Texas A&M catcher Jackson Appel signs with the Chicago White Sox

Texas A&M catcher Jackson Appel officially joins the Chicago White Sox organization by signing his contract

Another Aggie signed on to live out their lifelong dream when Texas A&M catcher Jackson Appel inked his name to join the Chicago White Sox. Jackson transferred in from Penn, where he was a two-time All-Ivy League Team selection and started all 50 games this junior season.

The Chicago White Sox selected him in the sixth round with the 169th pick. The unique aspect of the MLB draft is that players can remain in college even with name and image and not have to sign if picked. In the likeness licensing era, it makes sense to weigh the option of staying in college longer or hitting the minor league circuit.

Appel came to Aggieland and solidified his spot behind the plate. The catcher plays a quarterback-like role on the baseball field. He took control of this responsibility and earned the team’s trust early. A&M fans appreciate his time in Bryan-College Station and would like to congratulate Jackson Appel on his selection.

 

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Texas A&M baseball enters the record books with 2024 MLB Draft

Texas A&M now has the longest streak of three or more players being drafted in the MLB Draft since 2001

Texas A&M has been on the cusp of being a powerhouse baseball team for the most part of the last decade but repeatedly fell short of expectations until the 2024 season. On the heels of a historic year, Aggie fans settled in to follow the 2024 MLB Draft to see which of their beloved A&M players would make the jump to the pros.

They didn’t have to wait long with Braden Montgomery being selected 12th overall and stayed tuned to watch six more Aggies get selected throughout the draft. With seven players being picked A&M now has the longest streak in the nation for three or more players being drafted since 2001. The Aggies that were selected in this year’s draft can be viewed on the tracker here.

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Chicago White Sox pick Aggies senior catcher Jackson Appel in 6th round of 2024 MLB Draft

Catcher Jackson Appel joined the group of drafted Aggies on Monday as he was selected by the Chicago White Sox with the 169th overall pick.

As DJ Khaled likes to say, “Another one!” Six Texas A&M baseball players have been selected in the 2024 MLB Draft thus far.

Senior catcher Jackson Appel joined the group on Monday as he was chosen in the sixth round by the Chicago White Sox with the 169th overall pick. Two selections prior his batterymate, junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Jones, was picked by the Kansas City Royals.

Appel and Jones join juniors, outfielder Braden Montgomery and RHP Chris Cortez, sophomore LHP Ryan Prager and 2024 shortstop commit Wyatt Sanford as fellow Aggies draftees. At 12th overall to the Boston Red Sox, Montgomery became the highest draft pick in Texas A&M program history.

Cortez was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Angels at 45th overall. Two picks later, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose Sanford. In the third round at 81st overall, Prager joined his teammate in Anaheim.

Appel comes from a family of athletes. His mom Sharon played basketball at SMU and his grandpa Jerry hooped at Arkansas.

Jackson graduated from Memorial High School in Houston. He spent his first three years in college at Penn where he racked up the accolades.

Appel was an All-Ivy League second team selection in 2022, then made the first team the following season. He was also a member of the 2023 Auburn Regional All-Tournament team.

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Texas A&M catcher Max Kaufer has found his new home for the 2025 season

Texas A&M sophomore catcher Max Kaufer will stay in the SEC for the 2025 season

It has been a hectic week for Texas A&M’s baseball program. Former head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s memorably shocking exit to head the Texas Longhorns early last week resulted in 14 Aggies entering the transfer portal.

However, after Sunday’s hiring of former hitting coach Michael Earley as the program’s 21st head coach, nearly half of the players who entered the portal have withdrawn their names, including Jace LaViolette, Gavin Grahovac, Kaeden Kent and Caden Sorrell. In addition, Penn transfer Wyatt Henseler reaffirmed his commitment.

With Jackson Appel still mulling his MLB future, Earley added insurance to next year’s lineup, gaining a commitment from former USC catcher Jacob Galloway. This led to sophomore reserve catcher Max Kaufer, who also entered the transfer portal, announcing his commitment to SEC foe South Carolina.

A top 50 prospect out of the prestigious IMG Academy, Kaufer burst on the scene during his freshman season in 2023. He made 36 starts while appearing in 46 games, finishing with 19 hits and a .183 batting average at the plate. Due to Appel’s arrival, Kaufer’s playing time decreased, but that doesn’t take away from what Kaufer offers from a defensive standpoint.

With two more seasons of collegiate eligibility, Kaufer has a solid chance to compete for a starting spot behind the plate next season.

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No. 3 Texas A&M begins College World Series finals with rout of SEC rival No. 1 Tennessee

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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Texas A&M is reportedly battling several injuries amid College World Series finals berth

Outside of Jace LaViolette, Hayden Schott and Jackson Appel are also reportedly banged up

Texas A&M’s (52-13) postseason run has been record-breaking on several fronts after defeating Florida 6-0 in the College World Series semifinals on Wednesday night, as starting pitcher Justin Lamkin produced an absolute gem on the mound.

In five innings, the sophomore continued his impressive performance against the Gators after recording six strikeouts during their first meeting on Saturday in three innings. Lamkin set a CWS record with 9 Ks in his best career performance, while Josh Stewart and Evan Aschenbeck added five more strikeouts for an impressive 14 on the night.

