Photo by Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
Texas A&M Baseball
Series Preview: #3 Texas A&M at Auburn
Who: Auburn Tigers (9-8)
Where: Plainsman Park – Auburn, Ala.
When: Friday 6:30 pm CT (SEC+)
Saturday 3:00 pm CT (SEC+)
Sunday 1:00 pm CT (SEC+)
Junior Anfernee Grier hammered Texas A&M pitching last season in College Station, and he's again a very dangerous leadoff hitter for first year head coach Butch Thompson. Grier's sophomore campaign garnered him several postseason awards, but the center fielder is becoming one of the best offensive players in the SEC in 2016.
He's productive across the board, leading the team in batting average at .429. Grier is dangerous on the base paths with 11 stolen bases so far, but he also has power that's reflected in his .700 slugging percentage and four home runs. He also leads the team in on-base percentage (.545) and walks (15). Needless to say, Grier is somebody that will cause Texas A&M pitching some problems.
The Tigers follow Grier in the lineup with Joshua Palacios (.380) and veteran second baseman Jordan Ebert (.385) in the #2 and #3 hole. In the cleanup spot is power-hitting senior designated hitter Niko Buentello, who leads the team in RBI (29), slugging percentage (.706) and home runs (five) and is second to Grier in average at .397.
The Tigers' offense is hitting on all cylinders right now, scoring double digits in the last three contests — including an impressive 14-3 road win over No. 22 Georgia Tech on Tuesday. The Auburn offense will be the toughest challenge for Aggie pitchers so far in 2016.
On the mound, Auburn has been searching for the right mix in its weekend rotation. Cole Lipscomb finished third in the SEC in ERA last season and was clearly the Tigers' ace on a struggling staff. Expected to be the Friday ace, he's struggled with control all season and has slid to the Sunday starting spot with a disappointing 1-1 record and 4.00 ERA.
Senior Justin Camp will take the ball on Friday. With a 3.46 ERA and a 1-1 record, Camp is a solid competitor, although it's a stretch to say he's a typical SEC Friday night ace. He's also surrendered three home runs this season.
The Saturday matchup may be the weekend's most intriguing with AU freshman Casey Mize going up against Texas A&M freshman Tyler Ivey. A case can be made that both freshmen are the best pitchers on their respective teams. Mize stepped into the weekend starter's role a few weeks ago and has been lights out so far, leading the team in ERA at 1.46. He forces opponents to hit the ball, walking only three batters so far this season.
All three Auburn starters are right-handers.
In the three-hole, TCU transfer Boomer White has done everything to warrant his reputation as the 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year. He's second on the team in batting average (.394) and also leads the Aggies in walks (11) and on-base percentage (.494). He finds ways to make things happen in the middle of the lineup at the #3 spot. He's also flashed some good leather in the field at third base, making some critical stops ranging to his left at the hot corner.
Seniors Hunter Melton and Michael Barash are having productive seasons in the middle of the order. Melton leads the team in RBI (22) and is third in batting average (.364). Barash has been getting big hits all year, none bigger than the ninth-inning walk-off home run on Tuesday against the Texas Longhorns.
Keep an eye on left-handed outfielder Joel Davis, who found his power stroke this past week with a mammoth shot over the railroad tracks in left field on Sunday against Fresno State and then a critical homer on Tuesday against the Longhorns. Auburn will be throwing three right-handed pitchers at Texas A&M hitters, so the lefty Davis will have more opportunities at the plate this weekend as an outfielder or designated hitter.
Abigail Cook, TexAgs
The Aggies will go into battle with the superior rotation again, strengthened by Kyle Simonds' strong performance last Sunday.
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On the mound, the Aggies will go back to what has worked in recent weeks with Jace Vines taking the ball on Friday, Ivey throwing on Saturday and senior Kyle Simonds closing it out on Sunday. All three starters were solid last weekend against Fresno State, especially Simonds, who scattered three hits in seven innings of work and cruised to the Sunday victory.
With the weekend starters sporting a combined 1.45 ERA and 8-0 record, Texas A&M knows what it will get from this trio when they step on the hill.
But what isn't known at the moment is the status of the bullpen, which was supposed to be one of the best in the nation. Mark Ecker and Ryan Hendrix were billed as the two-headed monster and were to be a pair of dominant co-closers. In recent outings, both have struggled with control and location, and that has led to some shaky outings in the past week.
Hendrix entered the game against Texas with what appeared to be an insurmountable 4-0 lead in the eighth inning. After an effective eighth, Hendrix faltered in the ninth and could not finish as the Longhorns tied the game. In all, Hendrix has struggled with control allowing nine free passes while Ecker has been hit hard, giving up seven hits in five innings of action.
