Brandon Wood had made spectacular plays in 2011, his best featured in ESPN's Sportscenter Top 10 after a home run robbing catch at the wall to end the game and sweep Oklahoma State.
But during the first inning of Texas A&M's first game in the College World Series since 1999, Wood would deliver at the plate with a three run triple down the right field line to give the Aggies a 4-0 lead against South Carolina. The belief in this team to go deep in Omaha was never stronger, jumping on USC ace Matt Roth early. A&M had to overcome many obstacles to travel this far. Loss of weekend starter Ross Hales, the move of Ross Stripling from closer to starter, and the loss of staff ace and emotional leader John Stilson just a couple of weeks earlier. They had done it time and time again, winning the final game in Austin to claim a share of the Big XII title, coming back from six down to Mizzou early in the Big XII Tournament Championship to win that title, advancing past Arizona after a Sunday night defeat and Monday rain delay, and answering Florida State after a 23-9 embarrassment to get to Omaha.
But Rob Childress's ball club couldn't overcome what happened in the bottom of that half inning. With Ross Stripling on the mound, the Aggies gave up 4 of their own, highlighted by an overthrown ball to 1st base for what would have been an easy out by senior Andrew Collazo. From that point on Michael Roth settled in along with the South Carolina bullpen, and Scott Wingo delivered in the clutch for the first of many times that week in Omaha allowing South Carolina to repeat as National Champions. A&M would be eliminated two days later by an overachieving Cal Bear club.
What a ride the 2011 season was on a roller-coaster of emotions you thought would never stop. In the end, the 2011 club took Aggie Baseball to new heights it hadn't seen in over a decade. Did the club reach their expectations of Omaha? Or maybe they were overachievers and it was Rob Childress's best coaching job ever while in Aggieland. Whatever your fan views of the goals of 2011 were and whether or not they were fulfilled, I think we can all agree that the pressure to get back to TD Ameritrade Park will be higher than ever as the Aggies bring back a good portion of the team.
MLB Drafted players include RHP John Stilson in the 3rd round by the Blue Jays, RHP Ross Stripling in the 9th to the Rockies, 3B Adam Smith in the 25th round to the Yankees, and LHP Brandon Parrent in the 31st to the White Sox.
Among those names listed, RHP Ross Stripling looks like the most likely return. The senior to be has already tweeted out (@RossStripling) he would be making a return trip to Omaha next year with the rest of the ball club.
The guy every Aggie will be paying attention to is John Stilson. Many thought Stilson was a sure bet to leave the program and begin his pro career. But not so fast. A recent article in the Texarkana Gazette reveals the decision hasn't been made by Stilson quite yet and is in fact open to returning in 2012 to again prove he is 1st round material and more importantly a chance to finally pitch in Omaha.
That decision has yet to be made and won’t be until Blue Jays physicians have the opportunity to examine Stilson’s arm. Then he’ll find out how much the injury will cost him financially. If he has a number in mind, Stilson, who turns 21 July 20, isn’t saying.
“I’m not sure what it will take (to sign),” he said. “It just depends on what they’re willing to give. It could be I might have to bite the bullet a little bit.”
Or he could return to Texas A&M, and he doesn’t buy the premise that he will have no leverage in the draft as a senior.
“I was projected to go in the top 15 (players) this year, and if can show them what I was before, I don’t think it would hurt me,” he said. “I would be in the same spot, just a year later. I love it at Texas A&M, and next year if I do go back we would have a chance to win the whole thing.”
Should he return to College Station it could be as a starter as he was last season or as a closer, a position he excelled at as a sophomore.
The return of both Stripling and Stilson to A&M would easily put A&M as a favorite to return to Omaha, to maybe to win the entire thing. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Aggies will still need to replace some valuable seniors in key positions on the diamond.When South Carolina won the 2011 CWS, it was clear the game had changed. They didn't out muscle anybody by hitting home runs left and right. They did it with the arms of Michael Roth, John Taylor, and Matt Price. And they did it with the glove as well up the middle in 2B Scott Wingo and SS Peter Mooney. Those may be the key ingredients now to win the CWS; great pitching, better defense up the middle, and timely hitting. Oh, and a lot of luck as well mixed in along the way. 2 of those 3 will be question marks for the Aggies in 2012.
While both Stripling and Stilson decide their fates, the Aggies will see Michael Wacha, Kyle Martin, Esteivan Uriegas, Derrick Hadley, Dylan Mendoza, and hopefully a healthy Ross Hales return (a story that needs to be watched this summer as Hales pitches for the Bombers) to make up Childress's "Warlocks". Newcomers will be RHP Jason Jester a JUCO transfer (who is currently lighting it up in the Texas College Summer League), RHP Daniel Mengden, RHP Gandy Stubblefield, and LHP Ty Schlottmann. While Jester and Schlottmann will most likely see action out of the pen, Mengden and Stufflefield could be in play to start on Sunday's or Tuesday nights.
On the diamond, 3 key positions will have to be replaced in 2B, SS, and C. One of those spots will be filled most likely by freshman 2B Charlie Curl who was a defensive replacement late in ball games. At SS, Mikey Reynolds, a JUCO from Glendale Arizona, will be the most likely choice to fill the void left open by Kenny Jackson and a player who could bat at the top of the lineup, moving Tyler Naquin down. And at catcher? Freshman Troy Stein is already on campus and will be joined by freshman Mengden, Cole Lankford, and Mitchell Nau in the contest to nail down the position.
Overall, Aggie Baseball returns key players in Michael Wacha, Tyler Naquin, and Krey Bratsen along with Jacob House, Matt Juengel, Brandon Wood, and Kyle Martin to make up a nucleus of a team capable of returning to Omaha. If Ross Stripling, Adam Smith and even John Stilson throw their hats in the ring to returning this fall, all of a sudden Aggie Baseball could be the preseason favorite to win it all and deliver yet another championship to Aggieland.Most importantly, if Aggie Baseball plans on returning to Omaha, they will have to replace the leadership that Kevin Gonzales imparted on the rest of the team. His steadiness behind the plate may be more irreplaceable than even John Stilson's fire. But their are a laundry list of guys who could take over the role (we're looking at you House and Juengel). And the club will need to develop that same attitude that Ray Tanner's team won with in Omaha: the never give up, we win any way we can type of mentality. I think we saw that at times down to Mizzou in the championship and on that last Sunday of the regular season in Austin. I think Rob Childress and Andy Sawyer breathes it as well.
The target may be on their back for 2012, and Aggie Baseball should welcome the challenge. They will need to realize that they are the best team in the Big XII (Texas loses a substantial amount of pitching) and the best team in the area. The expectations of Omaha shouldn't be a burden, but the realization that Aggie Baseball has arrived to stay. The club should take the field everyday knowing what they are capable of, and that is putting up fireworks in a brand new Olsen Field and Blue Bell Park in 2012.
---PS, Thanks to our friend Gabe Bock at TexAgs.com for all the work he does covering Aggie Baseball throughout the year both online and on the radio, inspiring most of this article!
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