After a tough loss to Texas State Tuesday, the Texas A&M baseball team will travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to take on Alabama in a three-game series Friday through Sunday. After snapping a four game losing streak Friday, the Aggies have dropped three straight heading into the weekend.
Texas A&M (22-20, 7-11) has sporadically been ranked in the Top 25 during the season but losing seven of their last eight has the squad quickly declining. The Aggies are currently ranked sixth in the SEC Western standings while Alabama (24-18, 9-9) is two games ahead for fifth.
“I think we’re underachieving,” junior outfielder Krey Bratsen said. “I think we have a group of guys who can be great players, but haven’t reached that level. It’s a game of failure and you have to go out and have confidence in your ability and not worry about failing.”
The Aggies will look to get production off the bench from freshman outfielder Jonathan Moroney. Moroney saw action early in the season but has recently been replaced by senior Brandon Wood in the order. However, he launched a pinch-hit grand slam that ended up being the difference maker in a 5-3 victory against Arkansas on April 19.
“[Moroney] got off to a wonderful start this year,” head coach Rob Childress said. “But he’s been scuffling a little bit lately. Jonathon is a freshman that’s growing every day.”
Texas A&M will hope to get an increase in offense due to the return of senior shortstop Mikey Reynolds. Reynolds missed time with a knee injury but returned to the lineup during the Arkansas series as a pinch hitter and started the Texas State game as designated hitter. On the season, Reynolds leads the team with a .399 batting average and has eight doubles with 17 runs batted in.
The A&M pitching staff will have a tough challenge this weekend as they attempt to control the Crimson Tide’s sophomore outfielder and catcher Ben Moore. Moore is second on the team with a .270 batting average but has driven in 26 runs with seven doubles and two home runs.
“We have to go back to believing in who we are and what we are, and playing Aggie Baseball,” Childress said. “It all goes down to getting us off to a good start on the mound.”
Entering this weekend, A&M has a 4-10 record on the road and has lost their last four weekend series. The Aggies have a team batting average of .268 in SEC play while their opponents are hitting .289.