It's certainly not time to panic by any stretch, but if there's one area of concern for the high-flying 16-1 Aggies, it's the status of the closers.
Come on, it's the opening weekend of SEC baseball! From this point forward, everything is at stake.
For the fourth straight year, Rob Childress and his Aggies embark on one of the biggest challenges in collegiate sports — competing in a truly dominant baseball league. The SEC holds the top three spots in most national polls (Florida, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M) and is unquestionably the most difficult baseball conference, and possibly the most competitive conference in any sport.
Yes, the SEC is THAT good.
It will be a meat grinder of a schedule for Texas A&M with Florida, Vanderbilt, LSU, South Carolina and Mississippi State, among other nationally ranked SEC opponents, on the schedule.
Auburn is not one of the those nationally ranked programs. The Tigers are in transition with a new coach, and they've struggled out of the box at 9-8. But they've also started to turn it around with an impressive 14-3 win over No. 22 Georgia Tech on Tuesday. They possess a potent offensive punch at the top of the lineup and they have a few weekend arms that can be dangerous.
But, Texas A&M is the better team on paper. The Aggies have a much deeper, more talented pitching staff. Despite this series being played in Auburn, Texas A&M should prevail if the team plays up to its standards.
The biggest difference between Auburn and Texas A&M is team defense. The Aggies are fielding at an elite .985. The Tigers boot it around at .957. The AU infield is particularly shaky with second and third base combining for 16 errors. This is the difference between a No. 3-ranked baseball team and an unranked but dangerous team.
Auburn has the ability and talent to take a couple of games from Texas A&M at home. The Tigers also have the weaknesses to lose three games at home to the No. 3 team in the nation. The Aggies must play their game and stay true to form throughout the weekend knowing that good, fundamental baseball will win out against a team that will be erratic at times.
But getting the job done this weekend is crucial. The schedule gets a lot tougher after this series with LSU and Florida on the docket. The Aggies need to jump out to a good start in SEC play against a team they should beat.
Where: Plainsman Park – Auburn, Ala.
When: Friday 6:30 pm CT (SEC+)
Saturday 3:00 pm CT (SEC+)
Sunday 1:00 pm CT (SEC+)
Pitching matchups
- Friday: Jace Vines (RHP, 3-0, 2.38) vs. Justin Camp (RHP, 1-1, 3.46)
- Saturday: Tyler Ivey (RHP, 2-0, 0.77) vs. Casey Mize (RHP, 1-1, 1.46)
- Sunday: Kyle Simonds (RHP, 3-0, 1.17) vs. Cole Lipscomb (RHP, 1-1, 4.03)
Auburn players to watch
The Tigers field a very talented and experienced lineup, especially at the top of the order. Every hitter in the top four spots are batting above .380, and all are veteran upperclassmen.Junior Anfernee Grier hammered Texas A&M pitching last season in College Station, and he's again a very dangerous leadoff hitter for first year head coach Butch Thompson. Grier's sophomore campaign garnered him several postseason awards, but the center fielder is becoming one of the best offensive players in the SEC in 2016.
He's productive across the board, leading the team in batting average at .429. Grier is dangerous on the base paths with 11 stolen bases so far, but he also has power that's reflected in his .700 slugging percentage and four home runs. He also leads the team in on-base percentage (.545) and walks (15). Needless to say, Grier is somebody that will cause Texas A&M pitching some problems.
The Tigers follow Grier in the lineup with Joshua Palacios (.380) and veteran second baseman Jordan Ebert (.385) in the #2 and #3 hole. In the cleanup spot is power-hitting senior designated hitter Niko Buentello, who leads the team in RBI (29), slugging percentage (.706) and home runs (five) and is second to Grier in average at .397.
The Tigers' offense is hitting on all cylinders right now, scoring double digits in the last three contests — including an impressive 14-3 road win over No. 22 Georgia Tech on Tuesday. The Auburn offense will be the toughest challenge for Aggie pitchers so far in 2016.
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The rest of the lineup tails off from there. The team as a unit is hitting .313. The Tigers' offense is hitting on all cylinders right now, scoring double digits in the last three contests — including an impressive 14-3 road win over No. 22 Georgia Tech on Tuesday. The Auburn offense will be the toughest challenge for Aggie pitchers so far in 2016.
On the mound, Auburn has been searching for the right mix in its weekend rotation. Cole Lipscomb finished third in the SEC in ERA last season and was clearly the Tigers' ace on a struggling staff. Expected to be the Friday ace, he's struggled with control all season and has slid to the Sunday starting spot with a disappointing 1-1 record and 4.00 ERA.
Senior Justin Camp will take the ball on Friday. With a 3.46 ERA and a 1-1 record, Camp is a solid competitor, although it's a stretch to say he's a typical SEC Friday night ace. He's also surrendered three home runs this season.
