Rob Childress
Kyle Simonds
Hunter Melton
Texas A&M Baseball
Series Preview: #4 Texas A&M vs. Hofstra
Note: View season-opening remarks from Rob Childress, Kyle Simonds and Hunter Melton above.
Who: Hofstra (19-29 in 2015)
Where: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park – College Station, Texas
When: Friday 6:30 pm (SEC Network+)
Saturday 2:00 pm (SEC Network+)
Sunday 12:00 pm (SEC Network+)
As a true freshman last season, Foster led the Pride with a .351 average, scoring 35 runs and stealing 19 bases. He also walked 27 times for an impressive on-base percentage of .452. His sparkling freshman campaign led to his inclusion on the 2016 Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association team, and he will be a key table setter for the Pride this weekend.
Juniors Brad Witkowski and David Liederman return to man the left side of the infield for Hofstra. Liederman led the 2015 squad in RBI (29) while Witkowski is a career .312 hitter with gap power and the ability to steal bases (10).
With only four returning starters from last year's offense that hit .274 as a team with an anemic .389 slugging percentage, Hofstra will rely on three freshmen and two transfers to kick start an offense that will have its hands full against a talented and deep Aggie pitching staff.
True freshman Vito Friscia will catch behind the plate. It will be interesting to see if he Aggies take advantage of the inexperience and test his arm with stolen base attempts.
On the bump, senior right-hander Alec Eisenberg will take the ball in the season opener against Texas A&M. An experienced returning starter, Eisenberg didn't have weekend ace numbers — 5-4 with a 5.83 ERA — last season. However, he did show marked improvement in the fall, which was enough to give him the ball on Friday nights.
The Pride's starting catcher at the beginning of last season, sophomore Chris Weiss, transitioned to the bullpen where he finished with a 3.57 ERA and a team-leading four saves in 12 appearances. After a sizzling summer on the rubber, Weiss is making the full transition to pitcher and weekend starter.
Hofstra will throw senior right-hander Bowie Matteson to close out the series on Sunday. He finished the 2015 season with a 2-3 record and a 6.04 ERA.
Hofstra completed last season with a team ERA of 6.93, giving up 504 hits in 414 innings — numbers that certainly contributed to the Pride's 19-29 record a year ago.
It starts with one of Rob Childress' most talented and deep pitching staffs in his tenure at Texas A&M. He'll hand the ball to senior Kyle Simonds, who bounced in and out of the weekend starting rotation a year ago as a junior college transfer. He was solid in 2015, but he's added velocity in the offseason and took his effectiveness to a higher level in the fall and spring practice sessions.
Sophomore Corbin Martin gets the Saturday assignment. As a freshman, Martin flashed mid-90's velocity but his occasional lack of control relegated him to long relief in the bullpen. His command has improved and he won a fierce battle in the spring for one of the coveted weekend starting spots.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Expect Rob Childress to give his bullpen plenty of work in the season-opening series, resting the starters' arms and solidifying late-game roles.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Expect Rob Childress to give his bullpen plenty of work in the season-opening series, resting the starters\u0027 arms and solidifying late-game roles.","MediaItemID":56651}
The Aggies will close out the series on Sunday with true freshman Tyler Ivey, who showed uncommon maturity on the hill in the fall and held off experienced hurlers Jace Vines and Brigham Hill to earn the opening weekend start. His ability to throw multiple pitches for strikes at any point in the count is something you usually don't see with true freshmen.
Don't expect to see the coaching staff extend any of the starters in the opening weekend, so the bullpen will see plenty of action. Veteran Andrew Vinson will be the first long relief option out of the bullpen, but keep an eye on potential middle relievers Cason Sherrod, Ty Schlottman, Stephen Kolek, Blake Kopetsky, and Mitchell Kilkenny.
Even if the games this weekend aren't close heading to the late innings, expect to see dual closers Mark Ecker and Ryan Hendrix get some early season work. Both juniors have been clocked in the upper 90's this spring, but for Ecker he needs show he can throw off-speed pitches for strikes to keep hitters from sitting on his fastball (which seemed to happen toward the end of last season).
At the plate, the Aggies send 14 years of starting experience in the first four spots in the batting order with junior Ryne Birk leading off, followed by transfer Boomer White, junior all-American Nick Banks and senior Hunter Melton. Those four appear to be set in stone for the foreseeable future, but the remainder of the order will be a work-in-progress for the first couple of weeks.
TCU transfer Walker Pennington is one of the best athletes on the team with size, speed, and power, and he's looking to nail down the right field spot but is being pushed by lefty veteran Blake Kopetsky. Joel Davis is a talented left-handed power stick that will dropped behind Melton in the middle of the order. He'll platoon in left field and will see some time at designated hitter against right-handed pitching, and all three Hofstra starters throw from the right side.
Michael Barash has been solid at the plate so far in the spring, and freshman shortstop George Janca will likely hit in the nine hole.
Infield defense will be a big key for the Aggies in 2016. It starts at shortstop, where Texas A&M will start the true freshman Janca at a critical defensive position. With the talent on the hill and at the plate, the Aggies don't need spectacular defensive plays at short. The Georgetown native needs to show he's sure-handed and make the plays he's supposed to make and limit the errors.
