Tag: sec baseball

Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle discusses SEC series opening win vs. No. 17 Georgia

“I thought this was a very well played baseball game by both teams,” he recalled. “We happened to get a few more swings than they did.”

Amid incoming inclement weather, Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle was able to guide the No. 1 Aggies to a 5-2 win against No. 17 Georgia on Friday night at Blue Bell Park.

“I thought this was a very well played baseball game by both teams. We happened to get a few more swings than they did. I thought both teams pitched really well, especially given the conditions. When the few mistakes were made, they were hit and they made maybe one or two more than we did. It was an awesome game, Georgia played good, was super physical and was super impressed by their pitching staff too,” Schlossnagle recalled. “(Prager) did awesome. The whole theme through the whole weekend is the wind is blowing out and they’re a great team, so what are you going to do about it? There’s nothing you can do about it, all you can do is execute pitches.

“The team that throws the most strikes in the weekend will probably win the series.”

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team defeats No. 17 Georgia to begin SEC series in College Station

The Aggies continued to prove why they are the best team in the nation with another win against a ranked opponent to begin the weekend.

The Texas A&M baseball team continued to prove why it is the best team in the nation with another win against a ranked opponent to begin the weekend.

The No. 1 Aggies (37-5, 14-5 SEC) beat No. 17 Georgia (30-11, 9-10) by a final score of 5-2 on Friday night at Blue Bell Park to begin a three-game SEC set.

The Bulldogs took an early lead with 1 run in the top of the first inning. Texas A&M responded with 1 in the second and fourth, respectively, to seize the advantage. Georgia tied the game in the fifth but the Aggies added 2 in the sixth and 1 in the seventh to earn the series opening victory.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager (8-0) earned the win on the bump by tossing 6.0 frames and allowing 5 hits, 2 runs and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts on 90 pitches. Senior LHP Evan Aschenbeck tallied his 7th save of the season by pitching the final 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up 1 hit and 1 hit by pitch with 3 Ks on 30 pitches.

Texas A&M and Georgia will conclude the series at Olsen Field on Saturday with a doubleheader. Sunday’s game had been moved up due to forecasted inclement weather. Game 2 is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CST and Game 3 is tentatively set for 5 p.m.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Recap: Auburn crushes Florida A&M in final midweek home game of season

Nine players recorded hits while Chase Allsup found his groove on the mound in Auburn’s win over the Rattlers.

Auburn baseball bounced back from a sweep at Mississippi State over the weekend by taking down Florida A&M in midweek action.

Nine Auburn players recorded at least one hit while pitcher [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] found his groove on the mound in Auburn’s 11-1, seven-inning win over the Ratters on Tuesday at Plainsman Park in Auburn.

Allsup, who is a usual piece of the weekend rotation, earned the start in Tuesday’s win. He put together a solid outing by allowing one earned run on two hits while walking one and striking out eight over five innings. [autotag]Cam Tilly[/autotag] shut the door by throwing two perfect innings, striking out four batters.

“Their stuff was absolutely set today,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said of Auburn’s pitching performance on Tuesday.  “I know it’s different sometimes on a Tuesday than it is on the weekend, but I think their stuff set will play competitively on the weekend like what we’ve been used to in the past. They were good. That is why they got out there today is to keep trying to find, develop and get your stuff set, and they both accomplished that.”

Allsup has seen his share of struggles this season, as he entered Tuesday’s contest with a 1-3 record and a 7.46 ERA. He has worked to improve over the last several weeks and was rewarded with a solid midweek showing.

“The biggest thing we’ve been working on in bullpens is balancing the ball on both sides of the plate,” Allsup said postgame. “That’s been a really challenging thing so far, and to be able to come out here and produce like we were wanting is a really big thing.”

Auburn broke the game open in the 3rd inning by posting eight runs on five hits. Following a balk to put the Tigers up, 1-0, [autotag]Kaleb Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag], and [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] each scored runs on RBI doubles while [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] scored one run on a single.

Auburn added insurance in the final two innings. [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly that was deep enough to score Freeman from 3rd base in the 6th inning. Auburn’s final two runs came across the plate in the 7th inning on a solo home run by [autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] and an RBI single by [autotag]Eric Guevara[/autotag].

