The fresh cut grass, the crack of a bat and the loud yell of, “PEANUTS!” are just some of the many things that bring back memories of baseball season — but there’s something special about opening day.
“It’s like Christmas morning,” head coach Rob Childress said to KBTX. “You get the opportunity to have a uniform start date for NCAA Division I baseball and everybody across the country. It’s like Christmas morning on Friday.”
Although opening day brings a similar amount of excitement and anticipation every spring, the team that will trot out to Olsen Field Friday night will look slightly different than last season’s team.
Losing senior leaders like shortstop Blake Allemand and infielder Logan Nottebrok, along with pitching stalwarts Grayson Long and Matt Kent are holes the Aggies will need to fill in order to be successful.
A&M had a historic start to last season, winning a school record 24 consecutive games and garnering a total of 50 wins for the first time in the Childress era. Led by sensational seasons on the mound from the now departed Long and Kent, the Aggies rose to the No. 1 ranking in the nation and solidified their spot among the SEC elite.
The Aggies will open the 2016 season at the No. 4 spot in the DIBaseball.com Top 25 rankings and the hope for head coach Rob Childress and his club will be to rebound and improve from a heartbreaking 16-inning game 3 defeat in the Super Regional to TCU.
One of the key components for improvement this season is the all-around play of outfielder Nick Banks. According to D1baseball, Banks is projected to win coveted SEC player of the year honors. The junior had an excellent sophomore campaign last season, finishing second on the team with a .364 batting average. Banks also hit for power — totaling eight home runs along with 48 RBIs.
Childress will be looking to replace a duo in Long and Kent, who went a combined 18-2 with both holding ERAs under three. Senior Kyle Simonds along with junior Corbin Martin will begin the season at the front end of the starting rotation.
As the weather begins to go from comfortable to blistering hot, expect the Aggies’ play to do the same this season.
Mickey Gashaw is an ocean engineering senior and sports editor for The Battalion.