Tag: Michael Earley

Texas A&M baseball transfer Wyatt Henseler is excited for the Michael Earley era

Penn transfer Wyatt Henseler emphasized Texas A&M’s culture as one of the primary reasons for sticking to his commitment

Texas A&M baseball is under new management.

Following Jim Schlossnagle’s sudden departure to lead the Texas Longhorns, the Aggies’ athletic director, Trev Alberts, wasted no time in hiring former hitting coach Michael Earley as the program’s 21st head coach just five days later, showcasing the team’s agility in adapting to change.

With the hire, half of the 14 players who entered the transfer portal have withdrawn their names, including star hitters Jace LaViolette, Gavin Grahovac, and Caden Sorrell, while Penn transfer Wyatt Henseler, who was heavily recruited by Texas and LSU after Schlossnagle’s move, reaffirmed his commitment to the Aggies late last week.

Joining former Texas Tech first baseman Gavin Kash, Texas A&M’s battling lineup is as powerful as it gets heading into the 2025 season, making Earley’s first-year transition more manageable.

In a recent interview with The Eagle’s Travis Brown, Henseler, who has a chance to cement himself as a future MLB Draft first-round selection, will end his collegiate career with what should be one of the best teams in the country next season.

“I don’t think you could commit yourself to a better winning culture than Texas A&M right now.”

Emphasis on “right now,” the program couldn’t be in a better place; coming off their first trip to the College World Series Finals, the Aggies offer a development track that helped Braden Montgomery become a nationally known star, while Jace LaViolette is just seven home runs away from breaking A&M’s career home run record.

During his final seasons at Penn, Henesler led the team with 72 hits, 56 RBIs, and 22 home runs while finishing with a .360 average at the plate.

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Jeremy McMillan returns to Texas A&M as head coach of baseball strength and conditioning

According to a recent report, a familiar face is returning to College Station to join the staff of new baseball head coach Michael Earley.

According to a recent report, a familiar face is returning to Texas A&M to join the staff of new baseball head coach Michael Earley.

Per TexAgs analyst Ryan Brauninger, Jeremy McMillan is coming home to College Station to become the head coach of strength and conditioning. He spent 12 years in Aggieland serving in the same role from 2012 to 2023.

McMillan departed Texas A&M last year for the same position at LSU but, similar to Earley at Texas, he is back like he never left. McMillan is a member of the Lone Star State through and through as a graduate of Texas Tech and native of San Antonio.

During his original stint with the Aggies, he coached 10 future big leaguers: Ryan Hendrix, Corbin Martin, Kyle Martin, Daniel Mengden, A.J. Minter, Tyler Naquin, Ross Stripling, Michael Wacha, Bryce Miller and Braden Shewmake.

Prior to being hired at Texas A&M, McMillan previously worked at Texas State and the University of New Mexico.

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Texas A&M junior outfielder has entered the transfer portal

Another Texas A&M outfielder has entered the transfer portal

It’s been a busy two weeks for Texas A&M’s baseball. Jim Schlossnagle’s departure to take over the Texas Longhorns just a day after the Aggies College World Series Finals led to Aggies athletic director Trev Alberts hiring former hitting coach Michael Earley as the program’s 21st-ranked head coach.

After 14 players entered the transfer portal, Earley’s hiring sparked a positive change. Seven Aggies, including star hitters Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovac, withdrew their names, leading to nearly every key contributor during A&M’s postseason run announcing their collective return.

However, the roster will continue to see movement throughout the summer. It has been confirmed that junior outfielder Tab Tracy has entered the portal after two seasons with the program after transferring from Houston ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Tracy did not see the field this past season but still possesses the skill set he showed in 20-plus plate appearances during the 2023 season, recording 14 hits and two stolen base hits with a .326 average.

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Texas A&M star outfielder Jace LaViolette explains why he decided to return to Aggieland

“Aggieland… the past two years has undoubtedly been the best two years of my life. Mike Earley is the best coach in the nation,” he said.

After briefly entering the transfer portal following the departure of former head coach Jim Schlossnagle to the Longhorns, sophomore outfielder Jace LaViolette became one of numerous Aggies to announce their respective return to Texas A&M this past week.

“Aggieland… the past two years has undoubtedly been the best two years of my life,” LaViolette said in a hype video. “Mike Earley is the best coach in the nation. There is nobody that I would rather play for.

“Gig ‘Em!”

LaViolette spoke to KBTX sports reporter Nicole Griffith on Tuesday at Michael Earley‘s press conference that introduced him as the new Aggies head coach.

“Honestly I’m just excited to finally see Mike in front of the whole team once everything settles down and just be like, ‘Hey, lets go do this! I’m the next head coach and we’re going to have a lot of fun,'” LaViolette foretold. “This team is going to play really, really loose and let’s just go have fun.”

After smashing 50 home runs during his first two seasons in College Station, LaViolette is seven away from breaking the program record of 56 set by Daylan Holt in 2000.

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Two recent Washington transfers could be options for Texas A&M baseball

Texas A&M could be in the market for multiple Washington transfer after former Huskies head coach Jason Kelly joined Michael Earley’s staff

Texas A&M baseball’s 2025 roster is all but set after hiring new head coach Michael Earley. Nearly half of the 14 portal entries have returned to the team, after Jim Schlossnagle’s abrupt exit to take over the Texas Longhorns program produced a chaotic transition week.

Earley, who served as the program’s hitting coach for the last three seasons, was by far the most popular coach on staff. He recruited and developed star hitters Jace LaViolette, Gavin Grahovac and Caden Sorrell, while former Penn outfielder Wyatt Henseler reaffirmed his commitment to the program for next season.

