Fans around the Brazos Valley enjoyed a remarkable Bombers season in 2011 with the team advancing to the TCL Championship Series. First year coach, Curt Dixon, will look to build off of the success from last season to lead the Bombers back to the Championship. Tonight, the Bombers open league play in the Woodlands as they take on the Strykers.
A&M fans will not have to travel far as three Aggies are on the roster. They include pitchers Rafeal Pineda and Nathan Sorenson along with outfielder Brandon Wood. Pineda had a solid season on the mound posting a 5-1 record in 14 starts with a 2.78 era while throwing 81 innings. Sorenson was unable to suit up for the Aggies this season due to transfer rules, but he will be fresh for SEC play next season. Wood batted .267 with 5 homeruns and 25 RBIs on 46 hits this season.
Returning to Bombers for the 2012 season will be Montgomery natives and Lubbock Christian players, pitcher Logan Burch and infielder Brennyn Smith. Smith was a TCL All Star last summer while playing in 58 games and having 212 at bats. Last season, Burch recorded 20.2 innings on 20 appearances while recording 12 strikeouts.
The pitchers mound will be anchored by College Station native Brannon Easterling, Bryan native Ryan Ullman, and Drew Kittenbrink. Easterling posted a 0-1 record for the Texas Tech Red Raiders with 10 innings on 4 starts. Ullman had a steller season at Concordia University posting a blazing 1.50 ERA in 18 appearances with 7 saves in 24 innings pitched. Kittenbrink made 1 start for the Sooners of the University of Oklahoma posting a perfect 0.00 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched.
Freshmen will dominate the catcher position with Matt Smith, Kevin Lamb and Braden Mattson holding down the position. Lamb knows coach Dixon well as he plays at Eastern Oklahoma State College. Earlier this fall Lamb signed to play with Creighton University next season.
Along with Smith the infield will be patrolled by Brad Porras, Nick Smelser and Corey Toups. Porras, a Junior at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, batted .281 with 41 hits, 3 homeruns, 18 RBIs in 146 at bats. Smelser, a biology major at Texas State University had 35 hits and 14 RBIs in 150 at bats for a .233 batting average. Toups, a freshman accounting major at Sam Houston State batted .266 with 49 hits, 10 doubles and 23 RBIs on 184 at bats.
Besides Wood, the outfield will be maned by Myles Parma, and Chris Florack. Parma, led the Trojans of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock with a .292 batting average with 4 homeruns, 31 RBIs on 56 hits on 192 at bats. Florack led University of Mary Hardin Baylor with an impressive batting average of .311, 5 homeruns, 46 hits in 148 at bats, and also a .486 slugging %.
The Bombers will host a total of 30 regular-season home games during the summer against the other TCL members. The Acadiana Cane Cutters, Alexandria Aces, East Texas Pump Jacks, McKinney Marshals, Victoria Generals and Woodlands Strykers will all make trips to Brazos Valley Bank Ballpark to take on the Bombers this summer.
The first home game of the 2012 season is June 6th. The Bombers are trying to make history by having the first opening day sell out! The Opening Day package includes a game ticket, hot dog, a beverage of your choice, and a Bombers cap for only $10! For more ticket information call Richard at 979-985-5128 or to purchase online from the Bombers head over to: bvbombers.com