After overcoming a rain ridden Tuesday night game to defeat UTSA 11-4, Texas A&M has set its sights on its three-game Friday through Sunday series against Auburn at Blue Bell Park.
A&M (19-11, 5-4) enters the contest having lost four of its last six Southeastern Conference contests, including a three game sweep at the hands of the South Carolina last weekend in Columbia, S.C. The Tigers (17-12, 1-9) will look to shake their slow SEC start in which they have lost nine of their last ten games.
The Aggies offense will look to pick up where the left off before the three-game sweep at South Carolina. Before the series, A&M had outscored opponents 40-21 in their last eight games while going 7-1. Since then, Texas A&M has gone 1-3 and has been outscored 20-19.
In order to get the offense going again, junior catcher Troy Stein knows it is going to take a team effort.
It’s a team thing to be able to be a good offense, Stein said. It’s not about one guy getting going or having a great game, it’s about getting guys on, getting them over and across the plate whether it be by home runs, walks, or hit batters.
A key role in reenergizing the offense will come from the top of the lineup with senior shortstop Mikey Reynolds. Reynolds is currently the team leader in batting average (.402), hits (47), runs (22), and doubles (7). So far in SEC play this season, Reynolds has a .333 average with four doubles and four runs batted in.
Before the season, head coach Rob Childress knew Reynolds was going to be a vital part of his lineup.
[Mikey] is very important to our team, Childress said back in February. He is a catalyst at the top of the lineup and we are very fortunate to have him.
Despite any woes the Aggies have experienced thus far, the team has proven resilient in Blue Bell Park this season. A&M is currently 15-3 at home and have outscored opponents 94-40 while averaging just over five runs per game on their home field.
The Aggie pitching staff will have to beware of the Tigers leading hitter this weekend, first baseman Garrett Cooper. Cooper leads the team with a .333 batting average and has eight doubles and 20 runs batted in on the season.
The young bullpen for Texas A&M will be crucial in containing Cooper and the Auburn offense throughout the three game series.
Those young guys have done a great job, coach Childress said. They go out and throw strikes and make the other team earn everything they get. It’s been a challenge and its only going to continue to be that way. They have to grow up on the job.