NM State Aggies vs Texas A&M Aggies Baseball 3-6 to 8-20

3-6-20

This three-game series was going to be a big test for the Aggies.  (NMSU, that is.  This could potentially be confusing, so the other Aggies will be referred to as A&M for the rest of this post.)  Actually, this was apparently a late addition to schedule with both teams having an open weekend.  The Aggies, who had gotten some top 25 consideration this week, would be playing at #20 A&M in College Station. 

Today would be another matchup between top five draft picks (like the ASU game last week).  A&M lefty pitcher, Asa Lacey, features a fastball that tops out at 97.  Meanwhile, Aggie star Nick Gonzales had been featured in an article on MLB.com after his five home run performance last weekend.  They’d credited his Aaron Judge socks for the outburst.  (He’s like Judge?  What?  Are they expecting him to be injured all the time?)  I didn’t realize until looking at the article that one of his home runs was an inside-the-park grand slam that occurred after the fielder lost the ball in the sun. 

A&M plays at Bluebell Park.  It is a three-level facility that includes berm seating and suites.  It also features a giant video scoreboard.  The Aggie team thought it was the nicest place they’d ever played at.  I don’t doubt that.  Coach Kirby told them to make themselves at home. 

      

Lacey was as advertised in the top of the first and struck out the side.  Chance Hroch started for the Aggies in the bottom.  He pitched around some jitters with an error at second on Kevin Jimenez and two wild pitches, but A&M didn’t score.  In the top of the second, KJ worked a walk and moved up on a wild pitch.  We didn’t realize at the time what a monumental accomplishment that was against Lacy.  Hroch had two strikeouts in the bottom.

After a fruitless top of the third, A&M came up in the bottom and had a leadoff double.  Foreigner’s Double Vision played on the PA, who was very sharp during the game.  Catcher Jason Bush cut down the lead runner on a bunt, but two more doubles scored two runs.  2-0 A&M.  Nick walked in the fourth on a 97 mph high and inside pitch and took second on a wild pitch.  The A&M coach had said he would be pitching around him in this series.  It was another rough bottom of the frame.  Three more runs came in on a couple of singles and a double.  Nick maybe should have been given an error on one of the singles.  5-0 A&M.

Neither team scored in the fifth with both pitchers having 1-2-3 innings.  In the sixth, Zerek Saenz got on via an error.  It might have also been ruled a hit.  This was a big deal at the time, as it kept the no-hitter intact.  The crowd of over 4,600 cheered at the scoring.  Zerek got caught stealing to end the inning. 

Adam Young, calling the game, said it would have to be clean hit to be scored as such in a possible no-hitter situation.  The rulebook does say that the pitcher is to be given the benefit of the doubt in scoring.  Adam was also doing what broadcasters on the wrong end of a no-hitter should be doing.  He was constantly mentioning the no-hitter trying to jinx it.  (We assume the A&M broadcasters were studiously avoiding mentioning it.)   

Chance was in a groove and struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth.  This was his last inning.  He finished with 5 runs, 6 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 4 wild pitches.  It was a great performance given the competition.  The top of the seventh was Lacey’ last inning.  He was still throwing 96 mph.  He’d allowed three baserunners (2 walks, 1 error) and had 13 strikeouts.  That was a tremendous performance given that the Aggies are one of the offensive stat leaders in the country. 

Deep in the Heart of Texas played for the stretch.  Lyle Hibbitts, I think it was mentioned he was from the area, came in for the bottom of the seventh and gave up a two-run homer to make it 7-0 A&M.  With Lacey out for pitch count reasons, Aggie hitters took advantage.  KJ led off with a single to break up the no-no.  Daniel Head then singled.  Austin Duffy doubled and drove in KJ.  Tommy Tabak hit a grounder.  He got on via an error, but still got the RBI.  Zerek got an infield hit for another run. 

Just like that, it was 7-3 with two more on.  The A&M crowd was still probably sure of a win, but just saw what the Aggies could do to mediocre pitching.  The A&M coach brought in a new side-arming pitcher.  Nick struck out.  Tristan Peterson grounded out on a close play at first.  Coach Kirby asked for a review, which was available in this SEC facility.  The Aggies were not able to capitalize further.

