Category: News & Notes

Texas A&M relief pitcher Evan Aschenbeck makes NCBWA midseason watchlist

Texas A&M’s ace relief pitcher Evan Aschenbeck finds himself on NCBWA Stopper of the Year watchlist

Earlier this week the National Collegiate Writer Association (NCBWA) announced their midseason watchlist for their Stopper of the Year award. Among the 59 relief pitchers on the list Texas A&M senior left-hander pitcher Evan Aschenbeck earned a spot again after being named to the preseason before the season.

In 17 appearances Aschenbeck has recorded four wins and six saves across 40.1 innings. He has been head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s go-to arm when he needs someone to get a game back under A&M’s control. His six saves are good enough to have him tied for the No. 1 spot in the SEC and his 1.70 ERA, .190 opposing batting average, with 51 strikeouts cements him as one of the best closers in the business.

Texas A&M will begin a three-game home series on Friday at 6 p.m. at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park versus No. 17 Georgia.

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No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team announces starting rotation for SEC series vs. No. 17 Georgia

Texas A&M head baseball Coach Jim Schlossnagle has names the starting rotation for the series against Georgia.

After another midweek win and still holding a unanimous No. 1 ranking, Texas A&M (36-5, 13-5) will face No. 17 Georgia (30-10, 9-9) in another tough Top 25 SEC series. The Aggies are off to their best start in two decades and look to keep the momentum going as they host the Bulldogs this weekend.

For the first time this season, we have Mr. “TBA” entering the rotation after being a mainstay before the hiring of Max Wiener. This doesn’t mean Justin Lampkin won’t start game three, but Coach Jim Schlossnagle is keeping his options open depending on how the series goes through the first two games.

Here is that lineup:

Texas A&M will begin a three-game home series on Friday at 6 p.m. at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park versus No. 17 Georgia.

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Report: Texas A&M guard Bryce Lindsay has entered the transfer portal

Talented guard Bryce Lindsay has unsurprisingly entered the transfer portal

The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and college athletes are entering the spring transfer portal. Multiple sources have confirmed that Texas A&M basketball’s reserve guard, Bryce Lindsay, has entered the transfer portal.

Lindsey saw time in eight games early in the season and didn’t play at all in SEC play. With head coach Buzz Williams bringing in guard CJ Wilcher from Nebraska and courting a few other guards, Lindsay will probably move on to find greener pastures. The former top prospect was previously committed to South Carolina before switching his commitment to Texas A&M after the Gamecocks fired Frank Martin.

Note: Forward Tyler Ringgold, who also entered the NCAA portal. Ringgold didn’t log any stats this past season, and with the commitment of former Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne, his time might have stayed limited next season.

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Report: Texas A&M starting center Bryce Foster will enter the transfer portal

Multi-sport athlete and three-year starting center Bryce Foster will reportedly enter the transfer portal

With the Texas A&M football team having too many scholarship players on the roster at the moment, and still actively working the portal, turnover was inevitable. It was recently announced that Bobby Taylor would step away from football to concentrate on graduating reducing the scholarship number by one and this morning it’s being reported that starting center Bryce Foster would be entering the transfer portal.

Foster started his career at A&M showing a lot of promise but in need of some development. He finished his freshman year as an All-American with a promising and bright future. Not to say his next two years were less than stellar but there seemed to be some dysfunction on the team that led to a lot of players either taking a step back or staying stagnant. Foster fell into the latter category possible for a few reasons.

While being a solid starting center for Jimbo Fisher he would spend every spring with the track team where he is a good shot putter. This always sort of rubbed some fans the wrong way, which is understandable. But the biggest blow he suffered was a season-ending ACL tear in early 2022, and to his credit, he worked his way back on the field in 2023.

However, the writing was on the wall about halfway through spring practices that coach Mike Elko and Adam Cushing were looking for competition at the center position while Foster was with the track team. The deal was further sealed once it was announced that former Utah offensive lineman Koliu’u Faaiu would be transferring to A&M.

Just because Foster has put his name in the portal doesn’t mean he is gone, but it does appear that his time in the Maroon & White has come to an end and we wish him the best at his next stop.

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Texas A&M softball enters the top ten in a handful of the polls

The Aggie softball team keeps making noise in the NCAA landscape moving into the top ten after a sweep of Ole Miss

Texas A&M (37-9, 15-6 SEC) is essentially a top-ten team if you average the four main polls and they have been backing it up on the field. Outside of being swept by LSU last month, the Aggies have been playing like one of the top teams in the country.

