The Battalion — April 27, 2023

Silver Taps Christian Duvall

Owen

May 14, 2001 — March 16, 2023

Sports: Final softball home series against Mizzou SOFTBALL ON PG. 8

Exploitation

of

faith

Christland Church members describe alleged abuse, manipulation, control

By Nicholas Gutteridge @nico_gjc

Content warning: This article discusses suicide and allegations of spiritual and sexual abuse.

Sándor Paull came to College Station in 2017 and founded Christland Church with a group of colleagues, a “church plant team.” The group focused its recruitment efforts on Texas A&M students and began inviting them to Christland. However, A&M students and former members recounted that while initially welcoming, the church soon engulfed them, with many still recovering today from alleged instances of sexual and spiritual abuse, manipulation and mistreatment.

Bush Library celebrates 25 years

Presidential library honors quarter century with community celebration

By Ayden Castillo @ayeitsayden_

The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum welcomed visitors to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Visitors were allowed free admission into the museum all day, with the evening celebration kicking off at 5 p.m.

On April 22 at 5 p.m., the grounds in front of the museum hosted food trucks, bouncy castles and a stage for the evening’s entertainment. The Texas A&M Women’s Chorus opened the event, the Aggieland Mariachi went on after, then the Killer Dueling Pianos. Before the final event started, three community leaders gave speeches reflecting on the museum’s history with College Station. Following the speech a performance was delivered by the Singing Cadets along with a firework display at the end of

“God Bless America.”

Holzweiss said the event was for the community.

“We’ve been here for 25 years, and we want to give back to the community who has given so much to us,” Holzweiss said. “College Station and the Texas A&M community have been unbelievable partners with us for 25 years, and this is our way of saying thank you.”

President Bush put his museum here for a reason, Holzweiss said.

“President Bush put his library here because he loved Texas A&M and he loved the students,” Holzweiss said. “His main driving force in life was ‘public service is a noble calling,’ A&M and the Bush School [of Government and Public Service] embodies that, which is why he wanted his library to be here.”

Holzweiss said the Bush Museum is also getting ready for bigger events to celebrate Bush’s 100th birthday.

“Leading into next year, we will be celebrating President Bush’s 100th birthday,” Holzweiss said. “We have a new building that is under construction and that will be open in 2024, we are planning a series of

events that will lead up to the grand opening of that building.”

Students unfamiliar with the Bush Museum and its legacy shouldn’t be afraid to visit, Holzweiss said.

“We’re here for you,” Holzweiss said. “The students are most welcome at the museum, so please come and check it out, we have new exhibits coming up, we have a Marine Corps art exhibit opening in early June and we will also have an Aggie football exhibit opening in late August.”

Chief Executive Officer of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation Max Angerholzer said the presidential center and foundation wanted to give back and say thank you.

“Tonight is all about the community,” Angerholzer said. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Texas A&M University and the city of College Station. The president and Mrs. Bush embraced this community and they felt like family here, and we want everyone in this community to feel like they have ownership of what we’re doing here at the Bush Presidential Center.”

A&M vet school tops global rankings

Veterinary program climbs

nine spots internationally

By Camila Munoz @camilavmunoz

Texas A&M’s School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences has been ranked 11th globally, sixth in the country and first among SEC schools for veterinary science. The prestigious title was awarded by the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings.

The Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings cover five subject areas and 54 disciplines. This past year, A&M climbed up nine spots, after placing 20th in last year’s rankings.

Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Dr. John R. August said the reason for the increased rankings has to do with the history of the vet school. August said because the vet school has been around for over a century, it has a strong foundation for innovation.

“We have more than 106 years of history, which allows us to get better each year and build on that history,” August said. “Our university is proud of having a vet school and understands the importance of a vet story. It has invested in our schools so we can excel in our program.”

The increased rankings has to do with the continued investment of the university into its programs as well as the academic achievements of the students on the national licensing exam, August said.

“We attract the best students, we hire the

best faculty, and we have the best resources to deliver our programs successfully,” August said. “A lot of it goes back to the success of our students and faculties. At the end of the fall semester of their fourth year, they take the national licensing exam and the state board exams after that. In the fall of 2022, the average of A&M students who took the exam was 93%, compared to the national average of 79%.”

Biomedical sciences senior Jenna Demarus is a pre-vet student who has worked at the large animal hospital, microbiology lab and oncology ward. Her time working at the vet school inspired her to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Demarus

said her goal is to attend A&M’s vet school because of the positive atmosphere, patient teachers and the program’s competitiveness.

“I really like it because we get a lot of repeat patients and clients,” Demarus said. “It’s really good for me to work on rapport with them. I get to have a really close relationship with the dogs that come in every day.”

Demarus originally wanted to go into healthcare, but said the teaching environment and what she has learned about veterinary medicine from the large animal hospital workers made her want to be a veterinary doctor.

VET ON PG. 3

Christland is a “multiethnic, multigenerational church with a heart for students” located five minutes away from A&M. It has 4.8/5.0 stars on Google Reviews, a welcoming website and, when searched online, a majority of the results are generally positive.

But a closer examination of sources from the church, including court documents and leaked records, reveals a different story. Paull, vice president of a network of nationwide churches and lead pastor at Christland, has allegedly stood by while this abuse and mistreatment has run rampant, even personally perpetuating them in some instances, according to insider sources. Yet he has faced no consequences; conversely, sources say he’s thrived — right here in College Station.

A nationwide organization

Christland was founded in 2017 as part of a larger group of churches headed by Steven D. Morgan, the current president of The Network, a collection of 26 churches, with 24 in the United States and two internationally.

In 1987, Morgan, 22 at the time, was arrested for aggravated criminal sodomy against a minor in Kansas, according to court documents, with the court finding “probable cause” that he “unlawfully, knowingly, willfully and feloniously commit[ed] sodomy with a child under sixteen years of age.”

In 1987, Kansas defined aggravated criminal sodomy as sodomy with a child who is not married and is underage, causing a child under 16 years old to engage in sodomy with a person or animal or sodomy with an individual who does not consent.

After initially failing to appear in court, a diversion agreement — a system meant to remove a case from the justice system and resolve it through alternate means — was signed, which required Morgan to attend counseling, have no contact with the victim and have no involvement with youth organizations for three years, among other things, in exchange for dropped charges, a promise that was fulfilled in 1990.

In 1993, Morgan, then 29, began working with Paull, then 20, according to a training resource for pastors Morgan wrote.

He would later invite Paull to become a pastor at Vineyard Community Church, later renamed Vine Church, in Carbondale, Illinois in 1994, becoming the first pastor recruited by Morgan. Together, they would help grow the organization, taking the name The Network, with Paull rising to vice president along with being seated on the board. Over the years, Paull would guide and train multiple pastors before moving to College Station in 2017.

An alleged cycle of control, undeterred Staff, pastors and members would be subject to various forms of “spiritual abuse and systemic gaslighting” from The Network’s “controlling, manipulative and abusive culture,” according to a mission statement from former members and staff who came together to create the website Leaving The Network, or LTN.

Skyler Ray Taylor, the primary webmaster, shared his experience on the website.

“I entered as a spiritual refugee and stayed on as a prisoner,” he wrote in 2022.