Hibbitts was still in pitching in the eighth.  He gave up a solo home run to make it 8-3.  There was another new pitcher for A&M for the ninth.  Jason singled, but that was all the damage.  8-3 A&M was the final.  All of those quick innings meant a quick game that only lasted two-and-a-half hours.  Well, we found out how the Aggies do against superhuman pitching.  We’ll see if the rest of A&M’s staff is more mortal.

A bit later in the evening, I thought about Aggie Softball and wondered how they were doing at their tournament in Arizona this weekend.  They were run-ruled in an earlier game against Wright State, but their later game against ASU was still going on and there was video available from the PAC-12 Network.

I joined the game in the bottom of the sixth.  #17 ASU was down 2-0 to the Aggies.  The announcers were a bit incredulous over the score.  This was a matchup between the #1 and #2 teams in the country in hitting home runs.  Analise de la Roca got the 2-0 win with Felicia de la Torre getting the save.  Felicia had come on in the sixth with two on and one out and got two strikeouts.  She finished out the game. 

All of the Aggie scoring was Matalasi Faapito hitting an RBI double, and Shelby Shultes getting the other RBI on play where she got on via an error.  Shelby was catching for the game.  Nikki Butler reportedly played at first.  This win over a good Power Five opponent made me feel a bit better about this evening’s sports.  I’m sure AD Mario Moccia was heartened.

  

3-7-20

The pregame started off with quotes from both coaches raving about Asa Lacey’s performance yesterday.  They’d both called it one of the best pitching displays they’d ever seen.  Also on the pregame, Adam Young talked to a ‘96 Aggie Baseball alum.  His teams had beaten #1 Long Beach State in Las Cruces and #1 Texas Tech on the road.  That must have been a pretty good team (or he was totally BS’ing, just kidding).  Not to mention, it’d be nice if big programs would come here more often.

In the top of the first, there was a great play on a Nick Gonzales’ foul ball.  The fielder made the play with his back to the field.  There was also a great play by a fan kid with mitt on the berm on a Tristan Peterson foul.  Damn, even A&M’s fans are good players.  Chris Barraza started for the Aggies.  Tommy Tabak crashed into the wall getting the final out in the bottom of the first.  This kid goes all out. 

In the top of the second, A&M starter, Christian Roa, who is another highly regarded pitcher for them, walked the bases full.  Austin Duffy delivered with a two-run single.  2-0 Aggies.  In the bottom, one of the A&M players was using ABBA’s Dancing Queen as his walk up music.  I don’t even want to know why.  (Hopefully, he just lost a bet.)  Another was using music that I’d heard an Aggie player use a couple of years ago.  Not to mention, still another was using is using a rap remix of an old song that I can’t identify that I’ve heard other players using.  It’s driving me nuts, because I really like it.  Barraza worked into trouble, but got a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.

The third inning was quick, which was a good thing.  This game was already an hour old, which I would mostly attribute to a pair of slow-working pitchers.  In the top of the fourth, a foul off of a suite was caught by a fan below.  That got a rise out of the crowd.  Roa got a pair of strikeouts.  In the bottom, Barraza made a good play on a bunt.  He then gave up a single.  The PA played The Stroke by Billy Squier.  Tabak made another good catch in center to end the inning.

To the top of the fifth, Duffy tripled on a misplayed ball.  Tabak singled on another misplayed ball and drove him in.  Both balls went over the fielders’ heads as they were playing in.  Zerek Saenz bunted Tabak over.  Nick was given an intentional walk.  His longest-in-the-nation on-base streak is still going at over 80 games.  TP smashed an RBI double down the line to bring in Tommy.  A&M brought in a new pitcher.  Jason Bush hit a grounder into the drawn-in infield and Nick came home on a fielder’s choice.  He collided with the catcher and was called safe.  Nick came up limping, but he was okay.  The A&M coach challenged the play.  He was ruled safe after a long review.  5-0 Aggies.

In the bottom of the fifth, Barraza was still firing low 90’s peas and had a 1-2-3 inning.  An Aggie fan got a foul.  Adam wasn’t entirely sure if it was an Aggie fan, but it in was in their section.  The fans for both teams are kind of close in color scheme (maroon A&M, crimson NMSU).  A train went by and blew its whistle.  The crowd cheered.  The evening temperature in College Station was going down into the 50’s as night fell.

In the top of the sixth, Cal Villareal doubled.  The fans there were mad and thought it was a foul.  The fielder was again playing in.  Zerek walked with two outs.  Nick came up and was intentionally walked to load the bases.  TP gave one a ride to center, but it was hauled in to end the frame.

