The No. 22 Texas A&M baseball team continued its strong start to the season as it opened Big 12 Conference play by taking two of three from No. 12 Nebraska over the weekend at Olsen Field.
After dropping the opening game of the series 3-2, the Aggies rallied to win 5-1 and then 6-2 in the third game.
The Aggies (19-5 overall, 2-1 Big 12) proved that they are a serious threat this season in a Big 12 Conference that boasts the defending national champions and six current top 25 teams. Nebraska (11-4, 1-2) has appeared in the last two College World Series.
“To come back and win the next two I thought was huge,” said A&M Head Coach Mark Johnson. “I was really pleased with the guys. We have so many new guys they don’t know what the Big 12 is.”
Junior center fielder Justin Ruggiano led the Aggies in their Sunday afternoon 6-2 victory as he hit 4-4 with two singles, a double and a home run with two runs batted in.
After five and one-half innings, the game was deadlocked at 2-2. With two outs and Aggie junior right fielder Cory Patton on first base, Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson decided to bring in freshman reliever Tim Schoeninger for senior starter Jamie Rodriguez (0-1). Schoeninger’s first pitch was a slider to Ruggiano, who sent it over the left field fence for a two-run home run in what proved to be the game-winning play.
“We faced (Schoeninger) Friday night,” Ruggiano said. “He had a good slider and Iwas just looking for it the whole time and he threw it to me on the first pitch.”
The Aggies were down two after Nebraska senior first baseman Matt Hopper hit a two-run home run over the left field wall off A&M junior starter Matt Farnum in the top of the first inning.
The Aggies used a run in the second inning and another run scored by freshman catcher Craig Stinson on junior shortstop Matt Alexander’s RBIsingle in the third to even the score.
“Obviously you hate to start off a ballgame 2-0,” Johnson said. “I thought we hung in there. Nobody had their head down, nobody was mad, and we just kept plugging along. We did hit pretty good this week with men in scoring position.”
Nebraska received its offense from Hopper, who went 2-4 with two home runs and three RBI’s. His second home run came in the eighth inning off Aggie junior relief pitcher Kyle Parcus. Hopper hit three homers and brought in four RBI’s as he hit 6-13 in the three-game series.
Farnum (5-0) gave up two earned runs in six and one-third innings to earn the win for the Aggies. Parcus earned his first save of the season in two two-thirds innings of relief.
“It’s a different mind-set starting than coming in in relief,” Parcus said. “You have to come out ready throwing strikes.”
The Aggies will try to continue their hot streak when they go on the road Tuesday to take on the University of Texas-San Antonio at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio. The Aggies won the first meeting between the teams 8-5 at Olsen Field.