Taylor was a member at Vine Church from 2002 to 2014, serving as a staff member from 2007 to 2014. In his writing, he described his time with Morgan and Paull to be one linked to CHRISTLAND ON PG. 4

People dance outside the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library during its 25th anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

BUSH ON PG. 3

Samuel Falade — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M’s School of Veterinary Medicine was given prestigious rankings for its performance and dedication. It ranked 11th globally and sixth in the U.S. in veterinary sciences, and ranked first among the SEC schools.

Kyle Heise— THE BATTALION

Farmers fight against cancer with $6 million grant

Five-year fund allows A&M faculty to research cancer causes, cures

By Emelia Gamaz @EmeliaGGamez

Texas A&M received a $6 million grant to support a new Texas Regional Excellence in Cancer, or TREC, center.

TREC will focus on research regarding genetic and environmental factors in the development of cancer, Co-Director of the Cancer Prevention Clinicogenomics Registry Core Rick Silva, Ph.D., said. There are two core experiments of the center, along with a mentorship program, TREC Director Dr. Kenneth Ramos said.

The grant is a five-year grant, according to Texas A&M Today. The grants are renewable so if the program does well, there is a high chance of receiving another grant, Ramos said. There are additional means to fund the program, such as funding agencies and philanthropy that A&M can receive, Ramos said.

The money will be used for the center as soon as possible, TREC Deputy Director Robert Chapkin, Ph.D., said. Since the grant

was announced, the center’s team has begun planning. The goal is to “hit the ground running,” Champkin said.

“We’ve already met, and we’re interacting and mobilizing with the assumption that the resources will follow us,” Chapkin said. “We have essentially begun, and we are moving forward and launching all of these entities with many, many meetings.”

This is A&M’s first award for a TREC center, Silva said.

“The program is really a training and research resource for faculty to develop and widen their capabilities as they progress through their career,” Silva said.

The center will be administratively housed in the Health Science Center, but faculty from all departments are invited in, Chapkin said.

“We want this to be equal representation,” Chapkin said. “We welcome all academics from [A&M].”

The center’s research will be focused around a theme of molecular and population-level understanding of genetic, social and environmental factors, Silva said. Based on the expertise at A&M it was an appropriate focus, Silva said.

“The expertise of the team was sort of naturally aligned around understanding this triumvirate of a social, environmental and genetic

aspect of cancer development,” Silva said. Ramos said the center will have two core experiments. One experiment will focus on single-cell omics technology to understand the biological complexity, prevention and treatment of different cell types.

“The center itself has created two facility cores that … hopefully in five years time, we’ll be able to put this on the map if you would, in terms of our ability to carry out those experiments,” Ramos said.

The other focus will be a Cancer Prevention Clinicogenomics Registry Core, with Silva as the co-director, according to Texas A&M Today. Clinicogenomics looks at data sets patients provide, so researchers can look at both their genetic and environmental information, Silva said.

“We’re looking at social, socioeconomic, occupational and environmental factors that might contribute to the progression of the high-risk patients to developing cancer,” Silva said.

The center will have a mentorship program to identify early career investigators who have never received independent funding from a major agency, Ramos said. A mentoring plan will be developed so senior investigators can advise the new investigators, Ramos described it as similar to “private consultants” for a proj-

ect.

The program will also allow the early career investigators to receive access to facility cores and expand their network by connecting with others, Ramos said.

“The average age for first-time award receipt by investigators is about 40 years old,” Ramos said. “What we are trying to do with a program like this is shift that curve to the left, [with the mentorship program] you can basically expedite the time that these individuals take to secure their first grant.”

Having better infrastructure and resources makes securing large grants very competitive, Ramos said.

The process of receiving the grant involved submitting a detailed application of the hypothetical center and then competing against the other submissions, Chapkin said.

“You don’t get the money just by applying for it,” Chapkin said. “You’ve got to come out on top.”

Ramos’ goal of the center is to unite all aspects of cancer research to impact the field and community, he said.

“I want to bring those different communities together in a way that enables A&M to develop very innovative strategies for prevention, treatment, and progression of cancer patients down the road,” Ramos said.

OPAS announces ‘Astonishing’ Season 51

Student Committee. Correa said she looks forward to the lineup announcement because it allows her to spend time with community members.

By Michaela Rush @Michaela4Batt

Hundreds of theater-lovers gathered in a pinked-out Bethancourt Ballroom for the OPAS season 51 announcement on Tuesday, April 18, at 6 p.m. With the theme “Astonishing!”, the program hopes to highlight female protagonists, while offering a variety of programs for all audiences.

OPAS Executive Director Anne Black said the success of the 50th anniversary season’s two sold-out mainstage musicals made planning a follow-up season particularly difficult.

“Piecing a season together to follow a 50th anniversary might seem daunting — it was — but this year’s programming advisory committee met this challenge with great enthusiasm and we were able to create a season that builds on the success of last year,” Black said.

Business honors and marketing senior Bella Correa, one of the evening’s hosts, is the current director of education outreach and the director of publicity and advertising for OPAS

“Getting to hear the shows is very exciting, a lot of us are really big fans of Broadway shows, and it’s really exciting to see shows that we’ve come to love over the years finally arrive at A&M, and shows that maybe we’ve never heard of,” Correa said. “It’s a really good way to get involved with the community in a way that’s different than a normal performance night … getting to do [special events] with your friends is super fun.”

For those interested in joining the student side of OPAS, Correa said the organization has been a great way for her to stay involved with the arts, even as she pursues a business degree.

“I did theater in high school and it was a huge part of my life, and I was looking for a way to stay involved in it, even as a non-theater or non-performance major, and OPAS was just a great outlet for that,” Correa said. “I love being involved with the behind-thescenes part of theater, so it was a great way to do that and meet friends who are also big fans of theater and want to be involved in the arts

and bond over that.”

Sandra Schwartz, an OPAS season ticket holder, said she is particularly excited about the 2023-24 shows because of one of the returning programs, and said there’s something in the lineup for everyone.

“I’m excited for The Barricade Boys because we were here last year and it was a mess with the soundboard, I’m glad they’ll get to come back and do it right,” Schwartz said. “I love how they’ve tried to cover everybody in the community, whether you have little ones or if you’re a 1940s or [19]50s doo-wop fan.”

In addition to the announced lineup, Black said another show is currently in the works, and the team hopes to announce it by the end of the summer.

Fundraising committee OPAS Encore! presented the program with $275,000 — its highest donation yet — to support family programs, special educational programs and enhanced programming by the organization.

Season and priority single tickets will be available beginning June 1 in-person at the MSC Box Office and online via the OPAS website. Below is a full list of the 2023-24 performances, ordered by date:

“Come From Away” Sept. 19-20 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“The Barricade Boys” Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“Stacey Kent” Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre

“Mean Girls” Nov. 1-2 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“Voctave” Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre

“Jesus Christ Superstar” Nov. 15-16 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“Cirque Dreams Holidaze” Dec. 5-6 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“To Kill A Mockingbird” Jan. 16-17, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“Forever Young” Feb. 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Theatre

“Little Women” Feb. 13-14, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“The Doo Wop Project” Feb. 21, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“Bluey’s Big Play” March 2, 2024 at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., March 3, 2024 at 2 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

“Pink Martini featuring China Forbes” March 21, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium

ConchoUSA: The newest Aggie-run hat company

By John Chapa @JDChapaBatt

Two Texas A&M students pursued their lifelong dream of working for themselves rather than somebody else with their hat business, ConchoUSA. The small business has experienced massive success, including the fulfillment of a large custom order for a professional baseball player’s BBQ business.

