From the first pitch to the final out, 10,704 attendees were forced to watch two completely different baseball teams.
From the batter’s box, one team accumulated a .342 batting average for the game, a .400 average with runners on and hit an immaculate 9-9 when they had runners on 3rd base with 0 outs.
The opposing team was only able to connect 6 out of the 30 opportunities they were given to hit the ball, had a .222 batting average when runners were on — which they had 18 opportunities — and failed to capitalize on the one opportunity they had to score with the bases loaded.
In the field, one team allowed zero errors, forced three double plays and held their opponent to seven scoreless innings and not a single hit until the bottom of the 4th inning.
The other team allowed 14 runs in five innings — 6 runs in three innings — two fielding errors and dug through five bullpen pitchers before the end of the game.
On Friday, March 3, Texas A&M baseball was not the better team.
From the start, A&M did not stand a chance against the No. 14 Louisville Cardinals. In the two innings he played, junior RHP Nathan Dettmer allowed four hits, six runs — four of which were earned — and only had one strikeout.
Junior LHP Evan Aschenbeck would eventually step on the mound to hopefully relieve Dettmer of his duties and slow down the Cardinal bats. Immediately after, the Blinn transfer allowed two runs and was caught sleeping on the mound, giving junior center fielder Haven Mangrum the perfect opportunity to steal second.
Three pitchers and eight runs later, A&M found themselves down 14 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning with a chance to be run-ruled for the first time this season.
Senior 2B Austin Bost gifted the fans in attendance two more innings of baseball with a 3-run home run that would cut the deficit to less than 10 and keep the game alive for more innings.
Unfortunately, this spark with the bats did not ignite the maroon and white bench and they fell short 14-5 for the first game of the Shriners Children’s Classic.
“This is the first game of the season where we played for the most part poorly in every phase of the game,” Schlossnagle said.
Louisville senior RHP Ryan Hawks through a six-inning shutout only allowing two hits, zero runs and tallied eight more strikeouts to his already 17-strikeout season.
“Hawks was the story of the game,” Schlossnagle said.
The Aggies will resume acton at Minute Maid Park at 7 p.m. against Rice University.