Whether it’s spectacular defensive play, solid pitching, clutch hitting, or a combination, A&M is finding ways to win games. They are very close to securing a home regional, which would be a major advantage, as the Aggies have an impressive 23-2 record at Davis Diamond.

Coach Trisha Ford does not settle for just good; she wants her players to be great on the field and in life. It appears her squad has fully bought in and will leave with no regrets once this season finally ends.

Following their sweep of Ole Miss, all major softball polls have moved the Aggies up a few spots in the newest polls.

The 2024 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Records reflect games played through April 21. The poll is released on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. ET during the regular season.

RANKINGS

Rank Team Record Points Previous
1 Texas (28) 38-6 791 1
2 Oklahoma 42-4 772 2
3 Tennessee 34-8 720 4
4 Oklahoma State 39-8 666 6
5 Duke 39-6 652 3
6 LSU 35-10 592 7
7 Stanford 36-10 590 5
8 Washington 30-8 566 8
9 UCLA 27-9 554 12
10 Texas A&M 37-9 536 11
11 Georgia 36-11 516 9
12 Florida 37-10 466 10
13 Virginia Tech 35-9-1 403 15
14 Missouri 35-13 377 13
15 Arkansas 32-12 360 16
16 Florida State 36-10 294 18
17 Alabama 31-12 291 14
18 Mississippi State 30-13 240 17
19 Arizona 31-13-1 235 19
20 California 31-14 163 20
21 Kentucky 29-15 120 24
22 Clemson 31-15 117 21
23 Boston University 40-4 110 23
24 Oregon 26-16 100 22
25 Louisiana 33-15 74 25

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

Northwestern (25), South Carolina (21), Texas State (19), Virginia (9), Miami (6), Auburn (4), Grand Canyon (3), Baylor (2), Eastern Kentucky (1).

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The Texas A&M softball team enters the top ten in the power rankings

Texas A&M is one of the breakout teams this year winning six of the seven SEC series for a total of 15 conference wins

One of the better hires we’ve seen before the departure of former Texas A&M Ross Bjork was bringing in softball coach Trisha Ford from Arizona State. In year one under Ford, she led the Aggies to their most overall and conference wins in five seasons. In year two she is starting to flex her muscles and now that her identity has become law on the softball field.

Her no-nonsense approach has brought a sense of accountability and an understanding that just being good won’t cut it at this level. Her team has taken this to heart and has leaped to the next level. While I believe they are a few dominant players short of being among the elite, they are a team you do not want to see when they are clicking.

As we wait for the new polls to drop it’s likely the Aggies will have finally cracked the top ten in most polls. They still have one top-ten team to face in Florida, but right now they sit at No. 7 in the power rankings and are on track to host a regional if they can pick up another SEC win or two.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

SEC names freshman Gavin Grahovac to as Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week

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

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. 3 runs scored (56), No. 7 hits (56), No. 11 doubles (12), No. 12 home runs (14) and No. 5 RBI (49).

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

Texas A&M’s Gavin Grahovac registered a .350/.409/.550 slash line to go along with a homer, seven RBI and seven runs scored to help the Aggies to a 3-1 record last week. In the series win at No. 12 Alabama, Grahovac was 6-for-16 with a double and home run. Six of the freshman’s seven RBI last week came in the series win against the Crimson Tide.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Texas A&M baseball remains the top dog in the new USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Texas A&M was two runs shy of the sweep over Alabama last weekend, but they keep the top spot after a 3-1 week.

Texas A&M (35-5, 13-5 SEC) is an offensive juggernaut and did something that’s hard to do in SEC play, and that’s going on the road and win a series against a top-25 conference opponent. The Aggie baseball team started the week run-ruling Air Force 15-5 in a tune-up before they headed to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama which just knocked off the No. 1 team the weekend before.

Alabama showed why they are a dangerous team to face putting some pressure on the Aggies in the first two games, but the firepower of the Maroon and White was just too much to overcome. They outscored the Tide 28-14 through those two games to claim their fifth straight conference series win.

There was no doubt after Saturday afternoon that A&M would stay the No.1 team in the country. Even though Alabama did take game three in a 10-9 win the Aggies racked up 52 runs through four games with one run-rule victory during that span. Things are still looking good for A&M, but there is a lot of base left to be played and this sport can be very unforgiving at times.

