With Mizzou baseball’s season officially in the books — for all the wrong reasons — I figured it was the perfect time to look back at the worst conference records in each SEC team’s history. Just a little something to lift everyone’s spirits.
Disclaimer: Due to rule changes over the years and teams shifting conferences, not all have played a full 30-game SEC schedule. These records reflect each team’s worst conference finish in a season with at least 24 games.
Texas A&M: 6-20-1 (2006)
The first year under new head coach Rob Childress — who would eventually lead Texas A&M to two College World Series appearances during his 16-year tenure — didn’t go as planned. Still in the Big 12 at the time, the Aggies were coming off one of the worst seasons in program history, and Childress was brought in to turn things around. That process came with growing pains. Texas A&M finished the season with a No. 66 RPI and an even run differential. While Childress likely wouldn’t say the year met expectations, it was part of the rebuilding process. That growth soon paid off, as the Aggies went on to host NCAA Regionals in both 2007 and 2008.
The bats were ultimately what derailed the season for the Aggies. Of the four players who appeared in at least 50 games, only two hit above .280 — with one leading the team with a .308 average. Outside of that core group, the remaining 12 players who played in at least 10 games combined to hit just .231, well below the team average of .255. That mark ranked last in the Big 12. The Aggies also finished last in the conference in doubles, home runs, walks and RBIs — trailing the next-closest team in RBIs by more than 100.
Poor hitting overshadowed what was one of the top pitching staffs in the Big 12 that season. Texas A&M finished third in the conference with a 3.56 ERA and ranked among the top three in WHIP, hits allowed per nine innings and home runs allowed per nine — all in a good way. While most of the staff was used out of the bullpen, the rotation was anchored by three pitchers who made at least 10 starts, two of whom posted ERAs under 4.00. The lone pitcher to start exclusively was junior Austin Creps, who made 11 starts and finished with an impressive 2.20 ERA. The bullpen was led by Hart Hering, who made a team-high 32 appearances and recorded a standout 2.81 ERA. On a staff with only six upperclassmen, the Aggies could have found far more success had the offense held up its end.
The lone tie came in the third game of a three-game series against Kansas State, which was called in the sixth inning with the score tied 1-1.