To use an old and tired cliché, the clock is ticking on the Texas A&M baseball season.
After starting the season with a 13-3 record, conference play and the subsequent midweek opponents have been a tough draw for the Aggies.
A&M is 7-8-1 since starting Big 12 play and are 6-5-1 against conference opponents. That record is good enough for third place in the league, but in the midst of the toughest stretch of the season, it could get worse before it gets better.
Today, the Aggies travel to Austin to start arguably the biggest three-game series of the season.
It’s not big because of rivalry implications, but because of the pure need to get back in the win column.
After starting the Big 12 schedule with a pair of series wins over Texas Tech and Missouri, A&M had the daunting task of facing Kansas, Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma in consecutive weekends.
The Aggies narrowly escaped Lawrence with a split, going 1-1-1 against the Jayhawks, and lost the final two games of the series to Baylor in about as frustrating manner as possible.
Much has been said about the Big 12 having a down season, but what that has translated to is a dogfight for the conference crown via extreme parity.
Though the Longhorns still have the clear advantage with a 10-2 conference record and one of the best pitching staffs in the nation, they are a series loss away from being back with the remainder of the pack.
That is where A&M comes in.
Riding a three-game losing streak, a series win or sweep of rival Texas could start a chain reaction of winning that carries into the remainder of the schedule, which consists of the bottom half of the Big 12.
Despite the recent losses, Head Coach Rob Childress has maintained the hits will start falling.
The problem is if the hits do not fall and the clutch hitting does not appear, not only will the Aggies add to their loss total, it could create the opposite reaction: a downward spiral to end the season.
Both teams are batting .282 in conference play, but the Longhorns have outscored A&M 84-55, hitting 17 home runs compared to A&M’s five.
Fielding errors have plagued the Aggies throughout the season while their opponents have largely been successful at taking advantage of every opportunity.
A&M is at the bottom of the Big 12 in fielder percentage in conference games with a .955 average. Texas is No. 2 in the conference with a .981 average.
A&M will have the added pressure or benefit, depending on the perspective, of playing in front of a full Olsen Field for the Saturday night game.
Though the Lone Star Showdown is always highly attended, this season has the distinction of hosting parent’s weekend. The 7,000-seat stadium will be filled to the top as the Aggies try to get back to their winning ways.
Brad Cox is a senior agricultural communications and journalism major.