Category: College sports

SEC names freshman third baseman Gavin Grahovac as Freshman of the Week

Texas A&M freshman third baseman Gavin Grahovac was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after a strong series against Vanderbilt

Texas A&M freshman Gavin Grahovac has taken charge of the starting third base position and is one of the better lead-off hitters in all of college baseball. He currently sits in the top ten in the SEC for the following categories: No. 4 runs scored (49), No. 10 hits (49), No. 11 doubles, No. 11 home runs and No. 7 RBI (42).

The SEC recognized the freshman’s production after the big week by naming him SEC Freshman Player of the Week. Below is the excerpt from the release from the SEC officials:

Texas A&M’s Gavin Grahovac registered a .400/.526/.867 slash line to help the Aggies to a 4-0 record, including a sweep of No. 5 Vanderbilt. The freshman homered twice, drove in three RBI, scored eight times and drew four walks during the week. Both of his homers came on the weekend, and he registered three hits in the series finale on Sunday.

 

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No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team swept ‘of one of the best programs in our sport,’ per coach Jim Schlossnagle

“We needed five pitchers in a three game sweep of one of the best programs in our sport. I thought I was super proud of our guys,” he said.

Following a dominant three-game sweep of SEC rival Vanderbilt this weekend at Blue Bell Park, the Texas A&M baseball team is now ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation.

After Sunday’s series finale, head coach Jim Schlossnagle spoke to the media about how good the Aggies pitching staff was against the Commodores.

“We needed five pitchers in a three game sweep of one of the best programs in our sport,” Schlossnagle said. “It speaks to how well we pitched and how well we obviously swung the bat. We had one game that was shorter than nine innings and had firm command of the second game. I thought I was super proud of our guys.

“With the arms we faced today, the starter, throwing 100 hundred miles an hour, he pitched well and McElvain is really good. You saw that we really battled. Obviously, when they gave us an extra out in that one inning and Camarillo, that was the swing of the day.

“You look the way that the ballpark is playing and you just never know with any lead.”

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‘This place would be a boombox’: Texas A&M OF Hayden Schott explains Blue Bell Park’s new anthem

“(Jace and I) were like ‘Dude, if we got a whole crowd in on that and played it every run or something, this place would be a boombox!'”

On its way to becoming the No. 1 team in the nation this weekend with a sweep of SEC rival Vanderbilt, the Texas A&M baseball team recently found a new tune to groove to every time an Aggie scores a run.

After the series finale against the Commodores, graduate student outfielder Hayden Schott was asked about the origin of the team’s fondness for the song “Rattlin’ Bog” by the Irish Descendants.

“Me and Jace LaViolette, they were playing it at South Carolina on the speakers and we were like ‘Dude, if we got a whole crowd in on that, and played it every run or something, this place would be a boombox!’ So then Friday night, obviously we had a great baseball game, it just added so much to the crowd I felt like,” Schott recalled. “Everyone was so loud.

“I think now that we won, they can’t take it away, so I’m going to have a word with coach about that. I’ll just make sure that he doesn’t end this streak. I’ll probably have a word with him tomorrow during our media meeting with me and him.”

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No. 12 Texas A&M wins their fifth conference series after beating No. 13 Alabama in game three

After dropping game one the Aggies storm back to win the final two games over Alabama recording their fifth SEC series win

Texas A&M (33-9, 12-6 SEC) took the series over No. 13 Alabama (30-10, 7-8 SEC) with a 9-4 victory in the final game Monday night for their 12th conference win matching last season’s total.

After dropping game one 2-0 in a back-and-forth defensive battle the Aggies bounced back to beat Alabama in games two and three, scoring 26 runs along the way. One thing head coach Trisha Ford wanted to see her team do a better job of was to stay within themselves and handle adversity. This series gave them plenty of chances to show Ford that they were up to the task.

In game two the Aggies took an early 7-1 lead before allowing the Tide to pull within two retaking all of the momentum going into the top of the sixth inning. A&M responded by outscoring Alabama 10 to 1 in the final two frames. Then in game three with the series on the line Alabama took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Once again, A&M responded putting seven runs on the board to Alabama’s one for final score of 9-4 and the series win.

Game one:

Texas A&M vs Alabama/ Loss / 2-0

  • Total offense:  6 hits, 0 runs
  • Pitching: Emiley Kennedy L (15-7): 7.0 innings, 6 Ks, 101 pitches.

Game two:

Texas A&M vs Alabama / Win / 17-6

  • Total offense:  13 hits, 17 runs
  • Pitching: Emiley Kennedy W (16-7): 2.0 innings, 2 Ks, 33 pitches. Emily Leavitt: 1.2 innings, 0 K, 51 pitches. Shaylee Ackerman: 3.1 innings, 1 Ks, 66 pitches
  • pitches.

