The No. 22 Texas A&M Aggies head to Columbia in search of their fifth consecutive SEC series triumph as they play a three-game set with the Missouri Tigers starting Friday.
After beginning league play at 0-5, the Aggies have won 10 of their last 13 conference games including a series sweep at Alabama and two-of-three series triumphs against No. 8 LSU, No. 11 Auburn and Tennessee.
Overall, the Maroon and White have won 14 of their last 18 games, including a 7-2 mark in their last nine road games. The Aggies’ pitching staff has been outstanding the last six games logging a 1.86 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 58.0 innings.
Texas A&M’s weekend rotation had their best go-around of the year last week against Tennessee. Brigham Hill, Corbin Martin and Stephen Kolek combined to allow just three runs in 22.0 innings of work. The trio held opponents to a .187 batting average as they posted a 1.23 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 20 strikeouts. Hill got the weekend started with 7.0 scoreless innings on Friday afternoon, scattering five hits and one walk while striking out six. On Saturday, Martin, who picked up the lone win among the trio, allowed one run on six hits and one walk while striking out three in a career-long 8.0-inning effort. Kolek recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts, yielding two runs on three hits and two walks over 7.0 innings.
Hill needs just seven strikeouts to become the 17th player in Aggie history to record 200 career Ks.
The Aggie bullpen has been a menace to opponents in April to pace the Maroon and White to an 11-3 record. In the 14 games the Texas A&M bullpen is 7-1 with six saves, a 1.40 ERA and a .169 opponent batting average in 51.1 innings of work. The relievers boast a 1.05 WHIP and have 52 strikeouts for the month. Kaylor Chafin leads the staff with 14.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and five walks while striking out 12 to earn a 3-0 mark in his six appearances. Mitchell Kilkenny has a 1-0 record with five saves and a 2.53 ERA, allowing three runs on 11 hits and four walks while striking out 11 in 10.2 innings. Cason Sherrod is 2-0 with one save, a 1.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12.0 innings in his six relief appearances in April.
Freshman Braden Shewmake ranks 17th in the nation in hits (62) and 29th in the nation in RBI (45). He leads all Division I freshmen in RBI and hits.
It marks the Aggies’ first trip to Columbia since 2011.
