If Texas A&M's Caleb Shofner continues to stay this hot at the plate, head coach Rob Childress might have a long line of Aggies outside his door asking for Shofner's jersey number after he leaves Aggieland.
Wearing the No. 1 has led to career seasons over the last two years at A&M, and Shofner is well on his way to continuing the trend.
Two years ago, Parker Dalton donned the No. 1, gained a starting spot at second base because of an injury and never relinquished it, hitting .356 and with some surprising power.
Senior third baseman Dane Carter put the No. 1 on his back in 2008 and got off to such a great start that he worked his way into the No. 3 hole in one of the Big 12's best lineups. He was hitting over .400 halfway through the season and finished at .371 with nine triples, hit eight home runs and a team-leading 67 runs scored.
Now it's Shofner turn. The sophomore third baseman switched from No. 40 to No. 1 and has been the toughest out in the Aggie batting order through 11 games.
"I'm just following in their footsteps," Shofner said of Dalton and Carter. "I was really good friends with both of them, and I still talk to both of them. Why not get their number and see what happens?"
What's happened so far has been sizzling. Shofner opened the season with 11 hits in his first 12 at-bats and reached base 18 times in his first 19 plate appearances.
"I don't talk to Caleb. We just let him play," Childress said after the first week of games. "If we start coaching him, it would mess him up."
And yet Shofner credits the coaching staff for his hot start and the opportunity after a slow fall in which he suffered a concussion.
"I missed the last two weeks of the [Fall] World Series, then came out here and on Day 1 I get hit in the eye with a ball and I'm out for another three days," Shofner said. "Then I started hitting well off of lefties and coach told me that I was going to get my opportunity off left-handed pitching, and I did well against them. I was with coach [Jeremy] Talbot in the cage. He really got my approach down to a T, so that's where the credit goes there."
After coming back down to Earth in the Houston Classic and only getting two at-bats in the recent midweek series against Stephen F. Austin, Shofner's average is down to a team-leading .538. He also leads the team in runs with 16 and is tied for third with nine RBIs after coming off the bench and getting a two-run triple in A&M's 8-3 victory over SFA on Wednesday.
"He just embodies what we are as a program," Childress said. "He shows up and puts a lot of sweat in the bucket. Nobody has ever given Caleb anything. He's earned everything he's gotten ever since he's been at Texas A&M."
Some of Shofner's other numbers are pretty impressive going into the No. 6 Aggies' weekend series at Olsen Field against Utah (5-4).
The 6-foot, 185 pounder, who has done most of his damage from the No. 7 or No. 9 hole, is perfect in the field in 10 games, has yet to strikeout in 26 at-bats and has an on-base percentage of .633. He's also been hit by a pitch eight times.
"He reminds me a lot of Parker Dalton, never asks for anything, just an opportunity, and he's put his name in the lineup, not us," Childress said. "I don't know, but that number has been pretty good to the last two guys who wore it, and it's pretty good to him right now."
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NOTES -- Utah will come to Olsen having played all nine of its games on the road. ... A&M pitchers have struck out a Big 12 best 109 in 99 innings. ... A&M has come from behind in six of its nine wins. ... Utah's Rick Cornu hit .444 with three HRs and 12 RBI in its weekend series at Cal State Bakersfield. He was honored as the Moutain West player of the week.
AGGIE BASEBALL
WHO: Utah (5-4) vs. No. 6 Texas A&M (9-2)
WHERE: Olsen Field
WHAT: Three-game series
WHEN: Friday and Saturday at 6:35 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
STARTING PITCHERS: Game 1 -- A&M's Brooks Raley (2-0, 2.25) vs. Utah's Andrew Wilding (0-1, 3.00); Game 2 -- A&M's Alex Wilson (1-1, 1.42) vs. Utah's Jordan Whatcott (1-0, 9.00); Game 3 -- A&M's Barret Loux (0-0, 5.23) vs. Bryn Card (1-1, 1.84).
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