Another train went by in the bottom of the sixth, foreshadowing the train wreck to come.  After a single and a walk, a double scored a run.  Frank Dickson Jr. was brought in.  Before his first pitch, he picked off the runner at second.  The large crowd of 4,800 groaned.  A second review was ordered. Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles played over the delay.  (The PA there is spot on.)  The runner was re-ruled safe.  

That change of decision was unfortunate for the Aggies as a three-run pinch hit homer cleared the bases.  Alex Pinedo was brought in after a walk.  The crowd started chanting the number of consecutive balls thrown by Aggie pitchers.  Pinedo then committed a throwing error which advanced the runner.  Two more walks loaded bases.  A&M batted around, but that was as far as they got and left them loaded.  5-4 Aggies.

Daniel Head had a single in the top of the seventh, but that was all of all the Aggie offense there.  For the Stretch, God Bless America played before Deep in the Heart of Texas.  Pinedo hit the first batter to start.  Hurts So Good by John Mellencamp played over the PA.  Pinedo made another error trying to get the lead runner at second on a comebacker.  That advanced the runner to third.  A run nearly came in on a wild pitch, but it was ruled to have hit the batter first and the ball was dead.

This left the bases loaded with no outs.  Aldo Fernandez came in and got a strikeout.  The A&M dugout thought it was only strike two.  They can’t count, but they can hit.  A bouncer up the middle scored two.  The ball went by Nick.  By the tone of his voice, Adam seemed to think he should have had that one or knocked it down at least.  As the crowd was chanting, another hit reloaded the bases.  Aldo got another strikeout.  There was a basket catch by fan on a foul.  The fans were making all the plays tonight.  One more run scored on a wild pitch, before a foul out finally ended it.  7-5, A&M was now in the lead.

In the top of the eighth, Duffy lost his bat on a swing and it flew over the A&M dugout into the netting in front of the stands.  That was a good thing.  The fans might not have wanted to have tried to catch that one at full speed.  Zerek got on with an infield hit and went to second on a throwing error.  After two outs, A&M brought in their closer to face Nick, who grounded out.  The bottom of the eighth and the top of the top of the ninth went down in order.  A&M took Game 2, 7-5.    

This one went three-and-a-half hours and definitely dragged early on.  Chris Barraza did well in starting, but the Aggie relief couldn’t hold the lead.  The Aggie bats woke up a bit today, but needed to apply more pressure throughout the game.  Nick Gonzales still hasn’t gotten the big hit when given opportunities.  Hopefully, he’ll get it going tomorrow so the Aggies can salvage one of these games. 

 

3-8-20

I got up relatively early this Sunday morning.  I exercised and showered in an efficient manner.  I had a busy day planned and didn’t want to be late.  My first indication of trouble was when I tuned into Aggie Baseball on the radio at the appointed time and suddenly discovered they were nearly an hour into the game.  Ah, wouldn’t you just know it.  They must have changed the start time.  It happens.

Undaunted, I faithfully noted what I heard.  The Aggies were down 3-1 as the sounds of a train pulling in could be heard in the background.  For weather conditions, it was nice, but there was a hard wind blowing out.  This would be confirmed as a home run was “crushed” out to the train tracks beyond the outfield wall to make it 5-1 A&M.  Aggie starter Chris Jefferson was having a rough go of it. 

The Aggie infield was also having a bad time.  Broadcaster Adam Young called out Nick Gonzales for not covering second on a steal attempt.  The shortstop does normally signal the second baseman before every pitch as to who’s covering the bag.  For that matter, Kevin Jimenez at second got charged with an error earlier, though that came after a challenge on a play that he didn’t touch the base for an out.  This had kept the inning going and led to the home run.  Hey, not only does the SEC have replay, Adam mentioned they had four umpires working the game.  I don’t think Triple-A games have four umpires!  Anyway, Tommy Tabak made a great play in the outfield on the ninth batter of the inning to finally end it.

Nick led off the third with a hit, his first of the weekend.  This kept his eighty-two game on-base streak going.  Tristan Peterson hit a smash to short, who knocked down the ball right to his second baseman, who then turned a double play.  The 4,700 people in the crowd collectively gasped.  It’s been that kind of weekend for the Aggies.  A caught stealing ended the frame, almost. 

