Aggies Geared up for 2023

LAWTON, Okla. – Cameron gets set for the 2023 baseball season after being tabbed 12th in the Lone Star Conference Preseason poll, looking to improve from their 14-34 campaign a season ago.

The Aggies hope the fourth year under skipper Kyle Williams will bring the most success as the squad returns some of their best hurlers from a year ago, with a flurry of offensive product returning to the fold for the Black-And-Gold.

CU will see their season get underway on Friday, Feb. 3rd, in Lubbock, Texas, against the Lubbock Christian Chaps and stretch through Apr. 30th for their season finale at McCord Field against the St. Mary's Rattlers.

Their season will include 12 Lone Star Conference four-game series and a home-and-home mid-week set with Southwestern Oklahoma State as the only non-conference foe on the docket.

The Aggies' offense sees a lot of key returners, namely Beau Williams and Jayce Clem. Beau Williams, a slick-fielding middle infielder that can get on base, will set the table for the team boosting a .311 batting average, a .387 on-base percentage, .559 slugging percentage to the tune of a team-high nine home runs, a triple, and 15 doubles.

Clem provides the pop in the middle of the order, with four home runs a year ago, 13 doubles, and a .484 slugging percentage. He also hit for an over .300 average, something only he and Beau Williams accomplished as returns from last year's squad (minimum 100 at-bats).

On the bump, the Aggies get a lot of surprise production back this season. Led by their ace, Drew Henderson, who pitched against Royals star Bobby Witt Jr in High School, now looks to dominate the Lone Star conference after turning in the best ERA on the team and being the only member of the Aggies with a sub-five ERA a season ago (minimum ten innings pitched). A season ago, Henderson was still returning from an injury; now fully healthy, the Black-and-Gold have their sights set on an even better season from their lead man.

Clayton McClenan and Marcos Feria each return to head coach Kyle Williams' squad this season and offer high upset for CU. Feria flashed no-hit stuff against Eastern New Mexico last season, going four innings of two-hit baseball with just one walk in a seven-game tilt, and did the same against Texas A&M International in his final appearance of 2022 turning in 3.2 innings of work with just one hit allowed, no walks, and a jaw-dropping eight strikeouts.

McClenan, just a Sophomore, made a great impression against the Greyhounds, too, with three innings of one-hit ball as a successor to one of his best outings that came the weekend before against West Texas A&M, where the Keller, Texas native dealt out 4.2 innings allowing just three hits, one run, and striking out three.

The Aggies' changes did not stop on the field; they introduced a new pitching coach over the fall. Cooper Harris comes to CU following a season as n assistant coach at Vernon College, where he held the same title. Harris was an All-Region selection at NOC-Enid and played for Lone Star Conference rivals West Texas A&M from 2019-2021. In 2020, the new pitching tutor held opposing batters to just a .143 average.

Cameron will be tested early and often in the volatile Lone Star Conference, first up being the Chaps of Lubbock Christian, who were pegged for fourth in the conference and feature NCBWA preseason all-region infielder Eduardo Acosta and star hurler Marcos Escalera. That series gets underway on Friday, Feb. 3rd, in Lubbock first pitch is set for 4 p.m.

The Aggies make their home debut at McCord Field in Lawton, Okla., on Feb. 10th against the Angelo State Rams, with the first pitch slated for 3 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Jayce Clem: INF; 6' 3"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#9 Marcos Feria: RHP; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

#34 Drew Henderson: RHP; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#19 Clayton McClenan: RHP; 5' 11"; Junior; R/R

#3 Beau Williams: INF; 5' 10"; Senior; L/R

Players Mentioned

#32 Jayce Clem
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: INF

#9 Marcos Feria
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#34 Drew Henderson
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#19 Clayton McClenan
: 5' 11"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#3 Beau Williams
: 5' 10"; Senior; L/R
: INF