Head Coach Rob Childress- Texas A&M
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
The back-to-back Big 12 champion Texas A&M baseball team will conclude fall workouts beginning Thursday with the annual Fall World Series at Olsen Field.
The five-game series will open Thursday at 3 p.m. Game two will be played on Friday (3 p.m.), with the remainder of the series scheduled for Monday (3 p.m.), Tuesday (3 p.m.) and Wednesday (6 p.m.) of next week. All games will be played regardless of outcome, admission is free and fans are encouraged to attend.
The “Farmers” and “Plowboys” have been battling all fall for the coveted Omaha Cup, a trophy that rewards the squad that compiles the most points throughout the fall in many areas of competition–not only through on-field results, but effort, classroom attendance, academic performance and community service, among others. Entering the series, both teams have 725 points in the championship standings and have compiled an identical 11-11-2 record.
“This fall has been extremely competitive, especially when you look at the records and point total,” A&M coach Rob Childress said. “These guys have been getting after it from day one, and I would expect nothing less this week. The Omaha Cup winner could be decided on the final day, regardless of the series’ outcome, so this should be a very fun and very intense set of games. The fans that come out to watch should really enjoy some hard-nosed, competitive baseball.”
The Plowboys are led at the plate by senior All-Big 12 outfielder Kyle Colligan, sophomore Nick Fleece, junior transfer Nick Anders and true freshman shortstop Adam Smith. The pitching corps features senior All-Big 12 hurlers Kyle Thebeau, Travis Starling and Clayton Ehlert, and junior transfers Chad Sherman and Tyler Dyer.
“We’re going to do great, I have all the confidence in the world in this team,” Colligan said. “The records may be the same but we’ve been dominating them all fall on the field. The Farmers will need to bring their `A’ game to even play with us.”
Senior All-Big 12 first baseman Luke Anders, junior Brodie Greene and sophomores Caleb Shofner and Brooks Raley are joined by junior transfers Joe Patterson and Dylan Petrich to pace the Farmers’ offensive attack. Raley, along with juniors Shane Minks, Alex Wilson and Scott Migl, and true freshman Ross Hales, lead the pitching staff.
“I believe in our team,” Anders said. “I am calling for a sweep. You better bring the hot dogs, because the Farmers are coming to town.”
Scheduled to start in game one Thursday are Raley for the Farmers and Thebeau for the Plowboys. Wilson is scheduled to meet Ehlert in game two on Friday, with a pair of newcomers–Hales and Sherman–slated to face off in Monday’s game three.
The Aggies return 14 letterwinners, four position starters and nine pitchers from a 2008 squad that won the Big 12 regular-season title and the NCAA College Station Regional championship. The Aggies open the ’09 season on Friday, Feb. 20 against Wright State at Olsen Field.
FALL WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE:
Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 23, 3 p.m. Game 2: Friday, Oct. 24, 3 p.m. Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27, 3 p.m. Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 3 p.m. Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m.
Fall World Series Rosters (PDF)
