Behind Enemy Lines: Auburn-Texas A&M baseball preview with Cameron Ohnysty of Aggies Wire

It’s been a very bumpy ride through the first 28 games, and the start of SEC play could not have been tougher for the maroon and white, starting the season at home against No.1 ranked LSU, then hitting the road to face Tennessee with only one recorded win in between both series. It’s been a mixed bag as the poor results can be pointed toward the Aggies’ pitching woes, but until last weekend’s series win against Ole Miss, the bats had been quiet, though things may be finally looking up offensively after their recent performances.

Like Ole Miss, Auburn’s rotation isn’t particularly fear-inducing, so I do expect the Aggies to continue scoring at a higher rate this weekend. To answer your question, Texas A&M’s offense has literally saved the season, and even though that may sound a bit dramatic, junior first baseman Jack Moss’s .364 batting average kept the team afloat, followed by Austin Bost and Jace LaViolette finding their groove against the Rebels.

For those who are unaware of Jace LaViolette’s talent level, this a young man who was on the fast track to being selected very high in the MLB Draft out of high school, opting to play for the Aggies instead, and has quickly become one of the more reliable bats in the lineup with tremendous power to boot with 5 home runs so far this season. Austin Bost, who leads the team with 28 RBIs has been the robin to Jack Moss’s batman this season, while his production has obviously continued in SEC play. From a reliability standpoint, we know was Bost provides on a nightly basis, but like any young blue-chip prospect with untapped potential, LaViolette’s production in the lineup has only increased every game.

I’ll go with freshman lefty Justin Lamkin who has a good chance of starting one of the games this weekend. Following the same “potential” based reasoning I used to describe Jace LaViolette at the plate, Lamkin’s potential on the mound was revealed in a start against Tennessee, striking out six in 4 innings, adding to his 35 strikeouts on the season so far. In order for the pitching rotation to find its footing in conference play, giving players like Lamkin more opportunities on the mound to work through his kinks is a step in the right direction.

I don’t believe I need to further explain the greatness that is Jack Moss, so I’ll go with senior outfielder Brett Minnich, who recently returned to the Aggies lineup late last month without missing a hitch, batting .375, .300, and .308 and 3 home runs and 4 RBIs against Ole Miss. Minnich has not only solidified the starting lineup to create some offensive consistency but also provides defensive versatility in the outfield with the ability to move around when needed.

The Aggies’ starting pitching rotation needs to up their game and keep the score low in order to provide the bullpen some cushion, while Texas A&M’s offense can’t afford to have an off night Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, because no matter how Auburn has performed so far in SEC play, home field advantage still holds the same meaning no matter the opponent.

Honestly, I feel that the Aggies received a small momentum boost after Ryan Targac’s walk-off home run in the series finale against Ole Miss, but I still feel like the pitching issues might continue on the road, but I’m pretty torn between picking against an Aggie squad that seems to be getting back on track. I’ll go A&M winning two out of three against the Tigers this weekend.