The Battalion: February 9, 2017 by The Battalion

Justin Seely (left) and Will Bolt (right) have known each other since the 1990s and now coach for the A&M baseball team together.

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Assistant A&M coaches Seely, Bolt continue lifelong friendship in Aggieland

Justin Seely, assistant coach

By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary

n the late 1990s, Will Bolt and Justin Seely were two hard-nosed high school baseball players from Texas cities barely 100 miles apart — Bolt from Conroe and Seely from Nacogdoches. They had played summer ball against each other since they were 12 years old and both would have loved to continue their respective careers at Texas A&M. That didn’t work out — Bolt was recruited to Nebraska as part of then-new coach Dave Van Horn’s first recruiting class and Seely took his talents to Northeast Texas College in Mount Pleasant. Bolt immediately became a starter in the infield and became one of the most productive hitters in the Cornhuskers’ history to that point. After two years, Seely was able to join him in Lincoln. The duo led Nebraska to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 2001 and 2002. They each hit over .300 in their senior seasons, and Seely delivered four hits and a pivotal eighth-inning grand slam in the decisive third game of the Super Regional against Richmond to send the Cornhuskers to Omaha.

The pitching coach on those Nebraska teams? Rob Childress. Although Bolt played third base and thus wasn’t receiving direct instruction from Childress, he was impressed with how much Childress cared about his players. “Anytime you needed to talk to one of the coaches he was always the one you felt like had an ear for you,” Bolt said. Childress, who enters his 11th season as Texas A&M’s head coach, said Bolt and Seely had similar styles of play — competitive and willing to do whatever it took to win. “They were fun to coach as players because they loved to throw down,” Childress said.

“[Bolt and Childress are] as close to a family as I can have without them actually being in my blood. It makes coming to work really fun.” “They loved to compete and they were two players that if they weren’t on your team, you hated them. That’s what kind of players they were — having them on your team you loved it because there wasn’t a day that went by that they weren’t ready to go and compete at the drop of a hat. They were winners in every sense of the word.” After graduation, Bolt and Seely embarked on career paths that went in different direc-

tions, but they remained intertwined. Seely started coaching at Paris Junior College, Bolt at Nebraska as a volunteer assistant. When Childress accepted the head job at Texas A&M in 2006, he added Bolt to his first staff. Meanwhile, Seely went to Nebraska and assumed Bolt’s old post as a volunteer assistant for the Cornhuskers. Two years later, they both applied for COACHES ON PG. 4

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A&M head basketball coach Gary Blair goes over strategy with his team.

PROVIDED

Pro-Life Aggies president Allyson Hunter (holding check) gives a scholarship to a student parent and her family last year.

Pro-life Aggies to award scholarship to pregnant or parenting Aggies By Tyler Snell @tyler_snell2 The Pro-Life Aggies are awarding scholarships to parenting or expecting students in order to provide for the child and bring awareness to pregnant and parenting students. The scholarship started in 2009 with the creation of the organization, and funds are raised from donations and a 5K race. “We are just hoping to lessen the burden because I don’t think anyone should have to give up their educational goals to be a parent,” said Pro-Life Aggies president and genetics senior Allyson Hunter. “Hopefully, this scholarship will help make that goal easier.” The goal for the organization is to raise $10,000. In the past the group has given out two or three $1,000 scholarships, according to public relations officer Anthony Doak. “We are doing everything we can to raise PRO-LIFE ON PG. 3

Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION

Eddie “Ed” Davis will be the Aggie Campus Muster speaker this year.

Eddie Davis, Class of 1967, to draw on worldwide Muster experiences as 2017 speaker By Meredith McCown @meredithrhoads

Having spoken at Aggie Musters around the world — including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Heidelberg and New York City — former Texas A&M Foundation president and Class of 1967 Eddie Davis has been called “home” to speak at the 2017 campus Aggie Muster. For more than 114 years, the tradition of Aggie Muster has honored the lives of Aggies who have died in the last year. At the ceremony, a roll of the names of the

W. basketball to host Alabama in ‘BTHO Breast Cancer Night’ All donation proceeds to go to Kay Yow Foundation, Pink Alliance By Matt Koper @MattKoper