Finance junior Carter Kuo saw the opportunity to produce flat, rope-style hats with the block-T logo, a symbol significant to A&M, after witnessing the lack of the popular style and design in College Station stores. Kuo said he and agricultural economics sophomore Jackson Scheen, his friend and business partner, planned accordingly for the launch but didn’t anticipate how popular their products

BUSH CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

Angerholzer said he wants the community to know the Bush Presidential Center is part of the Aggie experience.

“We are proud to be at the Bush Presidential Center,” Angerholzer said. “You have the Presidential Library and Museum, the Bush School and the George and Barbara Bush Foundation. We all work together to

VET CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

“They are super willing to point things out to me and teach me things,” Demarus said. “They really want you to grow, even if you’re just an undergrad student and that’s really refreshing because you hear a lot of negativity

would become.

“We started talking about [ConchoUSA] over the summer,” Kuo said. “We’d meet in a coffee shop in Austin and plan designs and different aspects of the business. We launched our first line of hats, the block-T and our brand’s hats, in the middle of September. We didn’t know what demand would look like with our first orders but the demand was great. We were surprised with how many people wanted the hats. Then we started working with the licensing department at A&M to start using the trademark and represent the university with our hats.”

Scheen brought a lot of connections and knowledge to ConchoUSA. Working for his father’s start-up prior to the company’s founding, Scheen said he understood the manufacturing side of the hat business and secured two factories overseas to produce their hats. He said that ConchoUSA can provide students with A&M hats they really want to wear.

“Looking around [A&M], we were like, man there aren’t really any good-looking hats,” Scheen said. “No one really wears A&M hats here, especially at our age because

spread the legacy of the president and Mrs. Bush. I want every student here at Texas A&M to feel like this is part of their experience.”

Angerholzer said what new items will be included in the new exhibit opening next year.

“We are really excited to be here tonight to bring attention to what we are doing,” Angerholzer said. “Next year is going to

about the medical field, whether that’s veterinary or human. And I think that the support that A&M gives its workers and students is really awesome.” Biomedical sciences freshman Lauren LaRue applied to A&M in hopes of attending the vet school one day and the new rankings

they don’t have styles we like to wear. We thought, ‘That’s ridiculous, let’s fix that.’ We started with the block-T and operated without the license for a while but we now have it and are able to make cool-looking A&M hats. We have so much room to work with in terms of styles and materials.”

Along with the production of A&M licensed hats and ConchoUSA branded hats, the company also produces hats made-toorder. The most recent custom order came from Houston Astros third baseman, Alex Bregman, who ordered 1,000 custom hats for his BBQ business, Breggy Bomb, Kuo said.

“We’ve started working with other companies to design them a hat and manufacture them … this past week, we delivered a thousand custom hats to Alex Bregman’s BBQ joint company,” Kuo said. It’s pretty cool because he posted a video of a bunch of his teammates wearing the hats.”

ConchoUSA is making a name for itself as the business continues to grow in popularity, styles and brand image. The name ConchoUSA itself comes from where the company found its roots, Scheen said.

be President Bush’s 100th birthday and we are going to have a big celebration over the course of 12 to 18 months where we try to remind people of the values and legacy of President Bush. We will be expanding the library to include Union Pacific locomotive 4141 and a Marine One helicopter.”

What students and the community should know about the Bush legacy is that it represents A&M, Angerholzer said.

have only increased her passion for applying. LaRue is attending a pre-vet trip to Guatemala through A&M to improve her knowledge in the veterinary field.

“It’s called Volunteers Around the World, and it’s through A&M, I am really excited and just want to do what I can to improve

“That summer when we thought about doing the company we went fishing a good bit … we’d drive out three hours to West Texas and passed a sign that said Concho country,” Scheen said. “Upon passing it one day I said, ‘Hey what about concho? It’s a cool name, let’s go with that.’ We spent a lot of time out there that summer, the Concho River and Concho County, from Texas and we’re Texans, so that’s how it came to be.”

The two Aggies are accomplishing their dreams of being their own boss, Kuo said.

“I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship and working for myself because I don’t have a desire to be working for someone else,” Kuo said. “In high school, I started a lawn mowing business with a buddy because I’d rather work for myself sweating in the sun than working as a lifeguard for someone else. I’ve always liked the autonomy of doing something myself and creating something. I didn’t necessarily know it would be hats but I’ve always liked doing something myself.”

To learn more about ConchoUSA, visit their website and Instagram.

“The Core Values of Texas A&M are synonymous with how President Bush lived his life; putting others before yourself, selfless service,” Angerholzer said. “I think with all the challenges we are facing domestically and around the world, all of us should be looking at the life and career of president Bush to see how do we build coalitions, how do we work together and rise above our differences.”

my chances of getting into the vet school,” LaRue said. “I went into biomedical sciences because they have a pre-vet track, and I loved how A&M works with students to ensure our success when it comes time to apply to vet school.”

Criticism: Three singles from three artists, reviewed

Album critic Shea Kissell ranks singles to wrap up spring season

By Shea Kissell @SheaKissell

This spring, rap music has been blooming in full force. In the past week, three different artists from various subgenres and styles all released singles, which are all interesting in their own right.

“Search & Rescue” — Drake (5/10)

“Her

Loss” with 21 Savage, Drake never waits too long between releases. On his single, “Search and Rescue,” he retains a similar melodic style. The production also bears quite a lot of resemblance to what was heard on “Her Loss.”

All in all, it sounds like it could have been a b-side.

It has some catchy, headbanging moments especially toward the end. But the four-anda-half minute runtime definitely detracts from the overall song. At the end of the day, it sounds just like every other song Drake has made.

As is common for Drake, “Search & Rescue” quickly rose to the top of the rap/rhythm and blues chart.

“Strike (Holster)” — Lil Yachty (8/10)

Moving on to Lil Yachty, “Strike (Holster)” was released the same night as Drake’s own single.

Lil Yachty’s single, which was released alongside a couple of hits from his album earlier this year, is guaranteed to capture your attention.

The rapper’s new psychedelic style has found plenty of popularity, and he only continues his success with this song. This time, however, there is an extra edge that adds some aggression to the song that was not there on “Let’s Start Here.”

The song has a purely enjoyable flow to it. Lil Yatchy continues to grow and evolve as an artist with this track.

“Fallin’” — Joey Bada$$ (6/10)

Joey Bada$$, one of the biggest boom-bap rappers around today, released “Fallin’” as the third major release of April 7. His 2022 album “2000” was a major artistic success, and incorporated retro style with modern techniques and skills. It is safe to say Joey Bada$$ is one of the most talented rappers circulating in the underground. With “Fallin’,” he dips into a jazzy, rhythm and blues style which he previously had not explored to this extent. The result is a smooth, hazy and heavy song that is bound to generate hype for the artist’s future projects.

Founders of ConchoUSA, Jackson Scheen and Carter Kuo on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

Ishika Samant — THE BATTALION

Student-founded business takes Texas by storm

Photo courtesy of The Dude/WikiCommons

grooming and control.

“Steve spent his entire career as a pastor grooming young men to be utterly loyal to him,” Taylor wrote. “At conferences and retreats, young men from Vine Church would be rounded up and presented by Sándor to Steve.”

What followed would be a call from Paull, where he would reveal “that he and Steve feel like God is calling you to be a pastor,” according to Taylor’s account. They would then rise through The Network’s ranks, with the “most loyal being promoted to ever higher positions.”

