As Biggie Smalls once said, Camarillo is “going going, back back, to Cali Cali.” He grew up in Chula Vista, 500 miles south of the East Bay.
After being selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 346th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Texas A&M junior shortstop Ali Camarillo is returning home to the Golden State.
As iconic rapper Biggie Smalls once said, Camarillo is “going going, back back, to Cali Cali.” Camarillo grew up in Chula Vista, about 500 miles south of the East Bay. However, he’ll likely never play a professional game in Oakland as the franchise will be relocated to Sacramento from 2025 til at least 2027 before the franchise moves to Las Vegas.
While the future remains uncertain, Camarillo brings versatility to the A’s. His defense is smooth and efficient. If Camarillo can produce consistently at the plate, he is comparable to Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Smith.
Camarillo also provides a clutch ability. Beginning with his Little League World Series experience in 2016, to playing in the College World Series for the Aggies this year, Camarillo is built for big moments.
Whether he makes his big league debut in California’s Capitol, Sin City or elsewhere, the Athletics made a great pick in the 12th round.
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Texas A&M SS Ali Camarillo officially joins the Athletics organization by signing his contract
In his single season at Texas A&M, shortstop Ali Camarillo made an impression early and locked up the starting spot. He was a wizard while playing in the infield and was solid in the batters’ box. However, toward the end of the season, he struggled and that probably contributed to him dropping a round or so in the draft.
He was taken by the Oakland Athletics in the 12th round with the 346th pick. The unique aspect of the MLB draft is that players do not have to sign and can remain in college even if picked. In the name, image and likeness licensing era, it makes a lot of sense to weigh the option of staying in college longer or hitting the minor league circuit.
Camarillo made his choice, and his time in Aggieland has come to an end. He decided to sign a contract and start his pro journey. He signed for $250,000 with $100,000 coming out of the bonus pool. Making it to the majors is a childhood dream for most kids who pick up a bat, and we would like to congratulate Ali Camarillo for his selection.
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Texas A&M shortstop Ali Camarillo has been selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 2024 MLB Draft
The eighth Texas A&M baseball player from the talented 2024 roster has been selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, as starting shortstop Ali Camarillo, a California transplant, could be headed back to the Golden State after the Oakland Athletics picked with the 346th overall selection.
Camarillo still has the option of returning to the program for what would be his final collegiate season, but as of right now, expect the smooth operator to start his journey in the minors before (hopefully) making the big league roster. A former Little League World Series star, Camarillo’s Aggie career was short but highly memorable.
Helping the best team in Texas A&M baseball history make it all the way to the College World Series Finals for the first time in program history, the junior hit .288 with 72 hits, 36 RBIs, and seven home runs on the year. At the same time, his elite defensive skills will surely play a factor in what could be a fast rise through the minors.
Texas A&M SS Ali Camarillo has been drafted 346th overall by the A’s.
One of the slickest fielders I’ve ever watched in college baseball, and he should see more sock with the bat coming as he adds weight/strength.
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Per D1Baseball managing editor Kendall Rogers, junior shortstop Ali Camarillo and freshman left-hander Kaiden Wilson have enter the portal.
Amid the fallout of head coach Jim Schlossnagle departing Texas A&M for bitter rival Texas on Tuesday, nine Aggies have exercised their right to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Seven players initially entered the portal on Wednesday afternoon and two more have joined the group as of Wednesday evening. According to D1Baseball managing editor Kendall Rogers, junior shortstop Ali Camarillo and freshman left-handed pitcher Kaiden Wilson have followed suit.
Camarillo and Schott are the only portal entrants that are eligible for the 2024 MLB draft in July. Junior OF Braden Montgomery is likely to be drafted in the top 10 despite suffering a season-ending injury in the super regionals.
TRANSFER UPDATE: @AggieBaseball shortstop Ali Camarillo has entered the Transfer Portal, I’m told. Camarillo is a slick-fielding shortstop, but also has a very good shot to sign in the draft. https://t.co/F2mEcVzHiC
Amid the transfer madness on Wednesday, Montgomery’s mom Gretchen shared words of wisdom on her private X account.
“Don’t freak out about the transfer portal!! The players have to protect themselves — A&M doesn’t have a coach or staff,” she stated. “Most will get in the portal but can still stay. They will get NIL!! But nobody has more $ than A&M. Most will come back with a STRONG HIRE! Email the AD!”
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TRANSFER UPDATE: @AggieBaseball LHP Kaiden Wilson has entered the Transfer Portal, I’m told. Wilson is a talented freshman lefthander who was up to 94-95 mph in Omaha with a nice breaking ball. Wilson has a ton of upside entering his sophomore season. https://t.co/F2mEcVz9t4
During the first College World Series finals game in program history, the Texas A&M baseball team came out hot, scoring seven runs in the first three innings.
