THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA | @THEBATTONLINE
Justin Seely (left) and Will Bolt (right) have known each other since the 1990s and now coach for the A&M baseball team together.
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Assistant A&M coaches Seely, Bolt continue lifelong friendship in Aggieland
Justin Seely, assistant coach
By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary
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n the late 1990s, Will Bolt and Justin Seely were two hard-nosed high school baseball players from Texas cities barely 100 miles apart — Bolt from Conroe and Seely from Nacogdoches. They had played summer ball against each other since they were 12 years old and both would have loved to continue their respective careers at Texas A&M. That didn’t work out — Bolt was recruited to Nebraska as part of then-new coach Dave Van Horn’s first recruiting class and Seely took his talents to Northeast Texas College in Mount Pleasant. Bolt immediately became a starter in the infield and became one of the most productive hitters in the Cornhuskers’ history to that point. After two years, Seely was able to join him in Lincoln. The duo led Nebraska to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 2001 and 2002. They each hit over .300 in their senior seasons, and Seely delivered four hits and a pivotal eighth-inning grand slam in the decisive third game of the Super Regional against Richmond to send the Cornhuskers to Omaha.
The pitching coach on those Nebraska teams? Rob Childress. Although Bolt played third base and thus wasn’t receiving direct instruction from Childress, he was impressed with how much Childress cared about his players. “Anytime you needed to talk to one of the coaches he was always the one you felt like had an ear for you,” Bolt said. Childress, who enters his 11th season as Texas A&M’s head coach, said Bolt and Seely had similar styles of play — competitive and willing to do whatever it took to win. “They were fun to coach as players because they loved to throw down,” Childress said.
“[Bolt and Childress are] as close to a family as I can have without them actually being in my blood. It makes coming to work really fun.” “They loved to compete and they were two players that if they weren’t on your team, you hated them. That’s what kind of players they were — having them on your team you loved it because there wasn’t a day that went by that they weren’t ready to go and compete at the drop of a hat. They were winners in every sense of the word.” After graduation, Bolt and Seely embarked on career paths that went in different direc-
tions, but they remained intertwined. Seely started coaching at Paris Junior College, Bolt at Nebraska as a volunteer assistant. When Childress accepted the head job at Texas A&M in 2006, he added Bolt to his first staff. Meanwhile, Seely went to Nebraska and assumed Bolt’s old post as a volunteer assistant for the Cornhuskers. Two years later, they both applied for COACHES ON PG. 4
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A&M head basketball coach Gary Blair goes over strategy with his team.
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Pro-Life Aggies president Allyson Hunter (holding check) gives a scholarship to a student parent and her family last year.
Pro-life Aggies to award scholarship to pregnant or parenting Aggies By Tyler Snell @tyler_snell2 The Pro-Life Aggies are awarding scholarships to parenting or expecting students in order to provide for the child and bring awareness to pregnant and parenting students. The scholarship started in 2009 with the creation of the organization, and funds are raised from donations and a 5K race. “We are just hoping to lessen the burden because I don’t think anyone should have to give up their educational goals to be a parent,” said Pro-Life Aggies president and genetics senior Allyson Hunter. “Hopefully, this scholarship will help make that goal easier.” The goal for the organization is to raise $10,000. In the past the group has given out two or three $1,000 scholarships, according to public relations officer Anthony Doak. “We are doing everything we can to raise PRO-LIFE ON PG. 3
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Eddie “Ed” Davis will be the Aggie Campus Muster speaker this year.
Eddie Davis, Class of 1967, to draw on worldwide Muster experiences as 2017 speaker By Meredith McCown @meredithrhoads
Having spoken at Aggie Musters around the world — including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Heidelberg and New York City — former Texas A&M Foundation president and Class of 1967 Eddie Davis has been called “home” to speak at the 2017 campus Aggie Muster. For more than 114 years, the tradition of Aggie Muster has honored the lives of Aggies who have died in the last year. At the ceremony, a roll of the names of the
W. basketball to host Alabama in ‘BTHO Breast Cancer Night’ All donation proceeds to go to Kay Yow Foundation, Pink Alliance By Matt Koper @MattKoper
Aggies is called, and the audience responds “here.” This year will be unique in particular — Davis graduated from A&M in 1967, which is also the Sul Ross 50th featured reunion class to be honored at the ceremony. During his senior year of college, Davis held the position as the Commander of the Corps and served four years on active duty as a colonel in the Army Reserve. Davis said being the speaker at Aggie Muster will be one of the highest honors he has ever received. “It will be exciting me because of my
Playing with a purpose greater than winning a basketball game, the Texas A&M women’s basketball team will host a fundraiser to raise awareness for breast cancer research as they take on Alabama Thursday night at Reed Arena. Thursday night’s game is the annual “BTHO Breast Cancer Night” and A&M will donate all proceeds from the game to the Kay Yow Foundation and the Pink Alliance. The maroon and white’s assistant coach Bob Starkey, whose wife is a breast cancer survivor, also pledged to donate $1 for every student in attendance. A&M (17-6, 7-3 SEC) will face the Tide coming off a 66-61 win over Auburn at home in which the team’s offensive leaders — guard Danni Williams and center Khaalia Hillsman
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