College Preview Capsules: No. 3 Texas A&M

No. 3 Texas A&M

2015 Record (Ranking): 50-14 (13). RPI: 5.

Coach (Record at school): Rob Childress (409-222-2, 10 years)

Postseason History: 30 regionals (active streak: 9), 5 CWS trips (last in 2011), 0 national titles.

After a trying postseason and three years of experience in the Southeastern Conference, Texas A&M enters 2016 with a veteran, seasoned roster. The Aggies return 18 letterwinners from a team that won 50 games, the most for the program since 1999.

Coach Rob Childress said the Aggies are a close-knit team with veterans who know what is expected of them and how to take care of their business.

2016 Lineup
Pos.	Name, Yr.	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	SB
C	Michael Brash, Sr.	.238	.316	.292	2	18	1
1B	Hunter Melton, Sr.	.300	.381	.473	8	37	0
2B	Ryne Birk, Jr.	.275	.365	.466	10	35	3
3B	Boomer White, R-Jr.	Tr.—Texas Christian
SS	George Janca, Fr.	HS—Georgetown, Texas
LF	Joel Davis, Jr.	Tr.—Seminole State (Okla.) JC
CF	Nick Banks, Jr.	.364	.450	.536	8	48	9
RF	Blake Kopetsky, Sr.	.269	.415	.385	0	4	3
DH	Ronnie Gideon, Jr.	.294	.359	.522	7	41	0
Pos.	Name, Yr.	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	SV
RHP	Kyle Simonds, Sr.	3	2	.239	53	32	2
RHP	Jace Vines, So.	Tr.—Tyler (Texas) JC
RP	Ryan Hendrix, Jr.	6	4	3.66	59	69	5

“We have these guys back and they all like each other and they all play for each other,” Childress said. “That experience is certainly a blessing.”

The Aggies went through a lot together last season, beginning the year 24-0 and setting a record for the longest winning streak in SEC history. But the Aggies encountered more resistance as SEC play wore on, winning only one of their last five conference series.

The NCAA tournament brought a new round of tests. With a loss to California in the second game of the College Station Regional, Texas A&M dropped into the losers’ bracket and had to win three straight games to advance to super regionals. There it lost the first game to Texas Christian, again pushing the Aggies to the edge. They came back to win the second game, 2-1, in 10 innings, but lost the decisive third game in 16 innings, 5-4.

Of the eight games Texas A&M played in the NCAA tournament, five were must-wins for the Aggies and four went to extra innings.

“Our guys played with their backs against the wall the entire postseason,” Childress said. “They played with a lot of pressure on themselves for a long time in the postseason.”

Outfielder Nick Banks, who spent his second straight summer playing for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, has the Aggies’ best mix of experience and talent. He hit .386/.453/.491 in 17 games last summer, leading Team USA in batting average and on-base percentage. Childress said he is lucky to have the opportunity to coach Banks and compared him to Alex Gordon, whom he coached when he was an assistant at Nebraska.

“First and foremost, he’s an unbelievable talent,” Childress said. “He has an incredible combination of strength and speed. But if you take his physical talent away from it, he’s an amazing teammate and plays with an amazing motor. He’s fun to be around.”

Texas A&M is still figuring out its rotation after the draft losses of Grayson Long (Angels, third round) and lefthander A.J. Minter (Braves, second round). Lefthander Tyler Stubblefield, who missed most of last season after tearing his ACL, was expected to figure prominently into the mix but was dismissed from the team in late January. Righthanders Kyle Simonds, Jace Vines and Tyler Ivey were expected to compete for Stubblefield’s spot.

No matter who’s in the rotation, the Aggies bullpen will be one of the best in the country with righthanders Ryan Hendrix and Mark Ecker pitching at the end of games. Hendrix, with a mid-90s fastball and hard, downer curve, and Ecker, whose fastball has reached the upper 90s, dominated hitters last year, combining to strike out 105 batters in 92 innings.

“They’re both extreme competitors with wipeout stuff,” Childress said. “You’re going to have to beat them. It’s comforting not only to have one, but to have two. It’s a luxury to have those guys.”

Senior catcher Michael Barash, one of the nation’s better defenders behind the plate, is another luxury, handling a talented staff. All the returning players means Texas A&M will face higher expectations going into the year, but Childress believes his team can handle the extra attention.“

The guys understand that whether we’re in the top five or ranked in the middle or not ranked at all, it’s about how you finish,” Childress said. “We’re certainly not a finished product by a longshot.”