During the first College World Series finals game in program history, the Texas A&M baseball team came out hot, scoring seven runs in the first three innings.
The No. 3 Aggies (53-13) jumped out to a 9-2 lead versus top seed Tennessee (58-13) and won the matchup of SEC squads by a final score of 9-5 to win Game 1 of the CWS finals. Texas A&M tallied 2 runs in the first frame, 5 in the third and 2 in the seventh. The Volunteers scored once in the second and third, respectively, and 3 in the seventh.
Two Aggies freshmen got the party started in the top of the first. Third baseman Gavin Grahovac belted an oppo taco with a solo home run to right field to begin the contest. It was his 23rd of the season, which set a new franchise record for a freshman, and his fifth leadoff jack of the year.
Senior catcher Jackson Appel doubled down the left field line, then freshman outfielder Caden Sorrell singled into center and plated Appel.
Superstar sophomore OF Jace LaViolette drew a walk to start the fifth inning and Appel hit an infield single. Graduate student designated hitter Hayden Schott singled up the middle to score LaViolette. Sorrell singled to right to score Schott and make the score 4-0.
Senior first baseman Ted Burton plated a run next after making it to first on a fielder’s choice. Burton scored on an error by junior 3B Billy Amick, who allowed junior shortstop Ali Camarillo to reach base safely. Then sophomore second baseman Kaeden Kent singled to right center field to score Camarillo and Sorell, increasing the advantage to 7-1.
Kent blasted a 2-run bomb to right field in the top of the seventh to make the score 9-2. Despite Tennessee tallying 3 runs in the bottom half of the frame and putting runners on the corners in the ninth, Texas A&M earned a 9-5 victory to begin the CWS finals.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager got the start on the mound and tossed 4.0 innings and allowed 8 hits and 2 runs with 6 strikeouts on 81 pitches. Junior RHP Josh Stewart earned the win in relief of Prager. He pitched 2.1 frames and gave up 3 walks, 2 runs and 1 hit with 4 Ks on 56 pitches.
Junior RHP Brad Rudis tossed 2 pitches and allowed a solo shot to junior DH Hunter Ensley. Then the “Stopper of the Year,” senior LHP Evan Aschenbeck, closed the game, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings and giving up 2 hits with a staggering 7 punch outs on 46 pitches.
Kent went 3-for-5 with a game-high 4 runs batted in. The son of 2000 NL MVP Jeff Kent tallied 14 RBI in the regular season and has already matched that total in the NCAA Tournament, which is tied for second most in the nation.
The Aggies will attempt to win their first national championship in school history on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+.
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For the second time in three years, coach Jim Schlossnagle has led the Aggies baseball team to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament.
For the second time in three years, coach Jim Schlossnagle has led the Texas A&M baseball team to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 3 Aggies (47-13) clinched a berth into the next round following a 9-4 victory versus No. 23 Louisiana in the regional final on Sunday evening at Blue Bell Park. Texas A&M has begun the postseason tournament undefeated with wins against Grambling on Friday afternoon and Texas on Saturday night.
Two all-time single season program records were shattered against the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Aggies set a new record for home runs in a campaign. With a solo shot to right field in the top of the seventh inning, junior shortstop Ali Camarillo broke the previous record of 128 HR in one year.
Third baseman Gavin Grahovac belted his own solo bomb in the ninth frame to add on and bring the total to 130 thus far. With his 22nd homer of the season, Grahovac set the new freshman record. Junior outfielder Braden Montgomery was named MVP of the Bryan-College Station Regional.
Texas A&M will host Oregon (39-18) in the Super Regionals. The Ducks advanced from the UC Santa Barbara Regional, where they beat the No. 18 Gauchos twice and San Diego.
The next round of the NCAA Tournament begins Friday evening at Olsen Field.
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The Aggies pull off a feat they haven’t since 2015 after run-ruling Rice 16-3 at home
Perfection in anything is rare and a tough feat to accomplish, especially in a game like baseball. There are so many games that going without a loss, or back-to-back losses is really unheard of. On Tuesday night No. 2 Texas A&M (41-8, 16-8 SEC) rule-ruled Rice at home to finish the season perfect in midweek games for the first time since 2015.
Rice never stood a chance in this game as the Aggies started off extremely hot and the Rice pitchers did nothing to help themselves. Gavin Grahovac and Braden Montgomery came out blasting each hitting solo home runs in the opening frame to take a 2-0 lead. Then in the very next inning, Travis Chestnut, Caden Sorrell, and Kaeden Kent all scored due to wild pitches allowing the Aggies to take a 5-0 lead into the 3rd inning.
After cutting the lead down to four with their own solo home run the Owls once again found themselves on the wrong side of the long ball with Sorrell’s solo shot and Jace LaViolette’s two-run home run.
Later in the inning, Hayden Schott brought home Montgomery with a single through the left side for a 9-1 lead. They added two more in the fifth to go up 11-2 before the wheels really fell off. Rice walked five straight Aggie batters for five unearned scores.