Auburn hits the road this weekend to face LSU at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge. Game one of the SEC series will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

SEC names freshman Gavin Grahovac to as Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week

Texas A&M freshman third baseman Gavin Grahovac was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after a strong series against Alabama

Texas A&M freshman Gavin Grahovac has taken charge of the starting third base position and is one of the better lead-off hitters in all of college baseball. He currently sits in the top ten in the SEC for the following categories: No. 3 runs scored (56), No. 7 hits (56), No. 11 doubles (12), No. 12 home runs (14) and No. 5 RBI (49).

The SEC recognized the freshman’s production after the big week by naming him SEC Freshman Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. Below is the excerpt from the release from the SEC officials:

Texas A&M’s Gavin Grahovac registered a .350/.409/.550 slash line to go along with a homer, seven RBI and seven runs scored to help the Aggies to a 3-1 record last week. In the series win at No. 12 Alabama, Grahovac was 6-for-16 with a double and home run. Six of the freshman’s seven RBI last week came in the series win against the Crimson Tide.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

SEC dominates the top five of the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

The nation’s best conference boasts an impressive eight representatives in this week’s poll.

The SEC continues to prove why it is college baseball’s toughest conference.

Week 10’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was released on Monday, and eight SEC programs occupy this week’s rankings. The heaviest representation can be seen in the top five, where four SEC teams reside.

Texas A&M remains the nation’s top team after taking two of three games from No. 18 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. No. 2 Arkansas also had an impressive weekend by winning their series at No. 21 South Carolina.

The weekend’s most impressive series win belongs to Tennessee, as the No. 3 Volunteers slowed down the No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats by winning two of three games in Lexington. Before last weekend’s series with Tennessee, Kentucky boasted a 14-1 SEC record through the first half of conference play.

Vanderbilt jumped four spots to No. 9 in this week’s rankings after taking two of three games over Florida while Georgia enjoyed a six-spot push after winning its home series over Ole Miss. South Carolina remains at No. 21 despite losing its series to Arkansas while Alabama falls to No. 18 after dropping a home series to Texas A&M.

Mississippi State is on the outside of this week’s poll. The Bulldogs received 45 votes in this week’s poll after it swept Auburn.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

LSU’s Gage Jump named SEC Pitcher of the Week

Gage Jump was absolutely dominant in LSU’s Game 1 run-rule win over Missouri.

The LSU baseball team finally got over the hump in SEC play this weekend.

Though it took a decisive Game 3 to clinch things, the Tigers won their first conference series of the season on the road against Missouri. They started things off with a huge performance in Game 1 with [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag] on the mound, winning 12-1 via run rule.

For his efforts, Jump was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. In the Game 1 win, he tossed seven innings while allowing just three hits and a run. He walked a single batter while striking out 14, and that performance ultimately paved the way for LSU to capture their first league series victory.

Jump, a transfer from UCLA, has become LSU’s Friday night starter and one of the few reliable arms among a group of pitchers that have struggled at times this season.

After a midweek game against Nicholls, Jump should take the mound once again on Friday as the Tigers return home to host Auburn at The Box.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Casey Mize earns first win since 2021 season on Sunday

The former Auburn ace tossed six scoreless innings in Detroit’s 6-1 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.

Since making his Major League debut in September 2020, former Auburn pitcher and No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 MLB draft [autotag]Casey Mize[/autotag] has experienced his share of injury setbacks.

However, it seems as if Mize is starting to get back into the groove of pitching against the top talent in the world. On Sunday, Mize tossed six shutout innings while allowing five hits and striking out four batters in Detroit’s 6-1 win over Minnesota. Mize earned the win, his first since 2021.

Mize missed nearly two full years of action due to Tommy John and back surgeries and is off to a great start in 2024. In four starts, Mize has struck out 16 batters while walking just six and allowing seven earned runs in 21.1 innings while maintaining a 2.95 ERA. His six-inning performance on Sunday matched his season-high.

“Pitcher wins are here or there, but it feels good. It’s been a long time, but the bigger thing is the series win and the team win. I think we’re all happy about that. Good day for us,” Mize said postgame. “I always want the guys to think that we can win when I pitch. I think that’s the goal of every starter. I’m glad I’ve been able to keep us in it, but the team scoring early really allowed me to have confidence in them and try to shove the ball in the strike zone. I always want us to win my starts.”

Mize’s four starts this season is the most since 2021 when he logged 30 starts for the Detroit Tigers in his official rookie season. That season, he finished with a 7-9 record, recording 118 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.71. Mize is in line to pitch again Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Auburn baseball falls in series opener to Mississippi State

The host Bulldogs rattled off eight unanswered runs in Friday’s opener to knock off the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn baseball opened the second half of the SEC slate on a sour note by dropping game one of its series to Mississippi State.