Game three:

Texas A&M vs Alabama / Win / 9-4

  • Total offense:  7 hits, 9 runs
  • Pitching: Emiley Kennedy W (17-7): 6.0 innings, 6 Ks, 106 pitches. Brooke Vestal: 0.1 innings, 1 K, 12 pitches. Shaylee Ackerman: 0.2 innings, 0 K, 11 pitches

Texas A&M will be back in action for another midweek matchup when they head to Denton, Texas to take on North Texas on April 17 at 6 p.m.

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The Texas A&M baseball team is the unanimous No. 1 team in the country

The Aggies are at the top of the rankings in every major poll after a stellar week on the diamond

The Texas A&M Aggie baseball team (32-4, 11-4 SEC) has the best overall record in Division One college baseball and the third-best record in the conference. A trio of events allowed the Aggies to move into the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2016.

First, the A&M took care of business last week, going 4-0 while beating a good UTSA team in the midweek game before blowing the doors of No. 6 Vanderbilt in a three-game sweep. The second and third Arkansas and Clemson lost their conference games 2-1 over the weekend. These three things ensured the Maroon & White would game a jump to the top spot.

They have been proving a lot since dropping their conference series opener and arguably have the best lineup in the country with the most dangerous 1 through 3. Gavin Grahovac, Jace LaViolette, and Braden Montgomery have combined for 48 home runs with 141 RBI through 36 games. The significant improvement in the pitching this year has also played a major part in the Aggies’ staying in a game where the bats might not have been the best.

As of Week 9, there is no better team in the nation. Everyone agrees.

Texas A&M will face Air Force on Tuesday, April 16, at 4:00 p.m. CT, where the game will air on SEC Network+.

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Texas A&M baseball climb to the top spot in the new USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Texas A&M jumps two spots to No. 1 in the country after a dominating week going 4-0 and sweeping No. 6 Vanderbilt

There’s a new sheriff in town for Week 9 and they reside in the great state of Texas. The Texas A&M Aggie baseball team (32-4, 11-4 SEC) has captured the number one spot in the USA TODAY Coaches poll after going 4-0 during the week and sweeping the No. 6 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores impressively. They hit a total of nine home runs over the weekend outscoring Vanderbilt 36-6 for their sweep of a ranked opponent since 2016.

If their weekly resume wasn’t already ready enough the previous two top teams both lost their series over the weekend. Arkansas dropped two out of three to Alabama and Clemson did the same to NC State.

After those developments it was all but written in stone that A&M would be the new No. 1 team in the country when the polls dropped. There is still a lot of baseball left to be played, but this solidified what a lot of experts have been saying about Jim Schlossnalge’s Aggies.

Here are the complete Week 9 rankings.

Rank Team Record PTS 1st Prev Chg Hi/Lo
1
Texas A&M
 32-4 764 22 3
+2
 1/10
2
Arkansas
 30-5 738 7 1
-1
 1/5
3
Tennessee
 30-6 703 1 4
+1
 3/8
4
Oregon State
 29-5 656 0 5
+1
 2/7
5
Kentucky
 30-5 628 1 8
+3
 5/NR
6
Clemson
 29-6 627 0 2
-4
 2/11
7
Florida State
 30-5 577 0 9
+2
 7/NR
8
Virginia
 28-8 528 0 10
+2
 8/15
8
Duke
 26-10 528 0 7
-1
 7/14
10
East Carolina
 27-8 505 0 11
+1
 10/16
11
North Carolina
 29-7 491 0 12
+1
 7/17
12
Vanderbilt
 26-10 432 0 6
-6
 3/14
13
Wake Forest
 24-11 369 0 15
+2
 1/22
14
Alabama
 24-12 307 0 17
+3
 10/18
15
Louisiana
 28-9 267 0 24
+9
 15/NR
16
UC Irvine
 25-7 264 0 14
-2
 14/NR
17
Oklahoma State
 25-11 258 0 25
+8
 17/NR
18
Oregon
 25-10 235 0 22
+4
 18/NR
19
Dallas Baptist
 26-8 184 0 13
-6
 8/NR
20
Coastal Carolina
 24-11 183 0 20 – 15/21
21
South Carolina
 25-11 172 0 NR
+5
 14/NR
22
Virginia Tech
 23-10 115 0 16
-6
 15/NR
23
Georgia
 27-9 93 0 NR
+6
 23/NR
24
West Virginia
 22-13 81 0 NR
+13
 24/NR
25
Indiana State
 27-7 77 0 NR
+2
 25/NR

Schools Dropped Out

No. 18 Florida; No. 19 UCF; No. 21 Nebraska; No. 23 Mississippi State;

Others Receiving Votes

Arizona 64; Nebraska 40; Oklahoma 27; Mississippi State 23; Florida 22; North Carolina State 21; Lamar 19; Texas Tech 14; Northeastern 13; UC Santa Barbara 11; UCF 10; Campbell 10; Utah 9; Creighton 7; Georgetown 2; Georgia Tech 1;

Texas A&M will face Air Force on Tuesday, April 16, at 4:00 p.m. CT, where the game will air on SEC Network+.