There was one more home run by Rice but that was the end of the scoring threat with A&M winning 16-3 and 25-0 in their midweek games on the year.
Texas A&M will face Ole Miss in a three-game series starting on Friday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. CST, where the game will air on SEC Network.
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“We played bad for two days. You deserved to get your rear end kicked when you don’t play well. Our guys care too much sometimes,” he said.
The No. 2 Texas A&M baseball team avoided an SEC sweep at reigning national champion LSU this past weekend with a 14-4 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle chatted with TexAgs on Monday and reflected on the series loss.
“We played bad for two days. You deserved to get your rear end kicked when you don’t play well. Our guys care too much sometimes. If you have that level of care, it can snowball, especially in the sport of baseball,” Schlossnagle explained. “I think we have played poorly and pitched poorly before. We just swung the bat enough to cover it up. We had full control of the game with Ryan Prager pitching. He walked two guys. They bunt. They got a little flare that is just out of Ali Camarillo’s reach. Tommy White was up. This was the double play that we wanted, and a bad throw was made.
“You have to give credit to the team we faced. Gage Jump and Luke Holman are two of the best starters we will see all year. The numbers don’t accurately reflect those to guys. Griffin Herring is awesome. We knew going into the weekend their left-handed pitching would be an issue for us.
“I thought Chris Cortez gave us a shot of life. We had Caden Sorrell’s triple. That got everyone fired up and then the Gavin Grahovac homer. Baseball can eat you up. You can feel the greatest for a while. A couple of negative things happen, and you have to be careful not to let it steamroll… Thought it was great when we battled back. We needed it. Three to four innings in on Sunday, it was not a good feeling in the dugout.
“I don’t like postgame talks or speeches, but that was mine on Saturday night. ‘Just chill out.’ The game ended, and we had one of the best pitchers in the country hanging his body over the front rail of the dugout like the season was over.
“We will not be perfect. They are human beings. We have to find ways to overcome it. There will be days we do. Those two days, we didn’t.”
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Texas A&M rallies in the top of the fifth to take a lead and hold to win game three over LSU
Texas A&M (40-8, 16-8 SEC) had a rough weekend in Baton Rouge but salvaged the series with a big fifth-inning rally for an important 10-run win over LSU (31-18, 9-15 SEC).
Over the past three games, including the third game of the Georgia series, the Aggies have been grappling with strikeouts, a recurring issue this season. However, as the game of baseball often proves, streaks happen. On Sunday, the Aggies found their rhythm, putting 14 runs on the board despite Jace LaViolette and Braden Montgomery going 1 for 10. This unpredictability is what makes baseball such a fascinating sport.
After falling 3-0 early, the Aggies stormed back, and freshman Caden Sorrell got the ball rolling by triple to center field in the top of the fifth. Travis Chestnut’s single brought Sorrell home to cut the lead, and Gavin Grahovac homered a few batters later to take a 4-3 lead. Jackson Appel got in on the home run party with a two-run shot and a bases-loaded walk followed by a few singles capped off a nine-run inning.
Notably, Kaeden Kent and LaViolette contributed five runs with their impressive home runs in the top of the ninth, leading the team to a commanding 14-3 lead. Let’s not forget the stellar performance of Chris Cortez, who put in the work, earning the win while allowing only one hit and striking out six.
Despite losing their No. 1 ranking, the Aggies’ performance in game three was a testament to the offensive and defensive prowess in 4.1 innings we’ve appreciated over the past few months. Texas A&M will return to Blue Bell Park to face Rice on Tuesday, May 7, at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will air on SEC Network+.
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First pitch was delayed due to lightning and the Aggies’ (39-8) bats came out with thunder, scoring 3 runs in the top of the first inning.
Following a 32-minute weather delay on Saturday night in the Bayou, the Texas A&M baseball team attempted to tie its three-game SEC series at reigning national champion LSU.
With 11,751 fans in attendance, the first pitch at Alex Box Field was pushed back due to lightning in Baton Rouge. The Aggies‘ (39-8, 15-8 SEC) bats came out with some thunder, scoring 3 runs in the top of the first inning.
However, Texas A&M allowed 5 unanswered runs to the Tigers (31-17, 9-14) and ultimately lost 6-4 for the second straight evening. The Aggies scored their other run in the ninth frame. LSU tallied 3 in the third, 1 in the seventh and 2 in the eighth.
Freshmen, third baseman Gavin Grahovac & outfielder Caden Sorrell, sophomore OF Jace LaViolette, junior shortstop Ali Camarillo and senior pinch hitter Ted Burton each contributed a hit. Camarillo, LaViolette, Sorrell and senior catcher Jackson Appel respectively recorded 1 run batted in.
The series finale at Skip Bertman Field is Sunday at 1 p.m.
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