Aggies is called, and the audience responds “here.” This year will be unique in particular — Davis graduated from A&M in 1967, which is also the Sul Ross 50th featured reunion class to be honored at the ceremony. During his senior year of college, Davis held the position as the Commander of the Corps and served four years on active duty as a colonel in the Army Reserve. Davis said being the speaker at Aggie Muster will be one of the highest honors he has ever received. “It will be exciting me because of my

Playing with a purpose greater than winning a basketball game, the Texas A&M women’s basketball team will host a fundraiser to raise awareness for breast cancer research as they take on Alabama Thursday night at Reed Arena. Thursday night’s game is the annual “BTHO Breast Cancer Night” and A&M will donate all proceeds from the game to the Kay Yow Foundation and the Pink Alliance. The maroon and white’s assistant coach Bob Starkey, whose wife is a breast cancer survivor, also pledged to donate $1 for every student in attendance. A&M (17-6, 7-3 SEC) will face the Tide coming off a 66-61 win over Auburn at home in which the team’s offensive leaders — guard Danni Williams and center Khaalia Hillsman

DAVIS ON PG. 3

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Will Bolt and Justin Seely, now both assistant coaches at Texas A&M, helped bring Nebraska to the College World Series in 2001 and 2002.

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NEXT WEEK IS YOUR LAST WEEK TO GET YOUR AGGIELAND PHOTO TAKEN! Specialties Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M’s 2017 Aggieland yearbook. ALL CLASSES ARE WELCOMED 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Thursday Feb. 13th - 16th Located at the Sanders Corps Museum Library Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95.

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COACHES CONTINUED the head job at Texarkana College. Bolt got the job and brought Seely on as his top assistant and recruiting coordinator. They only assembled one class together because Seely once again took Bolt’s old position as volunteer assistant under Childress at Texas A&M. That class produced 10 players who went on to Division I baseball, including pitcher John Stilson, who starred at A&M from 2010 to 2011 and now pitches in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. After serving as Nebraska’s associate head coach for three seasons, Bolt returned to College Station in 2015. The three men who bonded at Nebraska nearly 15 years earlier were together again and make up one of college baseball’s best coaching staffs. After last season, outgoing senior JB Moss called the A&M coaching staff “The greatest collection of men in this sport.” Through it all, Bolt and Seely stayed close. Even when they were coaching in different areas for different schools, they would talk on the phone regularly and made it a point to spend time at one another’s houses at Christmas. Now, they live a street apart in College Station, and spend most days an office across the hall in the Aggies’ baseball complex. “This is a dream scenario for all of us I think,” Bolt said. “Coach Childress recruited both of us, we played together, we’re best friends, but I also have a tremendous amount of respect for the job [Seely] does as a coach. We’re not just working together because we’re buddies; We’ve gotten to this point be-

cause we feel like we’ve worked hard to get here.” Seely said the relationship they share is familial. “They’re as close to a family as I can have without them actually being in my blood,” Seely said. “It makes coming to work really fun.” The duo was recognized for their efforts this past offseason, when D1Baseball.com included both of them in its ranking of the Top 30 assistant coaches in the country — Seely was No. 8, while Bolt checked in at No. 29. Clemson and Louisville were the only other schools to have two representatives on the list. But the coaches are much more concerned with the Aggies’ team success and building relationships with their players than a leaderboard. “I don’t coach for any kind of accolades except for a team accolade,” Bolt said. “I coach to make an impact on kids, so that’s all the assurance I need.” Childress handles the A&M pitching staff and trusts his two top assistants enough to handle the hitting duties. Bolt and Seely believe in the same hitting philosophies and split the responsibility and Seely says their friendship ensures their egos don’t get in the way of teaching the players. The duo also coaches fielding for the Aggies — Bolt handles the infielders and Seely the outfielders. On game days, Bolt coaches third base and Seely can be found in the dugout, where he feels he can make the most impact by setting the tone for a player as he walks to the on-deck circle or offering advice in between innings. “Will and I are on the same page with everything,” Seely said. “So the players are getting the same consistent

