Eagles prepping for new season under Coach Jones
TEXARKANA, Texas — Staying healthy and conditioning are at the top of Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s head baseball coach Steve Jones’ priority list for the new season. The Eagles played an abbreviated season due to COVID-19 and finished with a record of 18-8 a year ago.
“Our biggest goal at the moment is to just get on the field and stay on the field,” Jones said. “Our expectations are not as high right now because we are going to spend the next three weeks getting back into playing condition. I want to keep us healthy and out of quarantine. When we start getting back to health, we will continue with our regular expectations of competing for a conference championship and getting into the national tournament.”
The Eagles have 32 players on the roster. TAMU-T will use taxi squads when needed, and, as long as those players do not play in more than half of the games or play in the postseason, they do not use up a year of eligibility.
Coach Jones has some redshirt freshmen who will be available to play in games in the instance that other players have to be quarantined.
About 12-13 players from last year return for another year under Jones’ tutelage.
Senior Angel Mauricio returns at catcher, junior first baseman Chris McGinty is back and junior Wyatt Stavinoha returns at third base.
Seniors Cole Chambers and Jaylan Prince are back in the outfield. Most of the pitching staff from last year returns.
“We have good returning players,” Jones said. “We had some guys that planned on returning but decided not to. It hurt our depth a little bit, but if we stay healthy, we’re solid at every position. The talent is there if we stay healthy. I am not as pleased with depth as I usually would be.
“I think we will pinch hit well, and once we get going, get some games under our belts, then we’ll swing it all right. We will play good defense. It has been a slow process in getting the players back mentally as well.”
Jones said players got into COVID mode, in which there was a lot sitting around and staying inside.
“Everyone is kinda going in slow motion,” Jones said. “We’re trying to get back up to the speed of the game that we play, along with the mentality; that is the biggest negative that we are fighting.
“The guys, for a long time, couldn’t go to the gym or do any conditioning. We have to get in good enough shape that we aren’t nursing injuries for the first month of the season; that has been a challenge.”
Jones looks for some new guys to step up. Freshman TJ Krause is new to the team and is a local player from Hooks, Texas.
“I’m old school, and I enjoy the process,” Jones said. “I like getting back together with the guys and going through the ups and downs. I enjoy the interact with everybody, and I love teaching the game. When we shut down last year, we lost a lot of that interaction. Getting it all back has been exciting.”
The Eagles begin their spring season on Friday, Feb. 5.