Texas A&M baseball defeated Georgia on Friday, March 26 at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park for its first SEC win of the season.
Riding a rollercoaster this season, A&M’s mediocre start was followed by an 11-game win streak that led into a four-game losing streak. That losing streak has been broken by the bat of two brothers and a stellar performance on the mound.
Junior second baseman Ty Coleman and graduate designated hitter Hunter Coleman, who started only his second game of the season, combined for 5 RBIs in the 6-3 win over Georgia.
“Talk about the definition of writing yourself in the lineup,” A&M coach Rob Childress said. “[Hunter] certainly did that and validated it again tonight with a great performance. I couldn’t be more proud of our team all around. We played with intensity for nine innings. It was a hard fought win when we needed it most certainly.”
Senior pitcher Dustin Saenz received the night’s start, and with 11 strikeouts on six hits and three runs in 5.2 innings pitched, improved his season record to 4-2. Senior pitcher Chandler Jozwiak entered in relief and closed out the game with five strikeouts and only two hits allowed to earn his second save of the season.
“Once I get on that mound, it’s a whole new person,” Jozwiak said. “It’s like you turn a switch on where you absolutely lock in. When I come out on that field, I’m trying, in some form, to embarrass the [opposing] team.”
Holding a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh, A&M found security with Hunter Coleman at the plate as he hit a two RBI single into center field.
These runs work for A&M’s longevity in the series, as Childress said they allowed Jozwiak to stay on the mound in a more shallow pitching rotation than usual. Senior pitcher Bryce Miller will miss his start on Saturday due to COVID-19 protocols, forcing A&M to stretch the bullpen.
“We are a little bit light [in the pitching rotation] and that’s why we were able to let [Jozwiak] finish that game,” Childress said. “The runs in the seventh inning proved to be huge. Had we not cashed in right there, we were probably going to use two more pitchers for the last six outs.”
Senior first baseman Will Frizzell returned from an on-and-off slump with two hits including a double. Frizzell entered SEC play as a top-10 home run hitter in the NCAA but has only gone over the wall once in the last seven games.
“Will Frizzell is not struggling at all,” Childress said. “He’s the guy that you circle in our lineup. And he’s going to get pitched tough each and every at bat from the first inning to the last inning. He by far and away is our best hitter with our best approach.”
With its first SEC win out of the way, A&M continues the series against Georgia at 2 p.m. on Saturday with the finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 28.
“To get this first SEC win was the best feeling we could all ask for,” Saenz said. “We hit a rough patch and for us to go out there and set the tone and do what we do best to get the first win against Georgia is something special to us.”