White will play the hot corner and he'll give Texas A&M a lot of energy and grit. The key area to watch is his arm strength and if he can handle the long, stressed throws that third basemen must routinely make.
Barash is one of the best backstops in the SEC and will provide a steady influence in the dirt.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
The movement in the lineup and the Aggies' early performance in the field will be of particular interest at the year's outset.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"The movement in the lineup and the Aggies\u0027 early performance in the field will be of particular interest at the year\u0027s outset.","MediaItemID":52813}
It's opening weekend and the Aggies need to get off on the right foot. The issue this weekend is not Hofstra. Texas A&M needs to focus on itself and play good, clean baseball.
Pitchers need to throw strikes and limit free passes. Hitters need to be patient, get quality swings and put the ball in play and avoid the strikeout. Fielders should make the plays in front of them and limit miscues.
I'm also interested in seeing how the double play combination of Janca-Birk make turns at the second base bag. That's been an Achilles' Heel for A&M in the past two seasons.
These early-season non-conference home series are important in defining roles on the team and answering important questions before SEC play.
Will the four veterans at the top of the order cement their spots and lead this offense, or will a newcomer step up and force the staff to shuffle the top of the lineup?
Will George Janca prove to be the steady hand at the all-important shortstop, or will Austin Homan or Alan Campero get a shot at the position?
Can veteran outfielders J.B. Moss and Jonathan Moroney earn a starting spot in left field, or will they platoon all season with Joel Davis?
Can Ronnie Gideon cut down on his strikeouts and win the designated hitter position on a full-time basis? Can Ryne Birk be more selective at the plate and increase his on-base percentage as the lead-off hitter, setting the table for White, Banks, and Melton? Can Melton take advantage of opposing hurlers pitching around all-American Nick Banks?
Will the starting weekend rotation hold up, allowing Ryan Hendrix to remain in the bullpen as part of the two-headed monster in the closer role?
It's opening weekend, and there are a lot of questions to be answered.
The road to Omaha begins Friday.
Who: Hofstra (19-29 in 2015)
Where: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park – College Station, Texas
When: Friday 6:30 pm (SEC Network+)
Saturday 2:00 pm (SEC Network+)
Sunday 12:00 pm (SEC Network+)
Pitching matchups
- Friday: Kyle Simonds (RHP, 3-2, 2.39) vs. Alec Eisenberg (RHP, 5-4, 5.83)
- Saturday: Corbin Martin (RHP, 2-0, 2.95) vs. Chris Weiss (RHP, 0-0, 3.57)
- Sunday: Tyler Ivey (RHP, 0-0, 0.00) vs. Bowie Matteson (RHP, 2-3, 6.04)
Hofstra players to watch
Hofstra's offense starts with sophomore center fielder Steven Foster.As a true freshman last season, Foster led the Pride with a .351 average, scoring 35 runs and stealing 19 bases. He also walked 27 times for an impressive on-base percentage of .452. His sparkling freshman campaign led to his inclusion on the 2016 Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association team, and he will be a key table setter for the Pride this weekend.
Juniors Brad Witkowski and David Liederman return to man the left side of the infield for Hofstra. Liederman led the 2015 squad in RBI (29) while Witkowski is a career .312 hitter with gap power and the ability to steal bases (10).
With only four returning starters from last year's offense that hit .274 as a team with an anemic .389 slugging percentage, Hofstra will rely on three freshmen and two transfers to kick start an offense that will have its hands full against a talented and deep Aggie pitching staff.
An experienced returning starter, Eisenberg didn't have weekend ace numbers — 5-4 with a 5.83 ERA — last season. However, he did show marked improvement in the fall, which was enough to give him the ball on Friday nights.
{"Module":"quote","Alignment":"left","Quote":"An experienced returning starter, Eisenberg didn\u0027t have weekend ace numbers — 5-4 with a 5.83 ERA — last season. However, he did show marked improvement in the fall, which was enough to give him the ball on Friday nights. ","Author":""}
Ryan Karl is a graduate transfer from Cornell and is expected to bring plenty of experience at first base while Nick Bottari is a redshirt freshman transfer from University of Miami and is projected to split time between catcher and designated hitter. True freshman Vito Friscia will catch behind the plate. It will be interesting to see if he Aggies take advantage of the inexperience and test his arm with stolen base attempts.
On the bump, senior right-hander Alec Eisenberg will take the ball in the season opener against Texas A&M. An experienced returning starter, Eisenberg didn't have weekend ace numbers — 5-4 with a 5.83 ERA — last season. However, he did show marked improvement in the fall, which was enough to give him the ball on Friday nights.
The Pride's starting catcher at the beginning of last season, sophomore Chris Weiss, transitioned to the bullpen where he finished with a 3.57 ERA and a team-leading four saves in 12 appearances. After a sizzling summer on the rubber, Weiss is making the full transition to pitcher and weekend starter.
