No. 3 Texas A&M holds on to beat SEC foe Florida in opening round of College World Series

After a four hour rain delay, the Aggies beat SEC rival Florida in the opening round of the College World Series at Charles Schwab Field.

After a four hour rain delay, the Texas A&M baseball team beat SEC rival Florida in the opening round of the College World Series at Charles Schwab Field.

The No. 3 Aggies (50-13) held on for a 3-2 victory versus the Gators (34-29) on Saturday night in Omaha, Nebraska. Texas A&M tallied 2 in the second inning and 1 in the third. Florida scored both of its runs in the seventh frame following two doubles.

In the bottom of the second, three consecutive Aggies reached to load the bases. Freshman outfielder Caden Sorell singled to center field, junior shortstop Ali Camarillo drew a walk and sophomore second baseman Kaeden Kent hit a single to right.

Senior OF Travis Chestnut hit a groundout to third base but the Gators were unable to make a play in time so each runner was safe, including Sorrell to plate the first run. Camarillo scored on a wild pitch during the next at-bat.

After graduate student designated hitter Hayden Schott walked in the third inning, Sorrell smashed an RBI double to center to increase the advantage to 3-0.

Sophomore OF Jace LaViolette sealed the win for Texas A&M in the top of the ninth frame. With one out and the go-ahead run at the dish, Florida sophomore 2B Cade Kurland crushed a pitch to right field where the 6-foot-6 superstar reached above the fence and robbed Kurland of the homer.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin got the start on the mound in place of hurt sophomore LHP Shane Sdao, who’s out for the season. Despite being inconsistent at times this year, Lamkin was lights out in the late hours of Saturday evening. He pitched the first 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing only 1 hit with 6 strikeouts on 42 pitches.

Chris Cortez (10-3) earned the win in relief. The junior RHP allowed the first two batters to reach base and quickly got out of it. He tossed 3.0 frames and allowed 4 hits, 2 runs and 1 walk with 6 Ks on 65 pitches.

Newly minted NCBWA “Stopper of the Year,” Evan Aschenbeck, pitched the final 3.0 scoreless innings after entering in the top of the seventh for Cortez. The senior lefty gave up 3 hits and 2 walks with 4 punchouts on 51 pitches. Aschenbeck got out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth frame.

Sorrell was the lone Aggie to rack up multiple hits. Chestnut, Kent, Schott and freshman third baseman Gavin Grahovac respectively recorded a hit. LaViolette drew 2 walks Saturday to set a new single-season program record for free passes with 59 thus far.

Gators junior first baseman Jac Caglianone is going to be drafted very early in the the 2024 MLB Draft next month, just like injured Texas A&M junior OF Braden Montgomery. The future Top 10 pick was 2-for-3 with 1 double and 1 walk against the Aggies.

Texas A&M plays another SEC foe, No. 2 Kentucky (46-14), on Monday at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

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