A&M's Trevor Werner ready to take next step following shortened season

Key notes from Trevor Werner interview

• I wish y'all could see this view that I am looking at right now. I'm in the press box in Olsen Field, looking out over the field. It feels really good to be back here.
   
• This team could be as good as ever. We've got a loaded roster filled with veterans and a coaching staff that's going to get these young guys ready to play. Putting those two things together makes me think this team could be excellent this season. The seniors coming back just bring more competition at each position, which lets us know that we have to earn and keep our spots every day. The way to do that is by getting one percent better every day.
   
• Going into this next season, I plan to continue to prepare myself to hit and pitch, and that's what we're going to figure out this fall. We're going to figure out my role on the pitching side, and we'll see where we go from there. My passion for the game of baseball has always been playing every single day in the lineup and on the field. I love the adrenaline of playing every day on the offensive side instead of only playing every few days.
   
• I'll give everything I have this offseason to prepare myself for the upcoming season. We're going to figure out what's best for me this season and moving forward in my career. If I need to pick one or the other or if I can continue to work at both, we'll make that decision.  I'll do whatever they need me to do because I just love being on the field.
   
• I think the most significant difference in high school and college games is just the different speed of the game. There are thousands of fans watching, and pitchers are throwing 95 mph consistently. I think it's important that you take a step back and not let the game speed up too quickly. I think the older guys did a great job of preparing us to handle that aspect. One of those guys for me was Mikey Hoehner, who is basically the dad of the team. He always made sure we took everything in and never let the game overwhelm us and skip past us. He told us to soak it all in because it's a surreal feeling running out onto Olsen Field and being in the starting lineup. You don't get that feeling anywhere else.
   
• Going through Klein High School prepared me a lot for what I faced this past season. Coach Barry Smith always made sure you were prepared mentally and physically for what you were going to face. That kind of preparation definitely helped me transition to this level of competition.
   
• During this long stretch of offseason, I just tried to make sure that I didn't have too much time off. I made sure there was something I could do every day to continue to get stronger and better and made sure I wasn't allowing myself to get comfortable. I was fortunate enough to have access to facilities to train at that were open most of the time I was home. That helped me to stay in great shape.
   
• The biggest thing for me this offseason was getting game experience. I was able to get a lot of at-bats over the summer, while also getting reps at shortstop and logging innings on the mound. I feel like last season was just a little taste for what the next season could be like for us, so I wanted to make sure I was taking advantage of this summer. As a team, we didn't get a chance to play the SEC slate of games in the spring, but I know this fall season will be a big one in preparing us for what we're going to face this upcoming spring.
   
• A name to watch this year is Chris Weber. He's a mountain on the mound and a guy that has been preparing himself and getting better every day. Alex Magers is another one to watch. He gave me my first strikeout of the fall last year, and he's only getting more comfortable. He has a great story coming from a 1A high school and finding his way to A&M. Those two guys are prepared to take on more prominent roles next year for sure.