Offensively, the Aggies scored six runs on six hits, and while star outfielder Jace LaViolette made his surprise return amid his lingering hamstring injury, his 0-4 showing at the plate wasn’t surprising.

However, after the win, head coach Jim Schlossnagle provided an interesting update regarding the injury report outside LaViolette. According to Schlossnagle, DH Hayden Schott, who went 0-2 with a run scored, is reportedly playing with a torn meniscus, as his knee issue is a lot more serious than previously anticipated.

Joining Schott, catcher Jackson Appel is also “banged up” but will continue to play through the pain. Both players have no plans to sit out of the final round for good reason.

“We are down our No. 2 starter, a first-round pick, and Jace (LaViolette) is banged up.”

“Appel is banged up. Schott is playing with a torn meniscus… You rally around it. You out-team the other team.”

Texas A&M will play Tennessee in Game 1 of the College World Series finals on Saturday, June 22, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN.

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Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle recaps win vs. No. 2 Kentucky at College World Series

“I thought it was a great ball game with tough conditions to hit. Ryan was obviously outstanding. Mason was outstanding for them, he said.

The No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team beat SEC foe, No. 2 Kentucky, by a final score of 5-1 on Monday night at Charles Schwab Field to advance to the semifinals of the College World Series.

After the game, coach Jim Schlossnagle spoke to the media.

“I thought it was a great ball game with tough conditions to hit. Ryan was obviously outstanding. Mason was outstanding for them,” Schlossnagle said. “We just happened to get Appel’s big hit to break it open a little bit and get us into scoring position. Then both Hayden and Kaeden did an awesome job of staying on the baseball, using the whole field to hit and keeping it low. It was a really tough night to hit.”

Next up for Texas A&M (51-13) is a rematch with conference rival Florida (36-29), who they beat 3-2 in the opening round on Saturday. With a win tonight, the Aggies clinch a berth in the CWS finals. First pitch Wednesday is at 6 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN+.

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‘No panic button,’ Texas A&M senior catcher Jackson Appel reflects on beating Oregon

“We know that we’ve got guys like Chris that are going to come in and they’re gonna dominate. There was no panic button from the offense.”

The No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team beat Oregon by a final score of 10-6 on Saturday afternoon at Blue Bell Park to begin the Bryan-College Station Super Regional.

“We know that we’ve got guys like Chris that are going to come in and they’re gonna dominate. No worries, like that game could easily stay at six the rest of the game for Oregon,” explained senior catcher Jackson Appel. “There was no panic button from the offense. We’ve done it before. We had like Georgia down 9-0 in the first inning earlier in the year and I think we run-ruled them that game. Just not hitting the panic button, staying good, that’s why we wear these shirts. Just finding a way and never hitting the panic button offensively.”

Appel was 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs batted in and 2 runs scored against the Ducks. Game 2 at Olsen Field is on Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

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‘Not sure I’ve ever been more proud,’ Schlossnagle recaps Texas A&M win vs. Oregon

“I’m not sure I’ve ever been more proud of a team,” he said. “You know, emotionally, Prager goes out and didn’t have a great first inning.”

Murphy’s Law appeared to be taking place early at the Bryan-College Station Super Regional on Saturday afternoon as the Texas A&M baseball team trailed Oregon 6-3 after two innings.

On top of that, junior outfielder Braden Montgomery suffered a season-ending right leg injury in the bottom of the first frame, deflating the crowd at Blue Bell Park. Despite that, the No. 3 Aggies prevailed 10-6, much to the joy of coach Jim Schlossnagle.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever been more proud of a team. You know, emotionally, Prager goes out and didn’t have a great first inning. Then we battle back into it and then the injury,” Schlossnagle said. “To get down 6-3, the emotions of that, I think a lot of teams fold. Chris gave us a big lift. I thought Hayden Schott had a lot of great at-bats, and obviously, Jackson. Super proud of our club. All we’ve done is won a game, nothing more than that. We’ve gotta be ready to go tomorrow. I think Oregon has a good team and we’re going to face some good lefties tomorrow.”

Game 2 at Olsen Field is Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

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No. 2 Texas A&M baseball team loses second straight SEC series opener, this time at Ole Miss

For the second consecutive Friday evening, the Aggies baseball team lost their SEC series opener on the road. Game 2 is Saturday at 4 p.m.

For the second consecutive Friday evening, the Texas A&M baseball team lost its SEC series opener on the road.

The No. 2 Aggies (41-9, 16-9 SEC) lost by a final score of 4-3 at Ole Miss (26-23, 10-15) to begin the weekend at Swayze Field. Texas A&M has lost three of its last four conference matchups.

With a single run scattered across the first, second and fifth innings, respectively, the Aggies led 3-2 with six outs to go. The Rebels tallied 1 in each of the second and third, then took the lead for good with 2 go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth frame.

Texas A&M recorded 7 hits and 5 walks on Friday night. Senior catcher Jackson Appel and graduate student designated hitter Hayden Schott led the way as the only Aggies to rack up multiple hits. Schott has 19 multi-hit games this year and has a current on-base streak of 13 contests.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager took a no decision after allowing 2 runs and striking out 10 batters over 5.2 innings. Senior LHP Evan Aschenbeck (4-1) suffered the loss after tossing 1.2 frames of relief for Prager.

Texas A&M will attempt to even the series Saturday at 4 p.m.

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