The Battalion reached out to Taylor, who responded through email. In a written statement, he emphasized the role Paull played in The Network’s growth.

“Sándor’s primary role in The Network is to ensure Steve Morgan’s directives are carried out and to identify very young men to present to Steve for consideration as future leaders.” Taylor wrote. “These men whom Sándor has identified for Steve have nearly always been current students at a university when they were recruited.”

Taylor noted Paull would even go as far as to watch over children, preparing them for a leadership role in The Network.

“Do you know how long it takes for me to release a pastor here into that role,” Paull said in audio shared by Taylor. “There’s some of you in this room — I’ve been watching you since you were five, wondering if that’s what God’s built you to be.”

Taylor wrote that Paull’s involvement was instrumental in The Network’s rapid expansion into college towns nationwide, sharing that Paull recruits young individuals into “church plant” teams, where they uproot their lives to move to new towns, starting churches and spreading The Network.

“[A&M] students should be aware that The Network specifically targets college students and that Sándor Paull, in particular, has been incredibly effective at convincing students to become loyal to the organization,” Taylor said. “Nearly every leader in this organization began their involvement with The Network as a college student.”

Taylor shared those who have reached out to LTN have described “priority shifts to stay at a Network church rather than continuing after college … and the increased control Network leaders exert over large and small decisions in their lives.”

“In some cases, young men have been flown to Austin to meet with Steve Morgan directly at his home,” Taylor said. “Parents, siblings and friends describe feeling helpless as they watch their loved ones get drawn deeper and deeper into the group.”

Paull spoke at The Network’s Summer Leadership Conference in 2018, where he emphasized the importance of forgoing individualism in exchange for devotion towards one’s leaders — even if they’re wrong.

“We are trained and conditioned that I have to give my opinion,” Paull said in a recording of the 2018 conference. “My voice has to be heard. And the truth is … your voice and your opinion doesn’t matter if Jesus hasn’t put you in that role of responsibility. We’re all in danger of thinking too highly of our own opinions.”

Throughout the conference, Paull spoke on multiple topics surrounding leadership, including his own.

“I had four staff members leave in one semester, and I remember calling Steven saying, ‘Steve, is it me?’” Paull said in the recording. “Because sometimes it is, right? Sometimes, yeah, it is you. And when he said, ‘I don’t think so. I think they’ve got their things,’ I chose to trust him because I believe that if it was me, he loves me enough that he’d tell me.”

On Christland’s website, the “Kids Programs” curriculum conveys a similar tone, with the children having to memorize Proverbs 3:5-6, most notably the message “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Morgan also presented a related message in a 2011 teaching at Blue Sky Church in Seattle, comparing the ideal member to one that is similar to an “obedient child” following their parents.

“It shouldn’t be that your small group leader is exhausted by you,” Morgan said in the

audio. “Do you know there’s such a thing as getting what you think you want and having it cause you great harm?”

Hidden and belittled: The accused sodomy of a minor

Despite the alleged crime occurring in 1986, it stayed hidden from the public until the court documents were revealed in 2022, according to the documents posted in an article on LTN. Paull first went to Joshua Church in Austin on July 10, 2022, where Morgan is the lead pastor, to distribute a letter detailing The Network’s response to the situation, reaffirming their “commitment to serve alongside [Morgan] in his work.”

He then spoke to Christland Church about the situation on July 17, 2022. Paull would reveal he had known about the alleged aggravated sodomy of the minor for 27 years but was “opposed to having to speak to a person’s forgiven sin” because “biblically, it’s forgotten by God,” as Paull claimed the incident happened before Morgan had converted to Christianity.

In his speech, Paull would go on to describe the situation to the churchgoers, divulging that it allegedly occurred at a Mormon summer camp between Morgan, 22, and a 15-yearold boy. However, because the charges were dropped due to the diversion agreement, he believes there were “not malicious acts of violence that were involved.”

“There’s been no cover up,” Paull said in the recording. “There has been no concealment.”

However, Andrew Lumpe, a former staff member of The Network, posted a story on LTN that shows the extent of Paull’s involvement. Lumpe was told about Morgan’s alleged abuse in 2007, later contacting Steve Tracy, Ph.D, a theology professor who specializes in abuse within churches, among other things, in the wake of the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements in 2019.

“I believe that committing sexual assault/ abuse … does disqualify someone from vocational ministry,” Tracy said in a written message to Lumpe. “I don’t see any way someone who has sexually assaulted, regardless of whether it was before or after their conversion, can meet these biblical qualifications.”

Lumpe included this excerpt in a letter he sent to Paull, who then flew to California to meet with him, where Paull told Lumpe the situation had already been handled within the church.

“Sándor stated that they would not be taking any actions,” Lumpe said. “Sándor also stated that they would not be contacting outside experts.”

Throughout the meeting, Paull supported Morgan, emphasizing the crime “happened before he was a Christian.”

“I asked if they would hire a youth group leader at their churches, if they knew the person had an alleged sex assault crime background like Steve’s,” Lumpe said. “Sándor hesitated, then answered with a sheepish ‘maybe.’ I further pressed him if he would let his then 17-year-old daughter attend a youth group led by a person arrested for sexual assault. He would not answer.”

Ben Powers, a former lead pastor of City Lights Church in St. Louis, Missouri, later reached out to Tracy, providing more detail on the alleged crime.

“The family of the boy Steve raped found Leaving The Network and reached out to us giving us more details of the crime,” Powers wrote in a message in 2022. “The boy was 15 years old at the time, and after the assault, suffered in many ways and still does today.”

When speaking to Christland in 2022, Paull’s sentiment was unchanged, saying the board, appointed by Morgan according to page 11 of The Network’s Operating Bylaws, found no wrongdoing, even mentioning that he was on two of the four boards that looked into it.

“This is not something that the Bible prohibits,” Paull said in the recording. “I’ve shared this in … detail [with members of staff and] I am very thankful that … we are in absolute complete unity at Christland in terms of what we believe.”

Paull then reaffirmed his commitment to Morgan once more, stating that they are “thankful for Steve’s strong yet humble leadership, depth of love, Christ-honoring character.”

“Doctrinally, there’s been no miscarriage of justice,” Paull said. “It’s not a betrayal of pastoral trust, responsibility. I want to be more like him. I do. He is a better man than me, in his character and his gifting and his obedience to Jesus.”

He went on to reassure Christland members about safety protocols regarding children, stating that no church in The Network has ever had someone “with that background” in their Kids Program, nor have they ever “had an investigation nor needed it.”

A recording tells a different story, however.

Alex Dieckmann, lead pastor at Rock River Church in San Marcos, a church involved in The Network, taught a session at the Network Leadership Conference in 2019. During this session, he revealed the apparent molestation of a minor.

“There’s a woman who hadn’t confessed something her whole life,” Dieckmann said in the audio. “She was molested as a child, and then what happened was, because that happened, she did the same to someone else. She would be around kids and serving in the Kids Program. She could not hold a child without thinking back. I prayed for her and just prayed [for] healing.”

Texas’ mandatory reporting law requires suspected child abuse be reported to the proper authorities, with a failure to do so resulting in a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment of up to one year and/or a fine of up to $4,000.

The audio indicates the individual continued serving in the Kids Program after Dieckmann heard the story and no report was made. The Battalion reached out to Dieckmann and Rock River Church multiple times but received no response.

Christland’s website states their willingness to share a copy of their training manual for their Kids Program upon request, but The Battalion received no response upon inquiry. However, the manual was shared by an anonymous Christland attendee.

