After taking the rivalry series against the University of Texas on April 20-21 and clinching a spot in the Gulf Coast Regional Tournament, No. 8 Texas A&M club baseball will face John Melvin University for an out-of-conference matchup at Travis Field in Bryan on April 26-27.
This is the second and final time the 14-6 Aggies will face the Millers after the Division III team swept the Aggies in a March four-game series in Crowley, Louisiana. It is the only time the Aggies have been swept this season.
Despite the loss, civil engineering senior Aaron Dickerson said the series was closer than the final box scores conveyed.
“We held our own,” Dickerson said. “But [in] the last game, they beat us pretty good. They’re a good team.”
Games 2 and 3 ended within one run with 5-4 and 8-7 scores, respectively. The Aggies lost games 1 and 3 by a combined 14 runs.
The last series before the Gulf Coast Regional Tournament, the club views the Friday and Saturday games as a good warmup for the postseason.
“You don’t want to just face some trash team and then go into regionals not expecting what you’re gonna see,” Dickerson said. “So, facing this team is going to be huge.”
The key to winning the series will be taking a more mindful approach in the batter’s box, Dickerson said.
“With some of these conference games where the pitching is not the best, you’re going out there like, ‘Alright, let’s see how far I can hit this ball,’” Dickerson said. “With these guys, you gotta lock in. You got to notice situations, and you got to really battle.”
Beating a Division III team would be a huge win, and with how the team has performed, Dickerson said this season finale at home will be a fun one.
“It will be a really, really good series,” said Dickerson. “I think it’ll be some close games if we can keep swinging the bat [and] pitching like we are.”
For game times and schedule updates, follow @TAMUClubBaseball or visit TAMUClubBaseball.org.
Chris Swann is a journalism junior and contributed to this article from the course JOUR 359, Reporting Sports, to The Battalion.