Tag: Michael Earley

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hitting coach Michael Earley as the program’s 21st head coach, nearly half of the players who entered the portal have withdrawn their names, including Jace LaViolette, Gavin Grahovac, Kaeden Kent and Caden Sorrell.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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Texas A&M baseball lands a huge commitment from former Texas Tech star

Former Texas Tech star Gavin Kash is heading to College Station!

As someone who has been covering Texas A&M athletics for nearly three years, the last week has been, by far, the craziest in recent memory.

However, the negative tone surrounding Aggie baseball after head coach Jim Schlossnagle shockingly departed to take over the Texas Longhorns program one day after the Aggies’ CWS Championship Finals loss has flipped.

Sunday’s news that former hitting coach Michael Earley had been hired as the program’s 21st head coach led to a host of players on the roster removing their names from the transfer portal, including star hitters Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovac.

Although more positive announcements are slated to arrive this week, Earley received an early Christmas (that’s a joke, folks) present hours after his official introduction on Tuesday afternoon. Former Texas Tech star first baseman Gavin Kash will reportedly transfer to Texas A&M for the 2025 season.

As one of the top five players in the transfer portal, Kash is a power hitter with MLB potential. He seems like a nearly seamless replacement for outgoing Aggie first baseman Ted Burton.

In his last two seasons combined with the Red Raiders, Kash hit 41 home runs. He is coming off an impressive 2023 season in which he slashed .300/.365/.561 with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs.

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Michael Earley proclaims he is ‘built for this’ job as Texas A&M baseball head coach

“I’m ready for this, I’m built for this. I’ve seen what it takes to get almost to the top here. Been to Omaha two of the last three years.”

Despite becoming a college baseball head coach for the first time in his career, Michael Earley is confident he’s the right man to lead Texas A&M to the promised land.

“Here’s the deal, I’m ready for this, I’m built for this. I’ve seen what it takes to get almost to the top here. We were so close. Been to Omaha two of the last three years. I’ve worked, recruited and gone against these guys in the SEC the last three years. I completely understand I’ve never been a head coach, that’s fine. I’ve assembled a staff that has my back. The one thing is that I know I love Texas A&M,” Earley said. “My knowledge and appreciation for the very motivated fan base, I think my age, experience level is an advantage. My energy will be infectious and I promise you that I will do everything I can to take this baseball program to new heights.

“I can’t thank you enough for being here and look forward to seeing you out at Blue Bell. Thanks and Gig’Em!”

Earley will be competing directly against his former boss, Jim Schlossnagle, and the Longhorns, who officially joined the SEC alongside Oklahoma on Monday.

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Aggies head coach Michael Earley is ‘where I want to be’ with players who vouched for him

“It’s been an interesting week, a lot has happened. I found out a lot about myself. I ended up where I want to be and I’m super grateful.”

The Texas A&M Athletic Department formally introduced Michael Earley as the 21st head coach in program history on Tuesday afternoon in College Station.

“It’s been an interesting week. A lot has happened and I found out a lot about myself. In the end, I ended up where I want to be and I’m super grateful for that, super grateful for all the people that got my back,” Earley explained. “To the players, number one, this is your program. To the former players, this is your program. I am just here to give you everything I have every single day. I will do anything I can for anyone who has ever touched this program, and especially you guys.

“Anything you ever need in life, I’m confident I can help you in baseball, but I think my biggest job is to help you guys in life. I appreciate you guys having my back, getting me in the door and the opportunity to run right through it.”

The players who vouched for Earley’s return include underclassmen superstars Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovac, who respectively withdrew from the NCAA Transfer Portal on Tuesday morning.

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Ryan Prager provides an update on his pitching future with Texas A&M

Texas A&M ace pitcher Ryan Prager is still undecided on his immediate playing future

What a week it was for Texas A&M’s baseball program.

The shocking news that head coach Jim Schlossnagle was leaving his position to take over the University of Texas program one day after the Aggies’ 6-5 loss in the College World Series Finals left everyone very confused.

However, five days later Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts hired his successor from among the reported nine coaches under consideration. Former Aggie hitting coach Michael Earley became the program’s 21st head coach, bringing energy and excitement to an already established roster. His proven recruiting background is certainly a plus for the program’s future.

After his introduction and before the Q&A portion of Tuesday’s event, GigEm247 beat writer Carter Karels pulled aside Aggies ace pitcher Ryan Prager for a couple of questions regarding his playing future. Prager was joined by several players on the roster at the event.

Although still weighing his options, Prager said he is excited about the hire. He noted Earley has already brought in an elite coaching staff. At the same time, he and the team’s chaotic week in Omaha, combined with Schlossnagles’ departure, is certainly something he’ll never forget.

Concerning a potential return in 2025, Karels asked that very question, especially with star hitters Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovac announcing their returns earlier in the day:

“We’ll see what happens. A lot of conversations to happen with some people in my corner, which includes my family and some other people we rely on. We’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks, and go from there.”

Prager finished his redshirt sophomore season on a high note: a 9-1 record, 124 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA. For those interested, here is the full interview with Karels.

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Athletic director Trev Alberts shares his ‘vision’ for future of Texas A&M baseball program

“We’re going to hire servant leaders, coaches where it’s not about them! We’re going to have the best stadium in college baseball,” he said.

Formalities aside, Trev Alberts can officially call himself the athletic director at Texas A&M after making his first major coaching hire since arriving to College Station in March.

“People ask me all the time, ‘What’s your shared vision for the baseball program?’ Number one, we’re going to have the best coaches in college baseball. We’re going to hire servant leaders, coaches where it’s not about them, it’s about serving these guys,” Alberts proclaimed Tuesday afternoon. “We’re going to have the best development program in college baseball because that’s what (Earley) is all about, right?

“We’re going to have the best stadium in college baseball. With your help, that of our donors and regents, an $80 million upgrade to Blue Bell is going to be a game changer. It’s going to be the best atmosphere and environment in college baseball, that’s the vision. Finally, we’re going to have the best fan experience because that’s what changes the whole environment at Blue Bell.”

Michael Earley is the 21st Aggies baseball head coach in program history.

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President Welsh didn’t hold back about ‘someone who left’ at Earley’s Aggies intro presser

“Future of Aggie baseball, none of it about someone who left. It’s about someone who fought to stay! There is unfinished business in Omaha.”

Texas A&M president Mark Welsh didn’t pull any punches on Tuesday afternoon during an introductory press conference for new baseball head coach Michael Earley.

“Last and maybe most importantly, he loves his family. It took Michael about 30 seconds into our first meeting to mention Lisa and the kids. But he also understands that Aggies love this family. People who love their families, tend to be loyal, and so do Aggies,” Welsh said. “Just to be clear here, today, tomorrow and the future of Aggie baseball, none of it about someone who left.

“It’s about someone who fought to stay! It’s about a leader who will fight to keep his team together. It’s about a coach who will make every player a better competitor, on and off the field. It’s about a winner who knows that there is still unfinished business in Omaha, Nebraska.”

Earley briefly followed former Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle to the University of Texas before interviewing for and accepting the opportunity to remain in College Station at the helm.

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