In the five-page training manual, there is no mention of the mandatory reporting law, instead telling volunteers to “contact a Christland staff member immediately” if they suspected a child was a victim of abuse.

A separate anonymous attendee described the training they underwent at Christland, using the alias “Alex” to protect against retaliation.

“It was just like a 30-minute meeting with the Kids Program director on my first Sunday … and she just kind of walked me through how it’s done,” Alex said. “She said they were going to do a background check, but I don’t believe I ever had one done. I immediately started serving that very day. From my understanding, that’s what the training looked like for everyone.”

A separate anonymous source from Christland, referred to as “Sam,” was an attendee and member who helped found the church in 2017. They said the church’s Kids Program emphasized safety for participants.

“Sándor would regularly, up on the podium on Sundays, say, ‘Your kids are safe, we do background checks on all of our workers before they’re allowed to serve,’” Sam said.

Despite being founded in 2017, emails shared with The Battalion indicate Christland only instructed volunteers to undergo a background check in 2022 — around two weeks after Morgan’s court documents were revealed.

One email from Cody Dicks, a student from Southern Illinois University, or SIU, before joining Vine Church and later becoming staff pastor at Christland, stated that Kids Program volunteers would do a background check using a company named Checkr to “sync the background checks of our volunteers with our church database,” as it would “allow all the information to be in one location for ease of filing and organization.”

Despite the email indicating that Christland had access to background checks from volunteers, none of the multiple sources The Battalion contacted had any recollection of volunteers undergoing one.

“No one from the church plant had a background check done, and we were the first ones serving in the Kids Program,” Sam said. “So they weren’t running checks from the very beginning. The whole team got a 20-minute training during one of the [church] plant

meetings, and then the Kid’s director said, ‘Now you are all officially trained to serve in the Kids Program,’ and that was that.”

Emma Wright, Class of 2022 and former Christland member, shared a similar experience. “To be honest, there wasn’t really any training,” Wright said. “There was no type of certification, no type of online course you had to take. I don’t think anybody would have been able to recognize any signs of abuse unless they were really, really obvious.”

Attempts to infiltrate a university

Sam said that in the founding group had any experience or affiliation with A&M, hypothesizing that The Network chose the area because A&M fits the target demographic well.

“Before we planted, we had prep meetings … we were learning the culture of A&M, the Aggie traditions, ways to fit in, like ‘Aggies don’t boo, they hiss,’ the ‘Gig ‘Em’, who’s allowed to say whoop,” Sam said.

In Illinois, Sam said Paull and the leaders encouraged small groups — groups meant to study the Bible — to compete over who could search Christland the most, as it would move it up the list of options when those in the A&M area searched online for churches. This continued once they arrived in College Station, as noted in a June 19, 2017 email.

“We need to be searching for ‘church in college station tx’ rather than anything else,” Paull relayed in 2017. “It already has the highest ranking and will continue to be higher as it has the least competition.”

A different email from June 7, 2017 had a similar message.

“I wanted to remind all of us to take time to get on our website,” Paull wrote. “We REALLY [sic] need to be in the first page of search results by the week before the TAMU semester begins.”

Sam noted one of Paull and Christland’s initial priorities was getting a Recognized Student Organization, or RSO, approved.

“They do work really hard to get at least one or two students who are on the church plant into A&M so they can register Christland as an RSO,” Sam said. “Then, they can do more school-sanctioned events.”

The Battalion found an RSO under the name of “Christland College Ministry” with a link leading to Christland’s website. The public contact for the RSO is economics senior Madison Guye, a member of the initial group that came to Christland in 2017 and current small group leader at the church, according to Christland’s website. She began attending A&M in 2019.

Guye did not respond to multiple requests for a comment.

The Battalion found that two separate network churches, Joshua Church and Rock River Church, established RSO’s in their respective cities at University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University in San Marcos, with more likely existing in other colleges around the nation. According to their 2022 constitution, UT’s RSO invites students and takes them to Joshua Church, where Morgan is the lead pastor.

In another email, Jackson MacLachlan, a staff pastor that “focuses on reaching college students” according to his biography on Christland’s website, sent out a request for students to work shifts at the Memorial Student Center Open House, an event that occurs at the beginning of every semester.

Scan the QR code for the entire story

“For those of you who haven’t helped with this before, the event exists for students to make some quick connections and see what volved with,” MacLachlan wrote. “The best time of year to catch students is the first 3

student organizations are out there to get inweeks.”

Alex said MacLachlan would have shifts of

students walk around A&M handing out Airheads with an attached card detailing Christland’s information, something they said usually took place the first month of every semester.

“It was always by inviting,” Alex said.

Christland Church on Highway 6 in College Station on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Ishika Samant— THE BATTALION

Opinion: Pro-life, in all aspects

Assistant opinion editor Ryan Lindner considers future of the pro-life movement in Texas

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022 and the subsequent Texas trigger law banning almost all abortions in the state, the question remains: What is the next step for the pro-life movement in Texas?

Throughout the last 50 years, the objective was clear — stop abortions by repealing Roe v. Wade, and then lobby state legislatures to outlaw the procedure. It was a straightforward and effective game plan, but with victory comes the need to refocus on new goals.

For the pro-life movement, the perfect case study is right here in College Station.

According to the on-campus student organization, Pro-Life Aggies, or PLA, the plan is to create a “culture of life” in Aggieland and statewide. This starts not just with fighting against abortion but, more importantly, addressing the underlying reasons a woman may consider the procedure.

Political science senior and President of PLA Grace Howat said she wasn’t originally pro-life, but after studying fetal development

and abortion methods, she realized that “life does start at conception, and that life is valuable and worthy of protection and that abortion is wrong.”

She went on to say one of the main goals of PLA is to provide women with the resources and support to choose life.

“We as pro-lifers need to be there for women and children both before and after birth,” Howat said. “Our second mission right now is just to love all those women and make sure they know there are people here for them who are willing to help them through pregnancy and after pregnancy and be with them at every step.”

In keeping with this goal, PLA recently announced its annual Pregnant and Parenting Student Scholarship results, which raised $20,000 from bake sales, profit shares, their annual 5K Fun Run and private donations. The money was then given to 14 applicants currently enrolled at Texas A&M or Blinn who are either pregnant or parenting. When asked about what other services PLA provides, biomedical engineering senior and Vice President of PLA Jackson Roberson pointed to the free babysitting they do during the academic year, allowing parenting students

to go to class without worrying about paying for expensive daycare.

For Jackson, the spine of the pro-life movement is its desire to serve women in need and address the root causes of abortion.

“What gives us validity is that we’re not just there to protest [abortion], but we’re there to help,” Jackson said. “I think that should be truly the heartbeat of what we do is to serve pregnant parenting students, moms and preborn kids.”

Aside from the work done by PLA, many other resources in the College Station area, such as Hope Pregnancy Center and the Elizabeth House Maternity Home, focus exclusively on helping women with the struggles of pre and post-pregnancy. From free pregnancy tests, counseling and health services to baby supplies and educational assistance, there’s a place in Bryan-College Station willing to help.

So, what does all this say about the pro-life movement in general? If anything, it provides a roadmap for the recentering of the movement away from being seen as only anti-abortion to being pro-life in all aspects. That means supporting soon-to-be mothers, caring for current ones and creating an environment where children are considered blessings, not burdens.

