Tag: Super Regional

‘Takes a village,’ Texas A&M DH Hayden Schott reacts to reaching 2nd College World Series

“It takes a village and our village showed out when we could’ve really easily sat back and waited for tomorrow. I’m so proud of these guys.”

Sophomore second baseman Kaeden Kent and designated hitter Hayden Schott combined for 9 RBI on Sunday night at Blue Bell Park to propel the No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team to a 15-9 victory versus Oregon to advance from the Bryan-College Station Super Regional.

“It means a ton, the offense for sure, but it starts in the dugout. Man, it starts with Hank Bard, (Blake) Binderup, guys that are staying with us the whole game,” Schott said postgame. “Our pitching, everyone, it takes a village and our village showed out today when we could’ve really easily sat back and waited for tomorrow. So I’m so proud of these guys, man.”

The graduate student was perfect, going 4-for-4 with 4 runs batted in, 3 runs scored, 1 home run, and 1 walk. Schott will be making his second appearance in Omaha, Nebraska, at the College World Series, beginning Saturday at 6 p.m. against SEC rival Florida on ESPN.

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.

‘Take in the moment,’ Texas A&M 2B Kaeden Kent reflects on grand slam in win vs. Oregon

“I’ve never hit a baseball and been able to take in the moment. That was the first time I’ve ever been able to do that and it felt great.”

The Texas A&M baseball team trailed Oregon 8-4 entering the bottom of the seventh frame on Sunday evening during Game 2 of the Bryan-College Station Super Regional at Blue Bell Park.

The No. 3 Aggies scored 9 runs following the seventh-inning stretch. Texas A&M took the lead for good with an emphatic grand slam by sophomore second baseman Kaeden Kent.

“It was a 2-2 heater. I’ve never hit a baseball and been able to take in the moment. That was the first time I’ve ever been able to do that and it felt great,” Kent recalled. “Being on the field when (the 12th Man is) going crazy in the ninth inning when we’re down to our last out is the most insane feeling that I’ve ever experienced. In the seventh when we had our big inning, the Oregon pitchers were struggling a little bit out there, it plays a huge role into us winning that game.”

Kent fell a triple shy of the cycle and went 3-for-5 with a game-high 5 RBI and 2 runs.

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.

‘Breaks your heart,’ Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski stays classy amid losses vs. Texas A&M

“First thing on my mind is Shane Sdao. Having watched young guys that are talented walk off the field with injuries is part of our lives.”

Despite losing back-to-back games during the Bryan-College Station Super Regional this past weekend, Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski remained extremely classy, beginning his postgame press conference Sunday night by sending good vibes to a Texas A&M sophomore left-handed pitcher.

“First thing on my mind is Shane Sdao. Having watched young guys that are super talented walk off the field with injuries is part of our lives now. We’ve got guys that have done that, walk off the field and have to overcome adversity. It breaks your heart as a coach to see someone go through that,” Wasikowski said. “You saw two very good players, future Major Leaguers, that happened to this weekend in this really competitive super regional. My heart goes out to those two young people and their families.

“A lot of guys on the senior class that is represented here have gone through similar struggles like that. It requires a lot of mental toughness, a lot of grit and determination. I really respect young people that have to go through that to be able to get to their dreams and goals.”

The No. 3 Aggies play SEC foe Florida to begin the College World Series on Saturday at 6 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 X: @Shaun_Holkko.

Coach Jim Schlossnagle has led Texas A&M ‘back to the pearly gates of college baseball’

“Guys just kept playing and the 12th Man played a huge role in that. I’m just honored to get back to the pearly gates of college baseball.”

When Jim Schlossnagle left TCU to become Texas A&M head coach in 2022, many skeptics in the Lone Star State criticized the move as the Horned Frogs “program was ahead” of the Aggies.

“It was an incredible night,” Schlossnagle said postgame Sunday. “The 12th Man was amazing. Obviously super proud of our players for all of the adversity we’ve been dealt in the last 48 hours, actually the whole week, between Hayden getting banged up a little bit, Braden going down, whatever happened to Shane today. Guys just kept playing and the 12th Man played a huge role in that.

“I definitely want to congratulate Oregon on a great season, unbelievable opponent to play, incredibly well-coached. Coach Was is a very dear friend and his team was more than prepared to do this. Congratulations to them on a great season.

“I couldn’t be anymore proud of these two guys, (Schott & Sorrell). I’m just honored to be here and to get back to the pearly gates of college baseball: Omaha, Nebraska.”

Following this season, it’s safe to say that Texas A&M is the better team overall after clinching its second College World Series appearance in three years under Schlossnagle.

