Texas A&M pitcher Ryan Prager believes the impact that assistant coach Max Weiner has had on the pitching staff cannot be underestimated. Weiner joined the Aggies’ staff this season after spending five years as the pitching coordinator for the MLB’s Seattle Mariners.
He’s helped A&M to rank No. 3 in the country as a team with a 3.80 ERA (up from 5.66 in 2023), and also coached Evan Aschenbeck to an NCAA-leading 1.54 ERA. Throughout three CWS contests, the Aggies have surrendered only three runs. They pitched a 6-0 shutout against Florida with 14 strikeouts as a team.
Try Fubo for FREE today and don’t miss any of the action!
A&M is one of only two teams in the entire country with multiple pitchers to rank inside the top 25 in ERA, as Prager ranks No. 25 with a 2.88 mark. The pitcher spoke on the impact that Weiner has had on the entire group ahead of Game 1 of the College World Series final against Tennessee on Saturday.
“I think just the impact he’s had on everybody, it’s night and day,” Prager said. “To do it in one year and build trust with somebody, I think that’s super important, is how quickly you can have somebody trust you and build that relationship. I feel he was able to do that from day one.
“I think that’s truly what’s helped us make some steps forward is that there’s a total buy-in from everybody down there in the bullpen.”
The Aggies got off to a 14-0 start this season largely behind their pitching staff and defense. They average 10.8 strikeouts per game to rank seventh in the country and their 3.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio comes in at No. 4.
In Prager’s estimation, none of those numbers would be possible without his pitching coach. Now the Aggies will hope that can carry them to at least two more victories, beginning with Saturday evening.
They certainly believe they can.
“What he’s done, I think he’s just instilled confidence in guys,” Prager said. “Not that guys didn’t have it before, but it’s a new level of it. He’s given you the evidence and helped guys get better, whether it’s stuff. But really the mentality of it, he makes sure everybody is confident in themselves over confident in their stuff.”
The post Ryan Prager on Max Weiner’s impact: ‘It’s night and day’ appeared first on On3.