The sadness of abortion is that it’s always pointed toward a deeper problem in our society. Most women who undergo the procedure are not doing it carelessly or because they don’t believe it’s a big deal; they do it because they see no other realistic alternative. Life is complicated, scary and often cruel. Bringing another human into the world can seem like the death of all personal goals and aspirations.

The purpose of the pro-life movement should be to build a culture that understands and respects these concerns without bringing shame. It must provide a support system with a clear message reassuring all women that they aren’t alone. Whether through volunteerism, lobbying the state legislature to pass bills alleviating some of the natural struggles of parenting or providing monetary and health resources, the child and mother’s well-being should always be front and center.

Outlawing abortion was never going to be enough. The strong arm of the law is no substitute for the helping hands of a supportive community. As the saying goes, “It takes a village,” and the work is only just beginning. Ryan Lindner is a political science sophomore and assistant opinion editor for The Battalion.

Opinion: Mexican food saves an Aggie’s life

Opinion writer Lilia Elizondo shares the time a Mexican restaurant reinvigorated her love of life, gave her the will to march on

Lilia Elizondo

@LiliaElizondo5

When asked if I can cook, I usually say yes, but what I really mean is that I’m great at preparing cereal, Tyson chicken nuggets and — if I am feeling risky — scrambled eggs, so my “Ratatouille” journey at Texas A&M has been one of some challenges and tribulations.

Everyone told me college would be drastically different from my life back home. For the most part, it felt easy to transition into. I was pretty good at cleaning, managing money, school and making new friends.

I thought, “Well yeah, leaving your entire family and culture is hard, but I need a chance to be by myself. I need my independence! I am great!”

I loved opportunities for personal transformations, and I looked forward to new experiences to do so. However, one change I sure wasn’t prepared for was the food in college.

You can say I was a follower of the food pyramid. I got my veggies in when I had ketchup with my fries, my fruits with the strawberry ice tea refresher and my protein with tuna packets. You can say I was eating, but the empty pit in my stomach remained forever unsatisfied.

Growing up in a 95% Hispanic town with family from Mexico, I got to grow up with Mexican food — the best cuisine in the world. Quesadillas, fajita, migas and machacado were regular for me.

The furthest I’d have to travel to get high quality, home cooked food was taking a walk to my fridge. So eating pre-prepared cold tuna packets was the cold slap of reality — I wasn’t fine. I missed home. I missed good food.

Maybe this just sounds like I was hungry, but I wasn’t. I was sad. Food isn’t just sustenance — it’s memories and joy.

Without my food, I no longer knew the smell of warm potatoes and salsa in the morning. The cold oatmeal neither kept me happy or gave me the opportunity to talk to my mom in the morning.

Sure, I had flaky cookies and gluten free brownies, but that didn’t mean I got to fight with my sister over the last slice of cinnamon pan dulce. I no longer spent my Sundays swimming, and enjoying thick tortillas and my dad’s carne asada. Instead, I spent two hours in my cold kitchen, meal prepping unseasoned chicken and rice in silence.

This was my reality for months. I began to dread food, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to go home. Because of school and a plethora of other responsibilities, I found it really hard to take care of myself.

I just gave up until I had the worst date of my life.

I won’t go into the details of the date in order to avoid post traumatic stress. However, while I definitely had the worst night of my life, I remember ignoring the worst parts of the date when I got to taste how amazing the food was.

The date took place at the best Mexican restaurant in Bryan: Cuco Luco.

As soon as I saw the restaurant had a corner dedicated to the Virgin Mary, I knew I was at the right place. Every single chip made up for every awkward moment. The sauces gave me tingles, which is more than I can say for my date. I drank sweet horchata and ordered the best flautas de pollo. I finished the meal with some crunchy coconut candy, and got to swallow away all the negative feelings.

For the first time since I had been in College Station, I had good food. Not Fuegos, Torchy’s or any other over-priced inauthentic cultural food. I had the real deal.

To truly forget that atrocious date, I started going with my friends and with myself. I love sharing this food with my hometown friends from Austin — who like to visit enemy territory once in a while — and reminisce on our past lives and our shared culture.

The cheesy enchiladas remind us of the lunch meals my mom prepared for us before she drove us to the mall. The cold aguas frescas were just as chilled as the ones that kept us cool for summer. The sense of connection to each other and our home grew.

Even my friends, whom I’ve met here and are not from border towns, love the cuisine and give me a sense of pride when I have the opportunity to show my culture off. While it’s embarrassing that they can handle more spice than me, I get to order in Spanish for them.

I like to go alone too, on rainy days. I get to pretend that it’s like the meals my babysitter, Angeles, prepared for me to eat while I devoured the TV after school. I get to imagine

that in some way I’m eating with just my family. I get to feel like I’m back home.

The new memories I have made at this restaurant inspire me to want to make them with my own food, and I recently actually did. I added some potatoes and salsa to my scrambled eggs — a very small step but a step forward nonetheless.

Eventually, I want to make carne asada, flautas de pollo and flan. I want to be able to look back at these dishes in the future, and light up with the same smile reserved for the moments of my youth.

I didn’t know what I had at home was so special until I moved away from it.The changes we think come so easily hardly ever do if we loved what we had before. I did, and it will always hurt a little to know that I am just growing up, and transitioning into different phases of life.

However, that doesn’t mean I can’t learn from what I was given in the past and make a future with that same beauty. Sure, I still eat some nasty protein bars or overpriced fast food, but instead of just swallowing down the longing for the past and pretending, “I’m great!” I can do something about it.

I can drive down to the best restaurant in town with the people I love right now and make new memories to look back on. I can truthfully say yes when asked if I know how to cook.

Lilia Elizondo is an English senior and opinion writer for The Battalion.

Ryan Lindner @RyanLindner12

Pro-Life Aggies ‘Memorial of the Innocents 2023’ display in front of the Academic Building on Monday, April 17, 2023.

Photo courtesy of Pro-Life Aggies

Silver Taps

May 14, 2001 — March 16, 2023

CHRISTIAN DUVALL OWEN

A selfless young man, who spread smiles to all

By Michaela Rush

Those who knew environmental studies junior Christian Owen knew him as a helping hand, a kind heart and a spreader of joy. Though he grew up attending small schools, his mother, Kelly, said he knew right away Texas A&M was the right college for him.

“I think, to some extent, we were a little concerned about the size of A&M and he said, ‘No, it’s absolutely where I am supposed to be, the values and caliber of it are where I belong, and I want to have to stretch and make the transition from a class of 100 to something the size of A&M,’” Kelly said. While he originally planned to study ranch management or another agricultural major, at A&M Christian found a love and appreciation for the environment, which was deepened through his studies.

“He realized the environment was where his truest passion was,” Kelly said. “He just so loved that [environmental studies] program at A&M. He’d call every day and share things from his classes that he had learned and research that they studied. He was just soaking it all in, and it had led him to the decision that he wanted to do environmental law and was going to take the LSAT this summer.”

Christian’s father, Steve, said he could be very persuasive when it came to his environmental passion.

“I was in the oil and gas business for 45 years and he and I had a lot of discussions about it,” Steve said. “He convinced me to go on ‘the dark side,’ which was his side. He was very convincing and he was an excellent debater.”

In all parts of life, Christian shared his joy of life with everyone he met, during good and bad times, going out of his way to make people smile. Steve recalled Christian picking up a friend in the middle of the night after a car accident and taking the time to sit with her.

