Another Texas A&M tradition
Childress’ program has produced several successful pitchers, and this year proves no different with two drafted early
COLLEGE STATION — Fifteen years ago this month, then-Texas coach Augie Garrido dubbed Texas A&M’s surprising hire of Nebraska pitching coach Rob Childress as a “good risk,” considering Childress had no prior headcoaching experience at the NCAA Division I level.
Garrido, the college baseball guru, said in 2005 that he had been so impressed with Childress’ work with the Cornhuskers’ pitchers, he had once sent the native Texan a note letting him know as much.
Garrido, who died two years ago following a stroke, proved prophetic. Fifteen seasons into Childress’ A&M tenure, pitching undoubtedly has been the team’s strength.
That was evident again this past week in the MLB Draft, as Childress had two pitchers, lefthander Asa Lacy and righthander Christian Roa, selected in the first and second rounds, respectively.
In addition, A&M outfielder Zach DeLoach was chosen early in the second round, and A&M was the only program with three players selected in the top 50 of the draft, shortened to five rounds because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s so much a testament to them continuing to put out prospects in the early rounds each year,” Roa said of Childress and his staff.
A year ago, then-A&M ace John Doxakis was chosen in the second round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Since 2009, the Aggies have had nine pitchers selected in either the first or second rounds. Childress’ first season at A&M was 2006.
“Certainly, we lost a couple of difference-makers on the mound,” Childress said of juniors Lacy and Roa going high in the draft. “But we’ve got a lot of difference-makers coming back as well.”
Childress, 51, had guided A&M to 13 consecutive NCAA tournaments entering this season, including two College World Series berths — the equivalent of the Elite Eight in basketball’s NCAA Tournament — but was still in search of his first victory in Omaha, Neb.
He believed that could have happened this season, one cut short in mid-March by the pandemic.
“Not to get to play that out … you have three guys go in the top 48 picks, and just a great collection of talent around those guys,” Childress said. “We didn’t get to play the 10 weeks of SEC (competition) and get into the postseason, and see if we could still be playing today.”
The CWS was scheduled to start Saturday. Instead, the Aggies, 15-3 when the season ended, were left to celebrate their high draft picks — including their highest in history. Lacy went No. 4 overall to the Kansas City Royals, one slot better than fellow lefty Jeff Granger going to the Royals at
No. 5 in 1993.
“One of my biggest disappointments for the season is we didn’t get a front row seat to see (Lacy) pitch each and every Friday night,” Childress said.
Meanwhile, Roa, a former Memorial standout, was chosen higher in the draft than many predicted, going No. 48 overall to the Cincinnati Reds.
“Here is a kid from Memorial who comes in and pitches very little as a freshman, but he was just determined to be a starter and that was going to happen in his mind,” Childress said. “He forced himself into (the rotation) by his performances.”
Roa, who A&M said earned a 4.0 grade-point average this past semester as a finance major, also was named to the SEC’s community service team twice.
“He’s going to pitch in the big leagues, and when he’s done he’s going to be special after baseball, as well, in everything he chooses to do,” Childress said.
Said Roa: “You dream of being a professional baseball player your entire life growing up, and so much hard work goes into it. (Getting drafted) is something you’ll always cherish.”
Roa added that he has no idea of his immediate plans following the draft, figuring baseball brass has larger fish to fry in mid-June.
“Their biggest issue right now is getting the big leaguers back out there and trying to get baseball started back up again,” Roa said. “Once they get that settled, they’ll develop a plan with a trickledown effect, from top to bottom.”