The Saturday matchup may be the weekend's most intriguing with AU freshman Casey Mize going up against Texas A&M freshman Tyler Ivey. A case can be made that both freshmen are the best pitchers on their respective teams. Mize stepped into the weekend starter's role a few weeks ago and has been lights out so far, leading the team in ERA at 1.46. He forces opponents to hit the ball, walking only three batters so far this season.
All three Auburn starters are right-handers.
Texas A&M players to watch
At the plate, senior J.B. Moss has become the catalyst at the top of a very productive lineup, sporting a team .338 batting average — one of the highest in the nation. The senior leads the team in batting average (.406), slugging percentage (.656), runs (20), doubles (six) and stolen bases (four). He's also hit safely in all 16 games he's played in 2016.In the three-hole, TCU transfer Boomer White has done everything to warrant his reputation as the 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year. He's second on the team in batting average (.394) and also leads the Aggies in walks (11) and on-base percentage (.494). He finds ways to make things happen in the middle of the lineup at the #3 spot. He's also flashed some good leather in the field at third base, making some critical stops ranging to his left at the hot corner.
Seniors Hunter Melton and Michael Barash are having productive seasons in the middle of the order. Melton leads the team in RBI (22) and is third in batting average (.364). Barash has been getting big hits all year, none bigger than the ninth-inning walk-off home run on Tuesday against the Texas Longhorns.
Keep an eye on left-handed outfielder Joel Davis, who found his power stroke this past week with a mammoth shot over the railroad tracks in left field on Sunday against Fresno State and then a critical homer on Tuesday against the Longhorns. Auburn will be throwing three right-handed pitchers at Texas A&M hitters, so the lefty Davis will have more opportunities at the plate this weekend as an outfielder or designated hitter.
Abigail Cook, TexAgs
The Aggies will go into battle with the superior rotation again, strengthened by Kyle Simonds' strong performance last Sunday.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"The Aggies will go into battle with the superior rotation again, strengthened by Kyle Simonds\u0027 strong performance last Sunday.","MediaItemID":68345}
With the weekend starters sporting a combined 1.45 ERA and 8-0 record, Texas A&M knows what it will get from this trio when they step on the hill.
But what isn't known at the moment is the status of the bullpen, which was supposed to be one of the best in the nation. Mark Ecker and Ryan Hendrix were billed as the two-headed monster and were to be a pair of dominant co-closers. In recent outings, both have struggled with control and location, and that has led to some shaky outings in the past week.
Hendrix entered the game against Texas with what appeared to be an insurmountable 4-0 lead in the eighth inning. After an effective eighth, Hendrix faltered in the ninth and could not finish as the Longhorns tied the game. In all, Hendrix has struggled with control allowing nine free passes while Ecker has been hit hard, giving up seven hits in five innings of action.
It's certainly not time to panic by any stretch, but if there's one area of concern for the high-flying 16-1 Aggies, it's the status of the closers.
What's at stake this weekend...
For the fourth straight year, Rob Childress and his Aggies embark on one of the biggest challenges in collegiate sports — competing in a truly dominant baseball league. The SEC holds the top three spots in most national polls (Florida, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M) and is unquestionably the most difficult baseball conference, and possibly the most competitive conference in any sport.
Yes, the SEC is THAT good.
It will be a meat grinder of a schedule for Texas A&M with Florida, Vanderbilt, LSU, South Carolina and Mississippi State, among other nationally ranked SEC opponents, on the schedule.
Auburn is not one of the those nationally ranked programs. The Tigers are in transition with a new coach, and they've struggled out of the box at 9-8. But they've also started to turn it around with an impressive 14-3 win over No. 22 Georgia Tech on Tuesday. They possess a potent offensive punch at the top of the lineup and they have a few weekend arms that can be dangerous.
But, Texas A&M is the better team on paper. The Aggies have a much deeper, more talented pitching staff. Despite this series being played in Auburn, Texas A&M should prevail if the team plays up to its standards.
The biggest difference between Auburn and Texas A&M is team defense. The Aggies are fielding at an elite .985. The Tigers boot it around at .957. The AU infield is particularly shaky with second and third base combining for 16 errors. This is the difference between a No. 3-ranked baseball team and an unranked but dangerous team.
Auburn has the ability and talent to take a couple of games from Texas A&M at home. The Tigers also have the weaknesses to lose three games at home to the No. 3 team in the nation. The Aggies must play their game and stay true to form throughout the weekend knowing that good, fundamental baseball will win out against a team that will be erratic at times.
But getting the job done this weekend is crucial. The schedule gets a lot tougher after this series with LSU and Florida on the docket. The Aggies need to jump out to a good start in SEC play against a team they should beat.
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