Coach Kirby challenged the play as the PA went to playing the promotional music.  Adam was glad that there was a system in place to correct bad calls, but admitted that these delays were irritating, especially when they weren’t were going against the Aggies.  (Amazingly, that’s what us fans think of replay too.)  The PA switched to playing the J. Geils Band classic, Freeze Frame during the delay.  (Damn, he’s good.)

Daniel Head crashed into the wall for a catch in the bottom of the third.  Nick made a good play to get a force at second.  Austin Duffy at third threw out a runner trying to stretch out a single.  The guys were looking reasonably sharp here.  In the top of the fourth, an A&M outfielder returned the favor on Daniel and crashed boards to get his flyball. 

In the bottom of the fourth, I got a phone call from my dad.  We were planning on getting a pizza and watching the NASCAR race later.  I wondered why he was calling an hour early.  Dad said he was getting hungry and wondered why I was so late.  And then the light dawned.  I suddenly remembered hearing something about Daylight Savings Time last night.  Oops.  I spent the next 15 minutes finishing getting ready to go and calling ahead for the pizza.  I took my portable radio with me, but between getting the pizza and eating at my dad’s apartment with the race on, my attention to the game wavered considerably.  That’s okay given what happened next.

[I’m going to have to sidebar for a moment.  I used a coupon for Pizza Hut today.  I got a hand-tossed pepperoni with cheese-stuffed garlic knots.  I’m not entirely sure how this chain stays in business.  It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t worth going out for.  Not only are all of the other chains, including overpriced and crummy Dominos, better, but I’ve had better tasting frozen pizza (which is the closest analogy this pizza).  It’s not just that.  Every time I’ve gone to the Hut for one of their goofy new specialty pizzas, it’s never been worthwhile.  Even those knots had a tough crust, no flavor, and the cheese could barely be detected.  Papa John’s quality may have dipped with the loss of their founder, but they’re in no imminent danger of falling this far.  (Also, the restaurant smelled like somebody had crapped on the floor.)]      

Two more A&M runs scored in the bottom of the fourth, one on a wild pitch.  7-1 A&M.  In the top of the fifth, the Aggies had their 36-th strikeout of the series.  A kid with a mitt made a great catch of a foul on the berm.  Adam noted lots of fans brought mitts to the park there.  It was a 1-2-3 inning.  The PA then played the Jackson Five classic ABC, which has “1-2-3” in the chorus.  This guy is too good. 

Mitchell Allen came in for the fifth.  A&M jumped all over him for three more runs and he didn’t record an out.  Alex Reyes came in, but with the same success, as he gave up an inside-the-park three-run homer when a ball to the outfield bounced over Tabak’s head.  Sammy Natera was brought in and he gave up a three-run homer.  The crowd was not quiet during the barrage.  Young and old alike were heckling the opposition.  Adam referred to College Station as “One of the most hostile environments in college baseball.”  16-1 A&M when the dust finally settled.

Nick got his second hit to start the sixth.  I have a strange feeling all of the scouts who’d been there the first two days were gone by this point.  TP hit another screaming liner, but it was caught.  The PA played the Olympic theme song for the catch.  Reserves for both teams started coming in.  Brendan Williams, who I’m not sure has had an at bat this season, pinch hit.  KJ singled next and brought in Nick.  Noah Haupt also pinch hit with the bases loaded.  He’d been sitting out this series with an ankle injury.  Unfortunately, he struck out.  After each strikeout, the PA plays a Texas-ish fanfare.  I’d been hearing that a lot over three games.  16-2 A&M.

Natera worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth.  It might have been the best bullpen inning of the weekend for the Aggies.  In the top of the seventh, I was perusing dad’s newspaper and found out that Nick had been named national Player of the Month.  For February, he’d hit .478 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI’s. 

And suddenly, the game ended.  16-2 A&M wins.  Adam was surprised.  He’d been told there was no run rule before the game, but the coaches might have changed their minds when they met the umps.  I’m starting to think the reason these ground rules aren’t announced to the crowd is so that they can change their minds later. 

This truncated game took two-and-a-half hours.  At least the Aggies didn’t have to suffer for a needlessly long time.  So, what’s our takeaway from this three-game disaster?  Texas A&M is a really good team, especially at home.  We should probably leave it at that.  The Aggies have another tough opponent in SDSU next weekend.  If they didn’t learn anything here, they’re going to be taking their lumps again.  At least I do think that, much like Aggie Softball’s usually brutal pre-conference schedule, this will help the Aggies in conference, win or lose.