“She had a lot of girl friends she could’ve called, but she called him because she knew he’d be there,” Steve said. “Everything anyone would ever ask [of him] he would do.”

His overwhelming light is also remembered by his sister, Kaitlin, who wrote the following in an email to The Battalion.

“He oozed southern hospitality/geniality with his polite manners, twinkling blue eyes, mischievous grin and infectious laugh,” Kaitlin wrote. “He was always the funniest person in the room … He possessed that rare ability to make you laugh until you cry or run out of breath. In our family, we used to joke that he could never get in trouble because he would make our mom laugh so hard that she forgot the issue in the first place.”

Christian was a member of the Iron Spikes, a men’s social,

spirit and service organization at A&M, and will be remembered through the organization’s Christian Owen Award, given to a member who “exemplifies a personal attitude and leads by positivity and respect.” Psychology senior and Iron Spikes president Luke Werner said through this award, Christian’s legacy will live on.

“He is just so kind and selfless, there was not a single bad bone in his body,” Werner said. “Every single action he made was out of the kindness of his heart for other people. He respected everyone and everything, he always treated other people with respect and was never mean or condescending to anybody. He was the person who would always bring people up rather than knock them down.”

To honor Christian, the Iron Spikes organization held a memorial service in lieu of a normal weekly meeting, and invited everyone to stand and share their memories. Though his loss was difficult, Werner said even in his passing, he brought people together.

“Even in his absence he was connecting people … for a lot of these people it was their first time experiencing any death, it hit them pretty hard, even the people who didn’t know him super well,” Werner said. “Even when he wasn’t there, he

made everyone grow closer, which is what he was so good at doing the whole time.”

Christian will also be remembered through a scholarship in his name at his alma mater, the Casady School. This is the first named scholarship in the school’s history, Kelly said.

“It was because of the kind of person and student that Christian was that they didn’t bat an eye,” Kelly said, “Christian would want that opportunity to be given to somebody who wouldn’t have that opportunity any other way, and had the character and the drive and leadership.”

During the Iron Spikes memorial, Werner said a member encouraged everyone to ‘just live like Christian,’ a charge that Kaitlin echoed in her email.

“My family will forever mourn the loss of our best friend, son and brother,” Kaitlin wrote. “We will always have an enormous hole in our hearts, minds and souls. Despite this inconceivable circumstance, we will do our best to honor his credo and contribute to his ongoing legacy. We hope that anyone who reads this will do the same. Live fully, love unwaveringly and leave this world better than you found it.”

Kyle McClenagan Managing Editor

Caroline Wilburn, News Editor

Kenzie Finch, News Editor

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Christian was a light in the lives of all he met.

Environmental studies junior Christian Owen was honored at Silver Taps on Tuesday, April 4.

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Farmers lose fight to Sam Houston State

Aggies struggle to find rhythm in fourth midweek game

By Luke White @lukewhite03

If Texas A&M fans didn’t know what a Bearkat was before Tuesday, April 25, they do now.

Sam Houston State’s 9-2 win over Texas A&M baseball at Olsen Field was a combination of factors. These included timely hitting, effective pitching and terrific baserunning, plus a bit of help from three errors by the Aggies. In the end, the maroon and white were left with their fourth midweek loss of the season, each of them at home.

“We’ve got to show up to play every game,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “We can’t take the midweek games off, or you’re not going to have a postseason … I thought our guys were [motivated] too. We just made some really bad pitches in the third inning and even worse in the fifth inning, and it set us back.”

Schlossnagle’s quest to find a reliable starting pitcher continued as redshirt freshman RHP Ty Sexton got the starting nod but lasted just two innings while being credited with the loss. The Montgomery native’s stats came in twos, as he surrendered two runs on two hits and two walks while hitting two batters.

The next two pitchers didn’t fare much better, as Sexton’s high school teammate, freshman LHP Shane Sdao, gave up two runs on three hits in one inning of work. Sophomore

RHP Brad Rudis, after a quick fourth inning with two strikeouts, allowed one earned run and three unearned runs on three hits in the fifth, putting A&M at an 8-1 disadvantage.

Sam Houston State, on the other hand, found much more success in its pitching staff. After a first inning that saw graduate RHP and two-way player Tyler Davis give up a run on two hits, a walk and a strikeout, the Bearkats surrendered just one run the rest of the way.

On top of that, four of Sam Houston State’s five pitchers entered the matchup with earned run averages over 6.00.

A bright spot for the Aggies came in junior RHP Jaren Warwick, who carried just 2.2 innings of experience this season. The Alvin Community College transfer provided some relief to the A&M pitching with two scoreless

frames with one hit, a walk and a hit batter. Warwick found himself in an early jam with runners on third and second with one out in the sixth before receiving extra motivation in a mound visit from Schlossnagle.

“I went out there to the mound and said ‘If you want to go to Arkansas this weekend, strike this guy out,’” Schlossnagle said. ‘“If you strike him out, you get on the plane,’ and he did, so I’ll live up to my word on that one and see if he can’t help us this weekend.”

Junior LHP Brandyn Garcia worked a scoreless frame before sophomore RHP Robert Hogan gave up Sam Houston State’s ninth run of the game in the final inning. In total, the Aggies issued five walks and hit four batters, while the Bearkats walked four and hit one.

“I thought Garcia was great, but everybody else, I mean, they walk more than they strike out,” Schlossnagle said. “We’re 20-5 when we win [the free base war] and now we’re 4-12 when we lose it. I mean, it’s pretty simple.”

A&M’s skipper was even humorously open to the possibility of recruiting freshman The-

odore Neal, Reveille X’s newest handler, based on the pregame first pitch he threw for a strike.

“The guy that handles Reveille went out and threw a strike, did he not?” Schlossnagle said. “I mean, he threw a strike, I didn’t see him get loose. Maybe we should take him with us.”

It didn’t take long for Sam Houston State to take advantage of A&M’s pitching, as Davis, the Bearkats’ starting pitcher, hit an RBI single to right field to score junior 1B Justin Wishkoski, who was hit by a pitch and picked up the first of the orange and white’s six stolen bases. Sexton avoided further damage by catching a line drive and doubling up the runner at first to end the frame.

The Aggies were quick to respond, though, as junior 2B Ryan Targac laced an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman LF Jace LaViolette was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a strikeout ended the jam and left three runners stranded, the first of four innings in which A&M left at least two runners on base.

The Aggies’ lineup was missing a familiar face in junior SS Hunter Haas, who had previously started each of A&M’s 40 games this season. Schlossnagle credited the absence to a minor wrist injury sustained in the series finale against Kentucky over the weekend.

“Could he have played? Probably. But seven games in nine days, and I thought it gave [freshman] Kaeden [Kent] a chance to play shortstop,” Schlossnagle said. “Hopefully the rest will help him to be better this weekend.”

In the third, Davis, now the designated hitter, built upon his .437 average with an RBI double to give Sam Houston State a lead it wouldn’t surrender. One batter later, sophomore C Walker Janek added to the lead with a 2-run blast to left field, making it a 4-1 game.

Janek kicked off a big fifth inning for the Bearkats by reaching on an error by Targac. Sam Houston State followed with two straight singles, including an RBI base hit by junior RF Clayton Chadwick, who proceeded to reach home on a wild pitch. With two outs in the frame, senior SS Myles Jefferson lined a 2-run homer of his own off the scoreboard, upping the Bearkats’ lead to 8-1.