Here are the complete Week 10 rankings.

Rank Team Record PTS 1st Prev Chg Hi/Lo
1
Texas A&M
 35-5 772 29 1 – 1/10
2
Arkansas
 34-6 735 1 2 – 1/5
3
Tennessee
 33-7 716 1 3 – 3/8
4
Clemson
 32-7 674 0 6
+2
 2/11
5
Kentucky
 32-7 637 0 5 – 5/NR
6
Duke
 29-11 593 0 8
+2
 6/14
7
East Carolina
 31-8 581 0 10
+3
 7/16
8
Vanderbilt
 29-11 513 0 12
+4
 3/14
9
Florida State
 31-8 503 0 7
-2
 7/NR
10
Oregon State
 30-9 497 0 4
-6
 2/10
11
Wake Forest
 26-13 449 0 13
+2
 1/22
12
Virginia
 30-11 426 0 8
-4
 8/15
13
UC Irvine
 28-8 372 0 16
+3
 13/NR
14
North Carolina
 30-10 371 0 11
-3
 7/17
15
Coastal Carolina
 27-12 330 0 20
+5
 15/21
16
Louisiana
 31-11 222 0 15
-1
 15/NR
17
Georgia
 29-10 189 0 23
+6
 17/NR
18
Oklahoma
 24-14 160 0 NR
+10
 18/NR
18
Alabama
 25-15 160 0 14
-4
 10/18
20
Arizona
 24-14 158 0 NR
+6
 20/NR
21
South Carolina
 27-13 146 0 21 – 14/NR
22
Oklahoma State
 26-14 133 0 17
-5
 17/NR
23
North Carolina State
 22-15 127 0 NR
+8
 14/NR
24
Oregon
 27-12 122 0 18
-6
 18/NR
25
Indiana State
 29-8 121 0 25 – 25/NR

Schools Dropped Out

No. 19 Dallas Baptist; No. 22 Virginia Tech; No. 24 West Virginia;

Others Receiving Votes

Dallas Baptist 94; Virginia Tech 64; Mississippi State 45; Texas Tech 40; UC Santa Barbara 25; West Virginia 20; Nebraska 18; UNCW 16; Utah 11; UCF 9; Georgia Tech 8; Lamar 5; Louisiana Tech 4; UTSA 3; Creighton 2; Western Kentucky 1; Troy 1; San Diego 1; Illinois 1;

 

Texas A&M will face Houston on Tuesday, April 23, at 6:00 p.m. CST, where the game will air on SEC Network+.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Texas A&M basketball lands former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher through the portal

The Aggie basketball team add a much-needed deep threat to the team via the transfer portal

The Texas A&M basketball team had a rollercoaster ride of a season, looking like the best team in the SEC to the worst team in the SEC. It had nothing to do with the lack of effort, as it was mainly due to them not being able to hit a shot from anywhere outside of the paint. The Aggies ranked near the bottom of the league in free throw percentage (.707), field goal percentage (.402), and 3-point percentage (.293).

Luckily for the Aggies, help is on the way, with former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher transferring to College Station to join Coach Buzz Williams. His stat line is exactly the type of production they need from their role players. Wilcher averaged 7.7 points, shot .451 overall, and only missed two free throws on the season for a .939 percentage.

Probably the most important statistic is that he shot .394 from beyond the arc. If we can bring that same shooting to the Aggies, they can force the team to stretch its defense, allowing Wade Taylor and Manny Obaseki to slash to the basket.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Former Pitt LB Solomon DeShields will transfer to Texas A&M

Texas A&M picks up a productive ACC player in former Pitt linebacker Solomon DeShields

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is getting a dose of competition in the defensive room to pair with All-SEC backer Taurean York with a productive linebacker out from Pitt.

Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman quickly added another highly active defensive player when former Pitt linebacker Solomon DeShields committed to the Aggies on April 22. DeShields brings some good size standing at 6’3″ weighing in at 225 pounds and had had his most productive year in 2023 recording 58 tackles, 8 TFLs, with 2 sacks.

With the spring portal now open, expect more names to flow in and out of College Station as players start to key in on where they might fall on the roster. No doubt Elko is keeping his ear to the portal streets looking for ways to improve his team.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.