Team Maroon takes Omaha Cup, defeats Pinstripes 5-3

The sun was out in full force on a beautiful Friday afternoon as Team Maroon won game three of the Omaha Cup 5-3 to secure the championship.

Freshman Johnathan Childress got the start for Team Maroon and he made the most of the opportunity. Childress threw 4.2 innings, giving up two runs on just three hits. Relying on a fastball that touched 95 mph as well as a sharp slider, Childress fanned three Pinstripe batters, including LF Cam Blake to start the ballgame.

“His presence,” said Head Coach Rob Childress when asked what he was most impressed  with in his young left hander. “For a freshman to be in that environment, game three of a championship series, [and] to get us farther than anyone else did was big.”

However, it was the Pinstripes who struck first when freshman DH Reed Spenrath took a 1-0 fastball over the wall in right-center field for a two run home-run in the 3rd inning.

Not to be outdone, Team Maroon promptly answered the challenge when 1B Aaron Walters dumped a single into right field to score their first run of the game. He was followed by DH Will Frizzell who hit a long sac fly to center, bringing the tying run home.

Team Maroon would plate two more in the 4th inning, including an RBI double from Zach DeLoach. DeLoach (2-2 with 2 walks and 1RBI) got on base every single time he stepped to the plate from the three spot in the lineup, a slot where his power and speed was much appreciated.

The final run of the day for Team Maroon was scored when P Brandon Birdsell threw an errant pick-off attempt down the right field line. The Pinstripes would get one across in the final frame, but the comeback ultimately came up short.

The final score came from SS Braden Shewmake. He had a relatively quiet day (1-4 with 1 RBI), but he did send a sizzling RBI triple into the right field corner in the bottom half of the 7th inning (only 7 innings were played) with the game on the line. Shewmake had struggled slightly at the plate in the series, but gave those in attendance a reminder of just how dangerous he is with a bat in his hands.

With the conclusion of the Omaha Cup, the Aggies know that there is still a lot of work ahead of them, especially with their young pitching staff, before they can open the 2019 season in February.

“We have a long way to go to continue to improve,” said Childress. “We feel like we have a lot of great pieces on the mound and we need to put the puzzle together.”

Texas A&M will open their 2019 campaign on February 15th when they take on Fordham at Blue Bell Park.