The Aggies salvaged a run in the bottom of the inning with a LaViolette RBI double to plate junior 3B Trevor Werner.

Sam Houston State added its final run in the ninth on an RBI single by Jefferson. When it was all said and done, the Bearkats outhit the Aggies 12 to eight, with four players tallying two hits each and three players collecting at least two RBI. For A&M, each batter picked up a hit except for Werner, who walked twice.

“It’s a team game … when the offensive side is doing well, it really helps the pitchers and their confidence, and when the offensive side isn’t doing so well, I feel like it just adds all the pressure on the pitchers,” junior 1B Jack Moss said. “Something good is going to come from it, I know that.”

A&M will look to pick up its fifth-straight SEC series win as it hits the road to face No. 7 Arkansas this weekend. The Razorbacks have hit a skid after being swept by Georgia and falling to Missouri State on Tuesday. The action starts on Thursday, April 27, at 7 p.m.

Robert O’Brien— THE BATTALION

Junior 2B Ryan Targac (16) is unable to make a tag out at second after making a leaping catch during Texas

A&M’s game against Sam Houston State at Olsen Field on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

No. 24 Aggie softball to host Missouri

A&M looks to finish regular season strong in final conference series

By Eli Meschko @EliMeschko

With the end of the regular season quickly approaching, Texas A&M softball looks to continue its momentum into a weekend matchup versus the visiting Missouri Tigers.

After a weekend trip to Oxford, Mississippi, the Aggies will travel back home to face the Tigers from Friday, April 28, to Sunday, April 30, at Davis Diamond.

In a series matchup that dates back to 1981, A&M is currently losing the series versus the Tigers 37-36 and looks to retake the series advantage this upcoming weekend. The Tigers have had the maroon and white’s number, winning eight of the past 10 matchups. The

Aggies also look to break a six-game losing streak to Missouri that dates back to April 18, 2019.

The Fightin’ Farmers find themselves with 10 wins and 11 losses in conference play and currently sit seventh in the SEC standings. Missouri is currently struggling in SEC play, sitting in second to last with a conference record of four wins and 14 losses. With conference tournament seeding in play, both teams will look to improve their place in the standings.

Missouri recently won a weekend series over North Texas while only surrendering one run in the three games. This shouldn’t be a worry for the Aggies, as the team has been batting well throughout the season, with five regular starters hitting over .300.

Leading the way for the Aggies, offensively, is junior C Julia Cottrill. Cottrill leads the maroon and white in multiple batting statistics, boasting a batting average of .370 in 127 atbats with six home runs and a .622 slugging

percentage.

Another Aggie leading the way at the plate is junior INF Trinity Cannon. Cannon is currently batting .336 at the plate and has a team-high seven home runs on the year. Cannon is more than just a slugger as she leads the team in walks with 28 and finds herself on base more than any other Aggie with an OBP of .488.

Sophomore INF Koko Wooley has also been quite impressive at the plate for the maroon and white. Wooley has started every game so far this season and leads the team in at-bats with 147. She is currently batting .306 with two home runs, and although she isn’t a power hitter, she leads the team in stolen bases with 18 in 23 attempts.

For the Aggies to retake the series lead, they will have to rely on their pitching to slow down junior OF Alex Honnold. Honnold is currently batting .429, the 25th-best average in the nation, and has 11 home runs, 38 RBI and a 1.409 OBP.

The pitching from coach Trisha Ford’s team has been fantastic throughout the season. Senior RHP Shaylee Ackerman and juniors LHP Emiley Kennedy and RHP Emily Leavitt lead the way for the Aggies on the mound with a combined batting average of .218 and a combined 2.76 ERA. The trio has also only surrendered 205 total hits in a combined 248.2 innings so far this season.

Senior LHP Madison Preston has also been impressive on the mound for the maroon and white. In 37.2 innings pitched this season, Preston has the lowest ERA with 1.86.

For the Aggies to finish conference play strong, the team will need to perform well on all levels. In her first season coaching the Aggies, Ford has the team in solid shape heading into the conference tournament. First, the team needs to focus on defeating the Tigers this weekend.

Aggies to get hog-wild in Fayetteville

SEC West standings with a record of 11-7, meaning a series win would help bolster the resume of the currently fourth-place Aggies.

By Hunter Mitchell @HunterM1001

After going on the road and taking a series from No. 11 Kentucky, Texas A&M appeared as if it would coast into their weekend matchup with momentum after a weekday matchup against Sam Houston State.

Instead, the Aggies will need to rebound after being trounced 9-2 at the hands of the Bearkats on Tuesday, April 25. The conference series this weekend will not be easy to use as a bounce back, as A&M hits the road to face off against No. 7 Arkansas.

“You have to move on from games, whether you win or lose them,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said at media availability on Wednesday, April 26. “This is a veteran team, they know that. So, I think we’ll be fine.”

Both A&M and Arkansas dropped their midweek games against mid-major opponents, with the Razorbacks falling to Missouri State 8-4.

“We need guys to step up everywhere really,” senior OF Brett Minnich said. “Our offense was abysmal last night, pitching was all right. Would have liked to get off the field with two outs, but you know, stuff like that happens, it’s baseball. We’ve got to win the free bases, that’s been our thing all year.”

Arkansas sits one game behind LSU in the

The Razorbacks and the Aggies are statistically similar. Both teams are in the bottom half of league batting average, earned run average, hits, home runs and total bases.

The alarming statistic for A&M is Arkansas’ home and away record. The Razorbacks struggle on the road with a 3-7 record, but at Baum-Walker Stadium, Arkansas is an impressive 25-3. The Razorbacks have only dropped one conference game at home in their series against Alabama.

“It’s exciting to go into this atmosphere,” Schlossnagle said. “I’ve never played a game in Fayetteville as a part of an SEC school. Anytime I’ve been a part of games up there is in a regional, and it was amazing then. That’s why you come into this league, is to be a part of playing great teams in great atmospheres in front of great fans. As I’ve said many times, this is the big leagues of college baseball.”

The Aggies need to, once again, get enough production from the bullpen to keep them in the series. The weekend’s entire starting rotation is now to be determined, similar to the prior three weekends where the Saturday and Sunday starters have been game-time decisions but now with junior RHP Nathan Dettmer no longer solidified into the opening slot.

“Wansing and Dettmer, one of those two guys will throw the first and second game,” Schlossnagle said. “Not sure what the combination is going to be yet, [I] want to get

Nathan on the bullpen mound. I think there’s some things him and coach Yeskie want to work on. That’ll determine when he pitches.”

The series win against Kentucky on the road was due in large part to the performance from the A&M pitching staff. While not a dominant outing from the bullpen, allowing 10 runs in the Saturday doubleheader, it allowed the red-hot Aggie bats to keep them in both games and secure the series.

“It was a step forward, [Wansing] still gave up nine hits in five innings,” Schlossnagle said. “Some of those balls hit hard, some not, but he didn’t walk anybody. I thought he was in command of his emotions, in command of his delivery, for the most part he was in command of the ball.”

First pitch for the series will be on Thursday, April 27, at 7 p.m., at Baum-Walker Stadium. The game can be streamed on ESPNU.

Junior RHP Grace Uribe (8) hypes her teammates during Texas A&M’s game against Texas State at Davis Diamond on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. A Ngyuen — THE BATTALION

Sophomore RHP Brad Rudis (32) pitches from the mound during Texas A&M’s game against Sam Houston State at Olsen Field on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION