Texas A&M Postgame
Kansas Postgame
Texas A&M Baseball
Diamond Thoughts: A&M blasts KU in Big 12 Tournament opener
GAME #56 (Big 12 Tournament, Day 1): No. 6 Texas A&M 10, Kansas 4
RECORDS: Texas A&M 42-14; Kansas 22-33
WP: Daniel Mengden (3-3)
LP: Frank Duncan (6-8)
S: None
BOX SCORE: LINK
Liere Insurance — an Aggie owned and operated company and the foremost independent insurance company in and around Aggieland — is giving away a Disney dream vacation for four to Walt Disney World Resort in beautiful Orlando, Florida! This vacation of a lifetime is for a seven-day, six-night stay, airfare and passes to the Disney theme parks … valued at $6,000!
For more information on becoming eligible for this amazing contest, simply take a moment and send a quick email to Braxton Sherrill '06 or Bryan Massey ‘02 at ags@myliere.com. They will let you know how to get a quote and, thus, get entered to the drawing. If you prefer to call, you can dial 888-98-LIERE.
In addition, just by sending an e-mail or giving Liere Insurance a call, we will give you a FREE 30-day TexAgs Premium subscription. If you are not a subscriber, you will be able to use it to gain access to all that TexAgs has to offer for 30 days. If you are already a subscriber, you can pass the code onto a friend as a gift from you.
Liere Insurance is here to save you hundreds of dollars on your home and/or auto insurance. Take a quick moment to reach out to them and let them prove it to you!
*Note: No purchase necessary … certain restrictions apply … Disney Sweepstakes only available to Texas residents!
* The Aggies did to the Jayhawks exactly what they were supposed to do to the Jayhawks. The game was tight early but over time, the far better team dismantled a well-below-average Kansas squad. Sure, the Aggies allowed three runs in the ninth inning and the 'Hawks found a way to make it interesting against an erratic Corey Ray. But beyond that, the Ags played one heck of a baseball game and now they're moving on to round two against the winner of Texas/Missouri Thursday at 7:30.
* A&M is one of the few teams that "pitched back" in round one — teams like OU, OSU and even Texas went with their top-of-the-rotation guys in an effort to pick up much-needed victories at it pertains to their inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. Those teams just need Ws, where A&M was able to lock up a regional host bid last week in Stillwater and are now playing for a chance at a national top eight seed.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Mengden provided the Aggies with options, and in turn they sit in better position than nearly every other team in the bracket.
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The other benefit that the Aggies have other other schools is that their number four man — freshman right-hander Daniel Mengden — is pitching as well as anyone on the roster. So pitching back is not as drastic of a move as it is for almost every other team in the country. And after Mengden's gem on Wednesday, it sets A&M up perfectly. Michael Wacha will take the ball in round two and the Aggies still have Ross Stripling and Rafael Pineda after that.
It's almost like a "double-win" for the Maroon and White because they got a victory and still have their co-aces on the mound, where the rest of the field has already burned their ace.
* What can you say about Mengden's performance and his continued dominance over the last few weeks? And the kid is doing it in a variety of ways. Whether it's a stellar start on the mound, or closing out the game, or coming in cold at the plate and parking a three-run shot in the ninth inning to win a huge game, this young man is absolutely getting it done for the Aggies.
And to be honest, he's suddenly become one of the best overall players and most dominant forces on the squad. Mengden has the ability to overwhelm opposing bats, and I was actually extremely impressed with his ability to maintain composure in a big-time situation and not try to do too much out there. He had great stuff against Kansas but was not trying to blow everything by the opposing bats ... instead he found a way to combine several clutch strikeouts by getting ground balls when he needed them most. Just a great, great outing from #15.
* KU ace James Duncan was actually more impressive than Mengden through the first four innings, until running into a buzzsaw in the fifth. Duncan had a stretch from the end of the first until the fifth where he retired 12 straight hitters, including six in a row and eight out of ten on strikes. But in the fifth, everything came together for the Aggies when Duncan got tired and started elevating the baseball and leaving his fastball out over the plate.
The Ags' sudden barrage in the fifth scored four runs after they got two quick outs to open the frame. Krey Bratsen started things off with a single up the middle. Scott Arthur immediately followed with a triple off the top of the fence in left field on the very next pitch ... just above the 350-foot sign. That scored Bratsen to make it 2-0 Aggies. Mikey Reynolds then delivered a run-scoring single to right center and Tyler Naquin ripped a sharp single to left. Matt Juengel followed with a bases clearing, two-run double off the wall in left field to make it 5-0 Aggies.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
A&M's entire fifth-inning production began with two outs in the inning, on a Bratsen single up the middle.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"A&M\u0027s entire fifth-inning production began with two outs in the inning, on a Bratsen single up the middle.","MediaItemID":17864}
* A key element to A&M's offensive explosion after four quiet innings was their ability to deliver with two outs … showing that special little "it" factor that the Ags have got working here of late. In this ball game, six of the ten runs scored came with two outs.
This was an issue for most of the first 80 percent of the season, but two-out and clutch hitting on the whole has been a trademark of the A&M offense over the past few weeks. They're suddenly attacking the baseball in key situations and driving the ball on a line with much greater consistency. That is great to see at the most critical point in the season.
* One of the best parts of this game was seeing Tyler Naquin have a breakout performance and bust totally out of his recent slump. Naquin tied a season-high with a four-hit contest. He went 4-for-5 and scored three runs from the two-hole.
When Naquin gets on base as often as he did against KU, it makes this offense so incredibly dangerous. He was not able to do that during his brief stint in the leadoff spot, but getting Reynolds back and allowing Tyler to hit in between Reynolds and Juengel is nothing but a tremendous thing for Naquin. Yes, I would personally rather Naquin hit in the third spot and Juengel hit in the two-hole, but I also understand the idea of giving the red hot Juengel as many opportunities to hit with as many runners on base as possible. And Naquin has always seemed comfortable in the number two spot when put there, so I have no problem at all with the lineup right now.
* It was great to see Reynolds back after missing six starts due to a shoulder injury. When he's in the lineup — even on a night where he makes two errors and goes 1-for-5 — it just completes the lineup. Reynolds did not have a very good baseball game but it was good to see him work his way back in and start to get himself acclimated to gameday again (other than his pinch running or one-inning-of-defense roles that he played at OSU last weekend).
* Corey Ray was great Saturday in Stillwater after taking over for an erratic Rafi Pineda, but he pitched a very poor game today in the late innings with the game well out of hand. In 1.2 innings, Ray gave up three runs (all earned) on three hits, walking two and striking out one. He gave up a three-spot in the ninth inning and forced Rob Childress to go to Estevan Uriegas to close out the game.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
A&M's recent surge has been aided by newfound bullpen depth, something Ray directly influenced and must sustain.
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I hope that Ray gets one more shot to prove himself because I believe that he can really help out and serve a role out of the pen during A&M's postseason run. But pitching is about trust and Childress certainly looked like Corey had lost some of that trust during his mound visit and later in the ninth when he yanked him in favor of Esty. A&M needs the two Rays and Jason Freeman to combine with Uriegas and Kyle Martin in relief and form a consistent bullpen from here on out. But for the younger Ray, it will be very interesting to see if he gets another shot this season.
* I've always liked Kansas head coach Ritch Price, dating back to the night that I waited on him and the KU baseball team after a Friday night loss to Brian Finch and the Aggies back in 2003. He was a classy man then and he has remained that way throughout his coaching career. Enjoy reading the following quote from Price on how much he'll miss playing at Olsen Field and facing Texas A&M:
"[Olsen Field] is my favorite place I've ever played. I have great respect for their fans, the tradition and the Military. I don't even know what the chants are, but the first time I went out to coach third base, they were swaying and I thought it was an earthquake. It seemed like it was rocking onto the field. It's my favorite place I've ever coached."
That's about it from this one! We're greatly looking forward to another day of baseball on Thursday and hopefully much, much more after that! We'll talk to you on the show and then holler at you from the park for game two!
RECORDS: Texas A&M 42-14; Kansas 22-33
WP: Daniel Mengden (3-3)
LP: Frank Duncan (6-8)
S: None
BOX SCORE: LINK
TexAgs Road Trip to OKC … presented by Liere Insurance
TexAgs.com's blowout coverage of the Big 12 Tournament is made possible by our good friends at Liere Insurance!Liere Insurance — an Aggie owned and operated company and the foremost independent insurance company in and around Aggieland — is giving away a Disney dream vacation for four to Walt Disney World Resort in beautiful Orlando, Florida! This vacation of a lifetime is for a seven-day, six-night stay, airfare and passes to the Disney theme parks … valued at $6,000!
For more information on becoming eligible for this amazing contest, simply take a moment and send a quick email to Braxton Sherrill '06 or Bryan Massey ‘02 at ags@myliere.com. They will let you know how to get a quote and, thus, get entered to the drawing. If you prefer to call, you can dial 888-98-LIERE.
In addition, just by sending an e-mail or giving Liere Insurance a call, we will give you a FREE 30-day TexAgs Premium subscription. If you are not a subscriber, you will be able to use it to gain access to all that TexAgs has to offer for 30 days. If you are already a subscriber, you can pass the code onto a friend as a gift from you.
Liere Insurance is here to save you hundreds of dollars on your home and/or auto insurance. Take a quick moment to reach out to them and let them prove it to you!
*Note: No purchase necessary … certain restrictions apply … Disney Sweepstakes only available to Texas residents!
* The Aggies did to the Jayhawks exactly what they were supposed to do to the Jayhawks. The game was tight early but over time, the far better team dismantled a well-below-average Kansas squad. Sure, the Aggies allowed three runs in the ninth inning and the 'Hawks found a way to make it interesting against an erratic Corey Ray. But beyond that, the Ags played one heck of a baseball game and now they're moving on to round two against the winner of Texas/Missouri Thursday at 7:30.
