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Baseball Preview
James Thompson — THE BATTALION
Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park will be 90 percent complete — and operational for fans and players — at 6:35 p.m. on Friday for the first pitch of the season.
Home, sweet home Blue Bell Park debuts with Aggies’ first pitch
Chandler Smith The Battalion As the Aggie faithful flock to College Station for A&M baseball’s opening day, they will be met by something unseen in Aggieland since Olsen Field first opened in 1978 — a brand new ballpark. Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, the newly restructured and rebranded facility, will give fans, players and coaches alike modern ballpark amenities in a stadium still harking to the traditional fabric of Texas A&M University and the sport of baseball itself.
A $24 million project, the new ballpark includes a new club lounge, added concessions, grassy berm seating areas and a more expansive standing-room only option for fans. The facility also includes new bullpens, new locker rooms, a state-of-the-art weight room, players’ lounge and new offices for Aggie coaches and players. Kevin Hurley, A&M associate athletic director of facilities, said inspiration for the allencompassing facility was drawn from an array of sources. “We’ve tried to take the best pieces from
a lot of facilities around the country and put them in one stadium for Texas A&M. What I consider to be one of the greatest baseball facilities in the country will have everything in a one-stop shopping mode,” Hurley said. “You’ll have everything for the fans, the donors and student-athletes. They’ll literally be able to come to the park and be able to see what you’d see at any collegiate ball park.” A&M head coach Rob Childress said the upgraded stadium should only add to what he considers to be one of the most impressive baseball atmospheres in America. He expects
the ballpark to have competitors trying to catch up for decades. “We’ve always felt like we had the best atmosphere in all of college baseball with the student section and the energy that’s created from them. To take a stadium that’s 33 years old and make it one that people are going to be truly chasing for the next 30 years is pretty humbling,” Childress said. “From a baseball operations standpoint, and from a fan’s standpoint, there’s not going to be a finer stadium in the country.” See Ballpark on page 6
New season, same goal Inside baseball
James Solano
◗ Big 12 competition includes four Top-25 teams - page 2
In recent years, winning has become synonymous with the Texas A&M baseball program — so has playing in the postseason. Under the tutelage of head coach Rob Childress, the Aggies have gone 246-135-2 in seven seasons, and are coming off a Big 12 conference and tournament championship and a trip to the College World Series after a 47-22 campaign in 2011. For the first time since 1999, the Aggies found themselves in Omaha, Neb. But a 5–4 defeat against two-time defending national champions South Carolina, and a 7–3 loss to California, ended their season and national championship aspirations. “Overall, every season you’re looking to go to the national championship,” said Tyler Naquin, junior right fielder. “Last season was last season, you put it
◗ Pitchers Michael Wacha and Ross Stripling have AllAmerican potential - page 4 ◗ Mark your calendars with the Texas A&M season baseball schedule - page 4 ◗ Outfielders Krey Bratson and Tyler Naquin anchor a stout Aggie lineup - page 5 ◗ A rabid fanbase occupies its new home - page 7 ◗ National and Big 12 rankings list the Aggies high in the polls - page 7
The Battalion
behind you, but the goal is not to just get there, but win the whole thing without a doubt.” With a No. 5 preseason ranking, the Aggies are poised for another championship season as they prepare to play their final season as members of the Big 12 and open a new stadium, Blue Bell Park. The A&M baseball squad will return 16 lettermen this spring while welcoming 15 newcomers. Among the 16 returning players is a dual right-handed pitching threat: junior Michael Wacha and senior Ross Stripling. Wacha, a Texarkana native, had a 9-4 record with a 2.29 earned run average in 2011, while striking out 123 batters. Stripling, hailing from Southlake, Texas, dominated on the mound with a 14-2 record and 2.29 ERA, striking out 113 batters. Though the Aggies have two of the nation’s best pitchers returning See Season on page 4
File Photo — THE BATTALION
Senior first baseman Jacob House bats in a game against Oklahoma State during the 2011 season.
Loftin proposes tuition hike to afford faculty raises Trevor Stevens The Battalion
Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
R. Bowen Loftin presents the administration’s case for why a tuition increase is necessary Wednesday afternoon in Rudder.
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State appropriations continue to decrease, so tuition increases. During the state-mandated hearing Wednesday, Loftin proposed Texas A&M University increase designated tuition to the maximum limit of 3.95 percent for the 2012-2013 academic year. Loftin also proposed that the 3.95 percent cap be reinstated for the 2013-2014 academic year. If authorized by the board of regents, which holds the authority to set tuition rates, the majority of the funds would be dedicated to faculty and staff merit raises. Sixtyone percent of the University’s $1.2 billion expenses go toward faculty compensation. Genyne Royal, president of the Graduate Student Council and member of the Tuition and Fee Advisory Committee, TFAC, said she is partly for and partly
against increasing designated tuition. “The University has shown and presented a case that we definitely need to do this 3.95 percent increase, [which] is still not allowing us to meet the need that we have,” Royal said. The committee voted against an increase in student fees for next year and for the total increase of funds to come strictly from designated tuition, said Deborah Wright, co-chair of TFAC and assistant vice president for the Division of Finance. During fiscal year 1997, state appropriations made up 39 percent of the University’s total expenses, while tuition and fees made up 23 percent. Now the roles are switched. By fiscal year 2011, 36 percent of the University’s total expenses came from tuition and fees, while 23 percent came from the state. See Tuition on page 8
2/16/12 12:16 AM