Hofstra will throw senior right-hander Bowie Matteson to close out the series on Sunday. He finished the 2015 season with a 2-3 record and a 6.04 ERA.
Hofstra completed last season with a team ERA of 6.93, giving up 504 hits in 414 innings — numbers that certainly contributed to the Pride's 19-29 record a year ago.
Texas A&M players to watch
Opening weekend for Aggie baseball fans is like unwrapping presents under the tree on Christmas morning. Fans are especially excited for the 2016 season that has the chance to be a special one according to many college baseball pundits. The Aggies are listed as a consensus top-five squad.It starts with one of Rob Childress' most talented and deep pitching staffs in his tenure at Texas A&M. He'll hand the ball to senior Kyle Simonds, who bounced in and out of the weekend starting rotation a year ago as a junior college transfer. He was solid in 2015, but he's added velocity in the offseason and took his effectiveness to a higher level in the fall and spring practice sessions.
Sophomore Corbin Martin gets the Saturday assignment. As a freshman, Martin flashed mid-90's velocity but his occasional lack of control relegated him to long relief in the bullpen. His command has improved and he won a fierce battle in the spring for one of the coveted weekend starting spots.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Expect Rob Childress to give his bullpen plenty of work in the season-opening series, resting the starters' arms and solidifying late-game roles.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Expect Rob Childress to give his bullpen plenty of work in the season-opening series, resting the starters\u0027 arms and solidifying late-game roles.","MediaItemID":56651}
Don't expect to see the coaching staff extend any of the starters in the opening weekend, so the bullpen will see plenty of action. Veteran Andrew Vinson will be the first long relief option out of the bullpen, but keep an eye on potential middle relievers Cason Sherrod, Ty Schlottman, Stephen Kolek, Blake Kopetsky, and Mitchell Kilkenny.
Even if the games this weekend aren't close heading to the late innings, expect to see dual closers Mark Ecker and Ryan Hendrix get some early season work. Both juniors have been clocked in the upper 90's this spring, but for Ecker he needs show he can throw off-speed pitches for strikes to keep hitters from sitting on his fastball (which seemed to happen toward the end of last season).
At the plate, the Aggies send 14 years of starting experience in the first four spots in the batting order with junior Ryne Birk leading off, followed by transfer Boomer White, junior all-American Nick Banks and senior Hunter Melton. Those four appear to be set in stone for the foreseeable future, but the remainder of the order will be a work-in-progress for the first couple of weeks.
TCU transfer Walker Pennington is one of the best athletes on the team with size, speed, and power, and he's looking to nail down the right field spot but is being pushed by lefty veteran Blake Kopetsky. Joel Davis is a talented left-handed power stick that will dropped behind Melton in the middle of the order. He'll platoon in left field and will see some time at designated hitter against right-handed pitching, and all three Hofstra starters throw from the right side.
Michael Barash has been solid at the plate so far in the spring, and freshman shortstop George Janca will likely hit in the nine hole.
Infield defense will be a big key for the Aggies in 2016. It starts at shortstop, where Texas A&M will start the true freshman Janca at a critical defensive position. With the talent on the hill and at the plate, the Aggies don't need spectacular defensive plays at short. The Georgetown native needs to show he's sure-handed and make the plays he's supposed to make and limit the errors.
White will play the hot corner and he'll give Texas A&M a lot of energy and grit. The key area to watch is his arm strength and if he can handle the long, stressed throws that third basemen must routinely make.
Barash is one of the best backstops in the SEC and will provide a steady influence in the dirt.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
The movement in the lineup and the Aggies' early performance in the field will be of particular interest at the year's outset.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"The movement in the lineup and the Aggies\u0027 early performance in the field will be of particular interest at the year\u0027s outset.","MediaItemID":52813}
What's at stake this weekend...
Pitchers need to throw strikes and limit free passes. Hitters need to be patient, get quality swings and put the ball in play and avoid the strikeout. Fielders should make the plays in front of them and limit miscues.
I'm also interested in seeing how the double play combination of Janca-Birk make turns at the second base bag. That's been an Achilles' Heel for A&M in the past two seasons.
These early-season non-conference home series are important in defining roles on the team and answering important questions before SEC play.
Will the four veterans at the top of the order cement their spots and lead this offense, or will a newcomer step up and force the staff to shuffle the top of the lineup?
Will George Janca prove to be the steady hand at the all-important shortstop, or will Austin Homan or Alan Campero get a shot at the position?
Can veteran outfielders J.B. Moss and Jonathan Moroney earn a starting spot in left field, or will they platoon all season with Joel Davis?
Can Ronnie Gideon cut down on his strikeouts and win the designated hitter position on a full-time basis? Can Ryne Birk be more selective at the plate and increase his on-base percentage as the lead-off hitter, setting the table for White, Banks, and Melton? Can Melton take advantage of opposing hurlers pitching around all-American Nick Banks?
Will the starting weekend rotation hold up, allowing Ryan Hendrix to remain in the bullpen as part of the two-headed monster in the closer role?
It's opening weekend, and there are a lot of questions to be answered.
The road to Omaha begins Friday.
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