Auburn took an early 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning. However, the Bulldogs rattled off eight unanswered runs to claim game one of the series, 8-1 on Friday night at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.

Auburn’s pitching woes continued Friday as five pitchers combined to allow eight runs on 10 hits with eight walks and four strikeouts. Head coach Butch Thompson was not pleased with his pitching staff’s performance, and wants to see more out of the Tigers’ offense to make up for pitching issues.

“We have to bring some offense on the road, especially with where we’re at pitching wise,” Thompson said postgame. “We saw a real No. 1 tonight in (Khal) Stephen but still had a chance. We had the bases loaded twice, and when he was able to get us out of the bases-loaded jams, that was huge. He made a couple of big pitches in the moment that held up for him tonight.”

Auburn took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning on a passed ball that allowed Cale Stricklin to score, but the lead was short-lived as Mississippi State tied the game in the bottom frame on a sacrifice fly.

Bryce Chance gave Mississippi State the lead in the 4th inning on a solo home run while an error and fielders choice allowed the Bulldogs to add two more runs in the 5th and 6th innings. The daggers were delivered in the 7th inning as a pair of doubles by Connor Hujsak and Logan Kohler secured the win for Mississippi State.

Stricklin led Auburn in hits with three. Starting pitcher Dylan Watts took the loss by allowing two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out one in four innings of work.

Game two of the series between Auburn and Mississippi State is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on Saturday. Tanner Bauman will square off with Jurrangelo Cijntje in front of a national audience on SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Texas A&M sophomore superstar Jace LaViolette recaps doubleheader vs. No. 14 Alabama

“We knew it was going to be a really long day and we kind of prepared for that. We got some good sleep and hydration last night,” he stated.

The No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team took both games of a doubleheader at No. 14 Alabama on Friday, 10-5 and 18-9.

Leading the charge, as he has been all season, was sophomore Jace LaViolette. The superstar outfielder and the Aggies (35-4, 13-4 SEC) remained unphased when the Crimson Tide (24-15, 6-11) took a 5-0 lead in Game 1, going on to outscore their conference rivals 28-9 over the next 14 innings to clinch a series victory.

“We didn’t really have much talk in the dugout, we just kept doing what we were doing. We came out flat at the beginning but we knew once our bats got hot that we could do what we wanted as long as we stayed to our approach, which is what we did,” LaViolette explained Friday. “We knew it was going to be a really long day and we kind of prepared for that. We got some good sleep and hydration last night. It was just a mindset thing, coming to the park and knowing we were going to play two, a full 18 and try to do our best to trust our process and see what the results came to be.

“It’s a lot of fun to be a part of this team, to be a part of this culture, it’s an unbelievable team to be around… I think we just do what we’ve been doing all season, trust in the process and what we’ve been doing. Opening Day mentality and just doing that same thing every day. It’s been working, so why not keep it going?”

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team doubles up No. 14 Alabama again in second game of SEC doubleheader

45 minutes after completing a 10-5 comeback against Alabama in the first game of a doubleheader in Tuscaloosa, the Aggies made a statement.

Forty-five minutes after completing a 10-5 comeback against Alabama in the first game of a doubleheader in Tuscaloosa, the Texas A&M baseball team made a statement.

The No. 1 Aggies (35-4, 14-4 SEC) crushed the No. 14 Crimson Tide (24-15, 6-11) by a final score of 18-9. Texas A&M doubled up Alabama for the second time on Friday after scoring 10 unanswered runs to win the series opener.

The Aggies tallied 8 in the top of the second inning, 3 in the fourth and seventh, respectively, and 2 in each of the fifth and ninth. The Crimson Tide responded with 4 in the second, 3 in the fifth and 2 in the eighth.

Junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Jones start on the bump and tossed the first 4.1 frames, allowing 7 hits, 6 runs (5 earned) and 1 hit by pitch with 1 strikeout on 88 pitches. After fellow junior RHP Brad Rudis recorded one out and gave up 3 hits and 1 run on 10 pitches, senior RHP Brock Peery (2-0) took over. The savvy sidewinder pitched 1.0 inning without allowing a hit, giving up 1 walk and 1 HBP on 20 pitches.

Texas A&M will go for the sweep of Alabama on Saturday afternoon at noon on SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.