really have a whole lot of pick there so I kind of embraced it. According to Brooke she said she wanted to pick number one so we would both be number one, so I am honored for her wanting to pick that. It is a cool sister moment right there.”

On being high school rivals with Kerrville Tivy and playing football against Johnny Manziel…

“Oh yeah, Johnny was a great football player, he is probably one of the best high school football players I have ever seen in my life. Senior year we were both 8-0, it was the San Antonio game of the week, a lot of fans probably about 3,000 over our capacity there at Boerne stadium ... First play of the game they did a trick play and motioned him out to receiver and I had to cover him. They threw a jump ball to him and he probably jumped about five feet higher than me but somehow when he came back down I was able to knock the ball out so that was cool moment for me. I thought we had a shot at that point but then like two plays later he took it 70 yards up the middle for a touchdown so the rest is history. They ended up beating us pretty bad, so yeah, Johnny is pretty good.”

On how Alex got him into some trouble back in the kindergarten days…

“I don’t remember exactly but I remember it being one of the first times I had a principal moment or a slip or whatever those things were. I think it was around nap time or something like that and somehow we got the great idea from my recollection to play tag or hide and seek. I just remember it was the first time I ever got in trouble and that you were a part of that and that is how I always remember that situation.”