Texas A&M will wrap up a seven-game road trip Friday by starting a three-game series against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Aggies are coming off a dramatic ninth-inning win against the University of Texas-San Antonio, while the Jayhawks are riding a five-game win streak.
“We just need to go up there and be the aggressor and take care of business,” said A&M Head Coach Rob Childress. “Our plan is to go up there and at least win the series.”
In 2007, Kansas met A&M at Olsen Field and left the state with two losses added to its then 12-9 record. In the three games combined from the series, the Jayhawks were outscored 32-29 and their pitching staff posted a combined earned run average of 9.96.
Aggie second baseman Blake Stouffer led the pack against Kansas in 2007. Stouffer hit a staggering .538 while driving in nine runs. In 2008, Stouffer has struggled at the plate, hitting .213 and only .125 in Big 12 play.
A&M will be led by third baseman Dane Carter at Hoglund Park. Carter is leading the Big 12 in batting average with .457, total hits with 42 and triples with five. He is in the top five in runs scored with 27, total bases with 71 and stolen bases with 10.
Carter only had one at bat against Kansas in 2007, but he came up with a pivotal single that started an eighth-inning rally that allowed the Aggies to tie the game and ultimately win in the ninth inning.
Freshmen Brooks Raley and Barret Loux will start the Friday and Saturday games for the Aggies. Loux and Raley have combined for 52 strikeouts in eight starts and have helped A&M set the pace for strikeouts in the Big 12 with 206 strikeouts.
“I feel like our starting pitching on Friday and Saturday has been very consistent,” Childress said. “To say we’ve got two freshmen locked in there is a pretty good feeling for the future.”
The Aggies have struggled to find a consistent Sunday game starter this season. Sophomore Carson Middleton will probably get the nod for his third start of the season. Middleton has posted a 2.37 ERA in five appearances while striking out 18 in 19 innings of work.
“I’d say I’m 99 percent sure we’ll start him on Sunday,” Childress said. “Then we’ll see where we are after this weekend.”
For the Jayhawks, John Allman and Ryne Price will be the difference makers. Allman leads the team in batting average with .367 and on-base percentage with .479. Price, son of Head Coach Ritch Price, leads the team in homeruns with six, RBIs with 34 and slugging percentage with .566.
Kansas will throw three left-handed pitchers against the Aggies over the weekend. Sophomore Wally Marciel, junior Nick Czyz and junior Sam Freeman will attempt to win the home series for the Jayhawks. The three have combined for a 6.84 ERA while their opponents have hit .327 against them.
The Aggies are 5-2 on the season when facing left-handed starters. With an overall record of 18-4 and a 3-3 conference record, taking the series from the Jayhawks would be a big boost after losing a series to Oklahoma State Sunday.