Aggies’ Kolek blazing own trail
After brother drafted, pitcher making name for self at Texas A&M
James and Brenda Kolek kept their boys busy on the family ranch near Shepherd, but James always made time for at least one thing with Tyler and Stephen: Throwing a baseball, and running out of daylight after a long day of chores was no problem.
“After we’d get done with working or whatever we needed to do, we’d go inside the barn, turn on the lights and just play catch,” said Stephen, a starting pitcher for Texas A&M.
Their father also built a mound in an alleyway near the horse barn, and the brothers would spend hours pitching to each other. Or against a wall with an added buffer, especially as the boys grew older and their arms grew stronger.
“There was a big rubber mat on it,” Tyler said of the large target behind home plate. “It didn’t really matter what we were doing, our dad always made time for us. It wasn’t a strict, written-down schedule, it was just something that we did so much, it helped us get to where we are.”
Thanks in part to that upbringing in the Kolek’s wide open spaces for playing baseball, Tyler (6-5, 260) was the No. 2 overall selection of the 2014 draft to the Miami Marlins, straight out of Shepherd High. A&M coach Rob Childress had been aware of the overpowering righthander for several years prior.
“He was kind of the talk of (amateur baseball) as far as a guy throwing 100 mph out in the Piney Woods,” Childress said. “And we knew he had a little brother, too.”
Stephen (6-3, 215) was a year behind Tyler at Shepherd, and while he was wasn’t reaching 100, he was excelling in his own right.
“Tyler just had a phenomenal senior year (of high school), and when we’d long toss before games he’d throw the ball from foul pole to foul pole,” Stephen said with a chuckle. “I’d throw from the left-field foul pole to right-center field, and the ball would roll to him. He was ridiculous with his arm strength.”
With his brother in the minor leagues and owning a $6 million signing bonus, Stephen signed with A&M, and now likely will earn a chance to pitch in the College World Series, which the Aggies are in for the first time since 2011.
A&M takes on Louisville at 1 p.m. Sunday in TD Ameritrade Stadium in Omaha, Neb. Childress announced on Friday that Corbin Martin, the Astros’ second-round selection on Monday, will start against the Cardinals. Stephen will be available out of the bullpen or perhaps start or pitch in the Aggies’ second game against either TCU or Florida on Tuesday.
“I’m just really proud of Stephen,” said Tyler, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year while in the minor leagues and has rehabilitated since. “When we were 12 or 13 years old, we attended a baseball tournament in Omaha, and it was just a big deal to see the outside of the stadium. Now he might actually pitch in the College World Series. He’s had a great year and deserves every second of this success.”
Stephen especially came on strong as the season wore on, and over one five-week span in SEC play posted a 1.32 ERA and held the opposition to a .176 batting average. In the postseason, he clamped down on Houston in an NCAA Tournament regional finale at Schroeder Park by allowing two runs over 81⁄3 innings while striking out nine.
“Every week throughout this season, he’s gotten better,” A&M outfielder Walker Pennington said. “It’s a really good feeling knowing when a series is on the line, you have him in the rotation.”
Stephen didn’t pitch in the Aggies’ two victories over Davidson in last weekend’s super regional at Blue Bell Park, so his arm should be fresh and lively for any CWS appearance.
“In April, he was our hottest pitcher and had a great performance against the University of Houston in the regional,” Childress said. “He’s pitching his very best when we need him most.”
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