message whether it’s out on the field or in the dugout.” Seely’s ability as a recruiter will be on full display this season, as the Aggies boast a blend of both experience and youth despite losing six starters from last year’s Super Regional team. Two years ago, Seely realized the team was going to lose that large crop of pivotal players, so he turned to the junior college ranks to bring some players to the program who could make an immediate impact. The result: Guys like Austin Homan, Joel Davis and Walker Pennington got their feet wet in 2016 and will now step into increased roles their senior seasons. The two assistant coaches have seen their lives come full circle. Long gone are the two kids who didn’t particularly like each other because they were both ultra-competitive opponents. Now, they are best friends doing what they love and working with a man they admire at a university where they once wanted to play. “This is a dream scenario to be here and be able to coach with people who you respect not only as coaches but also as men,” Bolt said. Childress knows how fortunate he is to have Bolt and Seely as his assistants. “They could be head coaches at a lot of programs across the country. They were amazing to coach as players, they were incredibly competitive and were big winners,” Childress said. “They both got to play in Omaha a couple of times and they’re even better coaches, better husbands, better fathers and friends. Texas A&M should be thankful and feel blessed to have them here as assistants — I know I do.”

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Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION

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DAVIS CONTINUED class being back, and the fact that I’ve sort of lived what I would call a very unique Aggie experience in that I came to school here … and spent most of my adult life at the place,” Davis said. “So I’ve watched what’s happened to it since 1963 and that’s a lot of change all in a positive direction … I am going to talk a little bit about the change and why even with the change, A&M has retained these very classic and very important traditions.” Because the members of his graduating class will be present in the audience at Muster, Davis said he intends to honor his classmates as well as share stories from his A&M years. “Coming here in a period when the university was going through dramatic change, also in a period when most of us knew we were going to be going to Vietnam because it was sort of in middle of the height of the Vietnam experience,” Davis said. “I want to talk a little bit about President Rudder, who was [university] president while we were here. And tell some stories about what it was like to be here during that time period.” Davis has attended Muster gatherings around the country and the world and said he looks forward to speaking on campus because it will be a different and unique experience than in the past. “I think you learn while you’re a student the importance of Aggie Muster — like the tradition says, it’s about gathering with your friends and Aggie fellowship and talking about past days on campus, but also honoring those who have passed before in the last year, so that’s meaningful,” Davis said. “It’s an experience that I’ve always enjoyed being a part of, and I think as an Aggie, you should celebrate it every year, wherever you are.” For last year’s Muster, Davis spoke at a BBQ bar in New York City in front of about 100 Aggies. Davis said the New Yorker crowds were loud, making the speech difficult to hear. “I told the Aggie group, ‘We’re going to have to shut these people down so you can hear me,’ and so I said, ‘Howdy’ as loud as I could and everybody in there sort of stopped what they were doing and looked at me,” Davis said. “But it was a way of getting every-

PRO-LIFE CONTINUED as much money as possible because it really sucks when you can’t help out the people that need the money,” Doak said. “While we aren’t able to fully fund someone going through college, we are hoping this starts conversations about supporting parents who are trying to raise their kid and at the same time follow their dreams.” The only requirements for the scholarship

Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION

Eddie Davis has previously served as Corps Commander and president of the A&M Foundation.

body’s attention and they were respectful for awhile, and then we just had to do it again.” Davis said Muster is a special tradition at A&M in many aspects, mainly because Aggies gather together no matter where they are. “We always talk about how unique A&M

is, and I think Muster is one of those things that make it unique because first of all, it was started as a way for Aggies everywhere to gather,” Davis said. “I don’t know of any other university that does that, that has a unique tradition like that … I think it’s paying respect

are to maintain full-time student status at either Blinn or Texas A&M and be either a pregnant or parenting student. Child professional services senior Jamie McCaskill received the scholarship last year and said it made her happy to see how much other people cared. “It meant a lot that my community and my school cared enough about me to help me out,” McCaskill said. “It really helped me pay for child care for the summer, so I could take two summer classes [and] graduate in May.”