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‘Don’t let the game play you’: Texas A&M junior pitcher Chris Cortez was lights out in UTSA win

“You play the game, you don’t let it play you,” he stated. “I think I’ve been doing that my entire career and not really enjoying the game.”

The No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team’s evasion of an upset loss on Tuesday night versus UT San Antonio is largely being credited to senior catcher Jackson Appel, deservingly so after he crushed 3 home runs.

However, just as much credit should be shown to junior right-handed pitcher Chris Cortez, who was absolutely dealing against the Roadrunners. He earned the victory after tossing the final 4.0 innings on the mound.

“I think it’s just me having fun. I’ve grown up a lot this year through the help of Max Wiener, myself and my teammates. You play the game, you don’t let the game play you,” Cortez proclaimed afterwards. “I think I’ve been doing that my entire career and not really enjoying the game. Now I just go out there and I have fun, good or bad. It gives me a lot of clarity and freedom to go out there and just be who I am.”

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‘It was a normal day’: Texas A&M senior catcher Jackson Appel explains 3-HR game vs. UTSA

“It was a normal day, I don’t know what really just happened. You’re just up there trying to get on base and put a good ball in the zone.”

The three youngest players in Major League Baseball all have the same first name and another may be on his way to joining them in the near future.

Texas A&M senior catcher Jackson Appel smashed 3 home runs during a 6-5 win against UT San Antonio on Tuesday night, with the last being a walk-off shot.

“It was a normal day, I don’t know what really just happened, it was pretty cool,” Appel recalled postgame. “You’re just up there trying to get on base really and put a good ball in the zone. I got one and it somehow got out, not sure how, but there wasn’t too much in the back of my mind.

“I thought I squared (the first and third) up well but you just never really know. Sometimes the ball flies and sometimes it hangs up in the wind. Both happened to get out so we’ll take it.”

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‘Brutal baseball’: Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle recaps walk-off win vs. UTSA

“We played about as brutal baseball that you can possibly play that I ever remember an A&M team playing, which was out of character for us.”

The No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team barely avoided an upset loss against in-state rival, UT San Antonio, on Tuesday night at Blue Bell Park.

After the game, head coach Jim Schlossnagle provided his summary of the contest, including senior catcher Jackson Appel’s 3-home run performance.

“We got (Appel) in that spot because he puts the ball in play. We’re thinking that Grahovac, LaViolette and Montgomery are going to be on base a lot,” Schlossnagle explained. “It’s not necessarily about his power but he did a good job of staying on top of the baseball. There was a weird wind, I couldn’t tell if the flag was blowing across the field a little bit east. I thought Grahovac’s ball had a chance and the balls hit to center and right field.

“We played about as brutal baseball that you can possibly play, that I ever remember an A&M team playing, either one I’ve coached or seen play, which was out of character for us. But I’m really proud of our team for staying in the fight.

“Zane got us some decent outs. Peery got us four outs. Cortez was obviously electric. If we just knew 8-of-10 times that we would get that for the rest of the season, we’re an infinitely better team.”

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Texas A&M guard Endyia Rogers declares for 2024 WNBA Draft, which is Monday night on ESPN

“We did things that people did not expect us to. Y’all had faith and belief in me like no other. Y’all are on the way to something special.”

After playing her final collegiate season in Aggieland, Texas A&M guard Endyia Rogers is taking her talents to the next level.

Rogers formally declared Wednesday for the 2024 WNBA Draft, which is Monday night.

“These past five years have been nothing short of amazing,” Rogers stated via X. “I appreciate everyone who came along this journey with me. It wasn’t always easy, but we found a way. I want to thank all my coaches from USC and Oregon for giving me the opportunity to play for their amazing programs.

“To my teammates and coaches at Texas A&M, I am super grateful that I was able to spend my last year of college basketball with you all and experience what it is like to be an Aggie. We did things that people did not expect us to do. Y’all had faith and belief in me like no other. I am thankful for the everlasting memories that I made with you all. I know that we did not finish the season the way that we wanted, but y’all are on the way to something special. Thank you all for everything, I am forever appreciative. As always, Gig’Em!

“To my family and friends, there is no me without you. It has been a journey since I was 4 years old. Y’all made every bit of the journey worth it. I appreciate the everlasting support and the sacrifices made throughout my basketball career. It takes a village. I love each and every one of you guys dearly.

“With that being said, I am going to pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the W, and will declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft!”

Rogers spent her underclassman years at the University of Southern California. Then she became an Oregon Duck for the next two before playing her final season at Reed Arena.

The 29th annual WNBA Draft is Monday at 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.

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