Most of the question marks surrounding the 2017 Texas A&M baseball team were about whether or not its offense would be productive enough to win games.
If the first series is any indication, the Aggies (3-0) are not going to have any problem scoring runs. A day after an offensive explosion produced 15 runs in the season opener, A&M poured it on the visiting Bowling Green’s pitching staff. The Aggies easily swept Saturday’s doubleheader, beating the Falcons by scores of 19-2 and 16-5 at Olsen Field.
“It’s unbelievable,” starting pitcher Stephen Kolek said of the offensive output. “To have an offense like that behind you lets you go out there and pitch with no fear. You can throw the ball over the plate knowing that your defense has your back and the offense is gonna get you ahead. It’s not easy when you have to wait around after a nine-run inning but I’ll take it.”
Similar to Friday, the Aggies ambushed Bowling Green’s pitchers, repeatedly taking advantage of the Falcons’ inability to throw strikes and their eight errors on the day.
The Aggies got two quality outings from their sophomore starting pitchers. Stephen Kolek pitched five innings of one-run ball in the first game of the doubleheader, scattering three hits and striking out three, while Mitchell Kilkenny struck out six in five innings, allowing three hits and three runs in the nightcap.
“I thought they both did a great job,” head coach Rob Childress said. “Stephen’s attack and tempo was the best I’ve seen in his time here at Texas A&M. Mitchell couldn’t have commanded the ball any better.”
Nick Choruby continued to be a dynamic force atop the Aggies’ lineup, reaching base nine times on the day, scoring seven runs with four RBI. His biggest hit of the weekend came in the second inning of game one, when he launched a fly ball off the foul pole in right field for the first home run of his career.
“He’s really transformed his body over his career and worked really hard on improving his swing,” Childress said of Choruby. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. He’s no longer just a great defender and a short-game guy—he can turn some outfielders around now.”
Choruby said his teammates made sure to remind him that he hadn’t hit a home run in his first three years on campus.
“It was pretty funny, everybody has been giving me a hard time about it for a while because I hadn’t hit a home run since I’d been here,” he said. “It was exciting and I couldn’t have asked for much more from my teammates.”
With all the runs, several Aggies had big days at the plate but freshman Jorge Gutierrez made a strong case for player of the day. The utility player from Sugar Land crushed home runs in each of his two at-bats in game one, then proceeded to triple, single and walk twice in the series finale.
Gutierrez hit two home runs in his senior season at Kempner High and matched that total in his first game.
“It’s a pretty awesome way to start my collegiate career,” Gutierrez said. “In the fall I was really struggling. I talked to all the coaches and they told me I needed to work hard to put myself in the picture. I did what I had to do, whatever it was, work on my swing, lose weight, run more, or working on my swing. Hard work payed off.”
In all, the Aggies cranked out 31 hits in the two victories, 15 of which came from freshmen. Logan Foster went 2-for-4 in both games with four runs scored, Braden Shewmake recorded three hits and drove in for runs and Hunter Coleman went 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored.
Childress was able to give several pitchers some work out of the bullpen with the Aggies jumping out to convincing leads in both contests. Landon Miner threw two perfect innings of relief in the first game and fellow freshmen Kyle Richardson and Mason Cole closed out the win with one inning apiece.
In relief of Kilkenny in the series finale, John Doxakis and Cason Sherrod each worked a scoreless frame before closer Corbin Martin struck out four and gave up two runs in two innings.
The Aggies now set their sights on Stephen F. Austin, who comes to Aggieland on Tuesday for a midweek matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Doxakis will get the ball for A&M.