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.

Florida headed to College World Series in Clemson after 13-inning thriller

In the most dramatic way possible, Florida claimed its spot in Omaha on Sunday night as the Gators took down the Clemson Tigers to advance to the College World Series.

Against all odds, the Florida Gators are headed back to Omaha.

Despite a 28-27 finish to the season, including the SEC Tournament, Florida managed to make it out of the Stillwater Regional over Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Niagara and then won the Clemson Super Regional without allowing the Tigers to take a game at home.

Florida, playing as the home team, won a 13-inning thriller off the bat of center fielder [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag]. Clemson scored in the top of the final frame to take the lead, but Florida’s offense did what they do best — come back to win a big game.

Robertson’s liner to left-center slowed Clemson’s outfielders to an eventual stop as they realized their season was coming to an end. Jaylen Guy scored the tying run pinch-running for [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] made the Gators winners.

Heyman and Shelnut both singled to spark the late rally, but [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag]’ sacrifice bunt set up the winning moment. [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag], who homered in the sixth, was intentionally walked to take away the squeeze bunt, but Robertson came through in the clutch.

It’s a full-circle moment for Robertson, who started the season as one of the SEC’s best center fielders. A slump at the plate moved him into a platoon situation with Guy, but he reclaimed the full-time role by season’s end, partially due to injuries.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] went 5 2/3 innings for Florida on the mound and tied his program record for home runs with his 33rd. When Caglianone handed the ball over in the sixth, he was in line for the win and Florida had a 7-4 lead.

[autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] was first out of the bullpen and looked dominant in the seventh striking out the side, but trouble in the eighth moved [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] to bring in closer [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] despite the four innings he threw on Saturday.

Two runs crossed, making it a one-run game, but Neely got them right back courtesy of an [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] two-run shot that punished Clemson after intentionally walking Caglianone.

Neely was running out of gas, though, and a three-run homer from center fielder Cam Cannarella in the top of the ninth put extra innings in play.

Wilson nearly walked it off in the 10th with a ball to the fence, but Cannarella saved Clemson’s season again with a Willie Mays basket catch to end the frame.

[autotag]Luke McNeillie[/autotag] earned the win, pitching the final two innings for Florida. [autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] walked the only batter he faced between him and Neely.

The College World Series begins on Friday, June 14. Florida awaits the completion of the other Super Regionals. So far, Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia are in the field.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

The best images from the Kentucky win over Oregon State in the super regional

Taking a look at the best pictures from the Kentucky baseball win over Oregon State in the super regional.

It was a dominant performance for the Kentucky baseball team on Saturday as they beat Oregon State 10 – 0 in their super regional match-up. The offense was solid, but the pitching was the big story. Starter Trey Pooser gave up just one hit in seven innings, while reliever Jackson Nove threw two innings without a hit.

On offense, Ryan Nicholson was fantastic once again, after winning the Most Outstanding Player of the Lexington Regional. He went 3-for-5 with a homerun and three RBIs on the day. Nick Lopez had two hits, and Emilien Pitre drove in two runs.

Related: Ryan Waldschmidt projected as a first round draft pick

Kentucky is now one win away from their first ever trip to the College World Series. They’ll play the Beavers again on Sunday night. If necessary, they’d play a third game on Monday.

As always, the game produced a number of great moments captured on camera. Here are the best images from Kentucky’s big super regional victory over Oregon State.

Florida takes down No. 6 Clemson in super regional opener

Down three on the road against the No. 6 team in the country, Jac Caglianone blasted his 31st homer of the season to spark another comeback win for the Florida Gators.

Far from perfect, the Florida Gators battled back against the No. 6 Clemson Tigers on Saturday to claim the first game of a best-of-three series, 10-7, moving within one win of a second straight College World Series appearance.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] shifted the momentum of the game in the fifth inning with a three-run, game-tying home run. He knew it off the bat and jogged around the bases for the 32nd time this season, one shy of his program-record mark from a year ago.

The homer knotted the game at five runs apiece, but Florida left the frame with a four-run lead after plating seven. Caglianone cleared the bases with no outs on the board, allowing the offense to trade a pair of outs for the lead — [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] scored [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] on a fielder’s choice and [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] got a sacrifice bunt down. Thomas scored the final run of the inning off a Michael Robertson single.

Before that, Clemson had complete control of the game. Freshman right-hander [autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] struggled mightily in his first super regional appearance. He lasted just an inning after giving up two of three runs on wild pitches.

[autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] took over in relief, pitching through the fifth. Although he was mostly effective, Jameson gave up a pair of solo home runs, deepening the hole. He came back out for the sixth after getting a lead but got the hook after losing the leadoff batter. [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] got to see one batter, but Kevin O’Sullivan pulled him after a single put men on first and third.

With trouble brewing, Sully turned to his closer, [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], who shut down the Tigers lineup for four innings. He struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced, including three straight in the eighth. It’s a shame that he’ll end the season with only a handful of saves — tonight was his fourth — because he’s one of the game’s elite closers, especially in the playoffs.

Clemson scored two in the sixth as Neely worked out of that jam, but Luke Heyman got one back in the ninth with a solo shot. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] also went deep in the fourth, and [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] drove in the first run of the day for Florida with a sac fly in the third.

Florida will be the home team on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET. A win sends the Gators to Omaha again, but a loss means a Game 3.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Texas A&M’s pitching rotation vs. Oregon in the Super Regional have been announced

Texas A&M’s starting pitchers vs. Oregon have been announced ahead of the weekend’s Super Regional

Texas A&M (47-13) will host the Oregon Ducks (40-18) in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional Round this weekend. After going undefeated in the Regional Round last weekend, the Aggies will continue their homestay at Blue Bell Park.

In a thrilling display of power at the plate on Sunday, A&M’s offense came alive, delivering a total of 13 hits and five home runs. The dingers were courtesy of Caden Sorrell, Braden Montgomery, Hayden Schott, Ali Camarillo, and SEC Freshman of the Year Gavin Grahovac, who collectively led the team to a 9-4 victory over Louisiana.

Set to face an Oregon team that also went defeated in the Santa Barbara Regional, including a 3-0 victory over the site hosts on Sunday night, the Ducks bring an impressive pitching rotation. At the same time, the Aggies hold the statistical advantage in nearly every category.

However, games are won on the mound, as Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle announced the team’s starting pitchers for the first two games on Saturday and Sunday:

  • Game 1: Ryan Prager (8-1, 113 Ks, 2.53 ERA)
  • Game 2: Shane Sdao (5-1, 55 Ks, 2.61 ERA)
  • Game 3 (if necessary): TBA

Texas A&M vs. Oregon will begin on Saturday, June 8 at 1:00 p.m. CT. and air on ESPN2.

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 Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

What does Oregon bring to the table against Texas A&M in the Super Regionals?

The road to Ohama will go through Bryan-College Station and the Aggies will have a tough opponent in the Oregon Ducks

The stage has been set for the Bryan-College Station Super Regional, in which Texas A&M will host Oregon. The first game will take place on Saturday afternoon.

Just like the Aggies, Oregon went 3-0 in the Santa Barbara regional, beating San Diego and UC Santa Barbara to punch their ticket to the Super Regional. It wasn’t a walk in the park, as they needed extra innings to beat San Diego, and a strong defensive outing against UC Santa Barbara allowed them to take both those games while only scoring a total of five runs across 18 innings.

The Ducks are a squad that will not blow you out of the water, but they are a gritty team that can grind out wins, especially when they’re pitching in on. However, one of the Duck’s most dangerous base hitters is Drew Smith, who leads the team in hits (61) and is second in doubles (15). Jacob Walsh has been their big bat when they need some power, leading the team in home runs (18) and RBI (56).

While Texas A&M may be considered the stronger team, they have shown moments of unpredictability. This could be an opportunity for Oregon to seize, especially in the first two games. If their regional wins demonstrate anything, it’s their ability to win close games and turn it into a bar fight, giving them a puncher’s chance.

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.

Kentucky baseball will play Oregon State in the super regional

After winning the Lexington Regional, Kentucky baseball will play Oregon State in the super regional.

On Sunday, Kentucky baseball shut out the Indiana State Sycamores to win the Lexington Regional, guaranteeing them a spot in the super regional. Even better, they’d be hosting a super regional for the first time ever.

Now, the Wildcats also know their opponent. They’ll meet the Oregon State Beavers for a shot at making their first ever appearance at the College World Series.

Related: Best images from Kentucky win over Indiana State

The Beavers also swept through the regional they hosted in Corvallis. They went 3 – 0 to advance to the super regional round with wins over Tulane and UC-Irvine. They are 45 – 14 overall and have one of college baseball’s best players in Travis Bazzana. The two teams have never faced each other before.

Kentucky knows who they will play in the best-of-three series, but the day and time of game one hasn’t been announced yet. Big Blue Nation is hoping for two more wins, and then a trip to Omaha for the first time in school history.