Looking ahead at the 2025 depth chart, the inclusion of former Texas Tech first baseman Gavin Kash paired with Henseler has shaken things up, while postseason hero Kaeden Kent will likely take over as the starting second baseman.

From a depth perspective, the Aggies could be in the market for one or two more experienced players to put the roster over the top talent-wise. D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers reported that Washington infielders Aiva Arquette and Cam Clayton, who both entered the transfer portal, could be in the mix for Texas A&M.

Why the interest? Former Washington head coach Jason Kelly has been hired as Texas A&M’s new pitching coach. That created the potential for several of his players to follow him to College Station, given the Aggies could end up being the preseason No. 1 team next year.

Here’s how both players performed during the 2024 season:

  • 2B/SS Aiva Arquette, 6 feet, 4 inches, 220 pounds: 68 hits, 12 home runs, .325 batting average
  • 2B/SS Cam Clayton, 6 feet, 205 pounds: 54 hits, seven home runs, .270 batting average

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Texas A&M baseball officially hired assistant coaches Jason Kelly and Caleb Longley

Michael Earley’s staff is coming together, as Jason Kelly and Caleb Longley are now officially on board for the 2025 season and beyond

Amid the chaos surrounding Jim Schlossnagle’s semi-disastrous exit to head the Texas Longhorns baseball program a day after Texas A&M’s College World Series Finals loss to Tennessee, Aggies athletic director Trev Alberts was determined to find his successor much sooner than later.

After nearly a dozen candidates interviewed over the course of five days, former hitting coach Michael Earley was named the 21st head coach in A&M program history following an impressive interview coupled with current players, prospects and fellow coaches vocal respect what he brings to the table.

Needing a reliable coaching staff to get him through the ups and downs of his inaugural campaign, two key assistants have been hired: new associate head coach/pitching coach Jason Kelly and new recruiting director/hitting coach Caleb Longley.

Longley has spent the majority of his coaching career at Texas in the same capacity as his new duties with Texas A&M. During the 2022 season, he helped the Longhorns hit a program record 128 home runs while helping sign the third-ranked recruiting class for 2024.

Kelly’s coaching career has been fast and furious, serving as a pitching coach since 2003. Like Longley, he was Arizona State’s pitching coach from 2020-2021 when both Earley and Longley were on the Sun Devils staff. During his six-year run as Washington’s pitching coach, Kelly was named D1Baseball.com’s Assistant Coach of the Year during the program’s only College World Series appearance.

Before becoming LSU head coach Jay Johnson’s first hire during his transition to LSU, Kelly’s brief stint as Washington’s head coach was an immediate success. He led the Huskies to an NCAA regional appearance during the 2023 season.

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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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Former USC sophomore catcher Jacob Galloway chooses Texas A&M in NCAA Transfer Portal

Sophomore catcher Jacob Galloway played in 82 games over two seasons for the Trojans, recording a .304 batting average, 7 homers and 51 RBI.

New Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley and his coaching staff haven’t wasted any time since being hired and have gotten right to work in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

While keeping key Aggies in College Station was a priority, Earley has also secured the commitment of a handful of players from other schools to improve the roster. Former USC sophomore catcher Jacob Galloway is the latest student-athlete to choose Aggieland as his next home.

“First I’d like to thank all of my coaches and teammates at USC for making my first two years of college the best time of my life. Made many great memories that I will remember for the rest of my life,” Galloway stated Wednesday evening on Instagram. “With that being said I’d proudly like to announce my commitment to Aggie baseball. I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to compete and give my all to this program.

“Gig ‘em!!!”

Galloway recorded a .304 batting average, 7 homers and 51 RBI in 82 games for the Trojans.

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‘No place I’d rather be,’ Texas A&M sophomore LHP Justin Lamkin voices support for Earley

Earley has received public support from nearly every Aggie on the roster with the latest being sophomore left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin.

New Texas A&M baseball head coach Michael Earley has received public support from nearly every Aggie on the roster, with the latest being sophomore left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin.

Lamkin officially announced his return to College Station for a third season via social media on Wednesday evening. The Corpus Christi native stated on X, “No place I’d rather be,” with a thumbs up emoji, tagging Earley and the Gig ‘Em hashtag.

Lamkin is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. He was the No. 5 ranked lefty and 34th overall prospect in Texas coming out of Calallen High School last year. In 2022, Lamkin recorded 21 strikeouts in a no-hitter as a junior.

He was named to the SEC All-Tournament team as a true freshman in 2023. Lamkin earned an SEC Pitcher of the Week honor this past season on March 25.

Following a tough stretch in April and May, Lamkin was a reliable starter during Texas A&M’s run to the College World Series finals this year. He will now be instructed by former Washington head coach Jason Kelly, who left Seattle to join Earley‘s staff as the associate HC and pitching coach.

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New Texas A&M head baseball coach Mike Earley talks about his hitting philosophy

Watch new head A&M baseball coach Mike Earley discuss his approach to hitting that help the Aggies become one of the best offensive teams in the nation

One thing about assistant coaches is that most of the time, you do not really get to know much about them outside of them being mentioned during an interview with a head coach or the players. Outside of people who follow baseball outside of the general team press conferences, most know that Michael Earley is regarded as one of the better-hitting coaches in the nation.

However, they have no idea of his approach to hitting or why his current and former players speak so highly of him in all aspects of a coach. So, with the announcement of Earley being officially named head coach of the Texas A&M baseball team in his press conference, it was the first time most people had even heard his voice.

Despite his relative youth, Michael Earley’s insights on hitting and his coaching methods are highly sought after. His public appearances, such as the in-depth webinar below, are rare and provide valuable insights into his journey and hitting philosophy.

 

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