McCaskill, whose daughter Audrey is 16 months old, said she is grateful of what ProLife Aggies did for her and Audrey. “When they say they are pro-life, they are really there to help you out through it,” McCaskill said. “I think it shows students that their community cares about them and is there to help them.” Hunter said her favorite part of the scholarship is watching the reaction of the recipients at the award ceremony and telling more peo-

to your fellow Aggies, to the institution that you care about, and to those who have passed on.” President of the Texas A&M Foundation Tyson Voelkel said in addition to Davis’ title at the Foundation, he held other significant positions during his time with the university. “He was instrumental in helping grow the Foundation to its current level, and also he worked for the university before that,” Voelkel said. “He was the chief financial officer for the university at one point, he was also the vice president for finance for the university system back in the early 80s. And another interesting data point is he was actually the interim president of Texas A&M for a little over a year as well, so he also served in that capacity.” Communication senior and speaker executive for Muster Committee Bailey McCracken said after receiving nominations and a thorough process, the committee voted Davis to be the featured speaker at the ceremony, which will be held in April. “The reason we picked Ed is because he has had continual involvement at A&M,” McCracken said. “He has been actively involved at A&M in many different capacities … Ed really displays the core values in all of his work.” McCracken said she has the utmost confidence that Davis will relay the impactful message of Muster and encourage students of its importance. “I can’t stress enough the humility I’ve seen in Ed — he takes this as an honor and a responsibility and that’s what he’s done with all of his involvements with A&M,” McCracken said. “And he’s made it a better place … but most of all, it’s his passion and love for this university and Muster that is going to make that ceremony so special.” Voelkel said he can’t think of a higher honor than to be asked to be the Muster Speaker, and the selection of Davis as the speaker fulfills the honor in an exceptional manner. “It’s absolutely fitting and amazing to have the Class of ‘67 in the audience as the Sul Ross reunion class and Dr. Davis as the Muster Speaker,” Voelkel said. “He’s a man of integrity who has consistently lived a life of purpose for the benefit of Texas A&M University.” ple how Pro-Life Aggies is helping students. “[The recipients] always look so happy, everyone gets to see them awarded, their family and friends come, and it’s a really happy experience,” Hunter said. “It’s also to show the world that being pro-life isn’t just about caring for the baby — it means caring about everyone involved including the entire parenting experience.”

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Specialties Photography will be set up to have your FREE portrait taken for Texas A&M’s 2017 Aggieland yearbook. ALL CLASSES ARE WELCOMED 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Thursday Feb. 13th - 16th Located at the Sanders Corps Museum Library Should any student be unable to make the specified times on campus they can contact Specialties directly to set up a complimentary in-studio appointment at 979-696-9898. Any graduating seniors who wish to set up a cap/gown photo will need to contact the studio at 979-696-9898. Cap/Gown sessions cost $21.95.

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Senior guard Curtyce Knox leads the nation in assists, averaging 9.3 assists per game.

BASKETBALL CONTINUED — led the scoring attack 25 and 17 respectively. The two head coaches know each other well — A&M head coach Gary Blair helped Alabama head coach Kristy Curry get her start coaching college hoops. The two even faced off when she was Texas Tech’s head coach and A&M was still part of the Big 12 conference. Blair said Alabama cannot be overlooked, and given the head coaches’ history, he said he enjoys coaching against Alabama. “They’re one of those scrappy-type teams,” Blair said. “They play extremely hard, they rebound the ball very well … They’re not the best shooting team in the league, but what they do they make up for on a lot of effort.” Alabama (15-8, 3-7 SEC) travels to College Station coming off a 48-41 loss against LSU on the road. Alabama is currently in 10th place in the conference with the SEC Tournament less than a month away. Alabama is led on offense by guard Hannah Cook, who averages 11.9 points per game and is leading the conference in threepoint percentage at 38.1 percent. Guard Meoshonti Knight is second on the team on

offense at 11.7 points per contest. The Aggies will have to account for Alabama forward Ashley Knight, who leads the conference in blocks per game at 2.5. A&M forward Taylor Cooper, who is coming off a 10-point game against Auburn, said getting off to a fast start against Alabama will be key to winning the team’s 12th home game. “I think it’ll be just as important as the Auburn game,” Cooper said. “They’re kind of similar in how they do things and what they do. So, for us, getting off to a good start and not turning the ball over at the beginning of the game, that’ll be important for us.” Cooper said the magnitude of the game and the fundraiser they will be playing for Thursday night cannot be overstated. “It’s always a big game for us especially with the history and coach Starkey and his wife,” Cooper said. “It’s always an important game. We always want to come out and play hard and just try to represent for all those women out there who are struggling with that and try to give them some hope and something to enjoy.” Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Reed Arena and the game can be seen on the SEC Network+.

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