* A&M is one of the few teams that "pitched back" in round one — teams like OU, OSU and even Texas went with their top-of-the-rotation guys in an effort to pick up much-needed victories at it pertains to their inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. Those teams just need Ws, where A&M was able to lock up a regional host bid last week in Stillwater and are now playing for a chance at a national top eight seed.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Mengden provided the Aggies with options, and in turn they sit in better position than nearly every other team in the bracket.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Mengden provided the Aggies with options, and in turn they sit in better position than nearly every other team in the bracket.","MediaItemID":16115}
It's almost like a "double-win" for the Maroon and White because they got a victory and still have their co-aces on the mound, where the rest of the field has already burned their ace.
* What can you say about Mengden's performance and his continued dominance over the last few weeks? And the kid is doing it in a variety of ways. Whether it's a stellar start on the mound, or closing out the game, or coming in cold at the plate and parking a three-run shot in the ninth inning to win a huge game, this young man is absolutely getting it done for the Aggies.
And to be honest, he's suddenly become one of the best overall players and most dominant forces on the squad. Mengden has the ability to overwhelm opposing bats, and I was actually extremely impressed with his ability to maintain composure in a big-time situation and not try to do too much out there. He had great stuff against Kansas but was not trying to blow everything by the opposing bats ... instead he found a way to combine several clutch strikeouts by getting ground balls when he needed them most. Just a great, great outing from #15.
* KU ace James Duncan was actually more impressive than Mengden through the first four innings, until running into a buzzsaw in the fifth. Duncan had a stretch from the end of the first until the fifth where he retired 12 straight hitters, including six in a row and eight out of ten on strikes. But in the fifth, everything came together for the Aggies when Duncan got tired and started elevating the baseball and leaving his fastball out over the plate.
The Ags' sudden barrage in the fifth scored four runs after they got two quick outs to open the frame. Krey Bratsen started things off with a single up the middle. Scott Arthur immediately followed with a triple off the top of the fence in left field on the very next pitch ... just above the 350-foot sign. That scored Bratsen to make it 2-0 Aggies. Mikey Reynolds then delivered a run-scoring single to right center and Tyler Naquin ripped a sharp single to left. Matt Juengel followed with a bases clearing, two-run double off the wall in left field to make it 5-0 Aggies.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
A&M's entire fifth-inning production began with two outs in the inning, on a Bratsen single up the middle.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"A&M\u0027s entire fifth-inning production began with two outs in the inning, on a Bratsen single up the middle.","MediaItemID":17864}
This was an issue for most of the first 80 percent of the season, but two-out and clutch hitting on the whole has been a trademark of the A&M offense over the past few weeks. They're suddenly attacking the baseball in key situations and driving the ball on a line with much greater consistency. That is great to see at the most critical point in the season.
* One of the best parts of this game was seeing Tyler Naquin have a breakout performance and bust totally out of his recent slump. Naquin tied a season-high with a four-hit contest. He went 4-for-5 and scored three runs from the two-hole.
When Naquin gets on base as often as he did against KU, it makes this offense so incredibly dangerous. He was not able to do that during his brief stint in the leadoff spot, but getting Reynolds back and allowing Tyler to hit in between Reynolds and Juengel is nothing but a tremendous thing for Naquin. Yes, I would personally rather Naquin hit in the third spot and Juengel hit in the two-hole, but I also understand the idea of giving the red hot Juengel as many opportunities to hit with as many runners on base as possible. And Naquin has always seemed comfortable in the number two spot when put there, so I have no problem at all with the lineup right now.
* It was great to see Reynolds back after missing six starts due to a shoulder injury. When he's in the lineup — even on a night where he makes two errors and goes 1-for-5 — it just completes the lineup. Reynolds did not have a very good baseball game but it was good to see him work his way back in and start to get himself acclimated to gameday again (other than his pinch running or one-inning-of-defense roles that he played at OSU last weekend).
* Corey Ray was great Saturday in Stillwater after taking over for an erratic Rafi Pineda, but he pitched a very poor game today in the late innings with the game well out of hand. In 1.2 innings, Ray gave up three runs (all earned) on three hits, walking two and striking out one. He gave up a three-spot in the ninth inning and forced Rob Childress to go to Estevan Uriegas to close out the game.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
A&M's recent surge has been aided by newfound bullpen depth, something Ray directly influenced and must sustain.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"A&M\u0027s recent surge has been aided by newfound bullpen depth, something Ray directly influenced and must sustain.","MediaItemID":17897}
* I've always liked Kansas head coach Ritch Price, dating back to the night that I waited on him and the KU baseball team after a Friday night loss to Brian Finch and the Aggies back in 2003. He was a classy man then and he has remained that way throughout his coaching career. Enjoy reading the following quote from Price on how much he'll miss playing at Olsen Field and facing Texas A&M:
"[Olsen Field] is my favorite place I've ever played. I have great respect for their fans, the tradition and the Military. I don't even know what the chants are, but the first time I went out to coach third base, they were swaying and I thought it was an earthquake. It seemed like it was rocking onto the field. It's my favorite place I've ever coached."
That's about it from this one! We're greatly looking forward to another day of baseball on Thursday and hopefully much, much more after that! We'll talk to you on the show and then holler at you from the park for game two!
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