Tag: Texas A&M Aggies Baseball

Texas A&M can reignite rivalry vs. Texas in potential Super Regional matchup

As Texas A&M prepares for the NCAA Tournament, a possible Lone Star Showdown with the Texas Longhorns could await them in the Super Regional.

Texas A&M will officially rekindle the Lone Star Showdown when Texas joins the SEC in 2024, but the next chapter between these bitter rivals may arrive sooner than later.

The red-hot Aggies learned their seeding in Monday’s NCAA Selection Show, earning the No. 2 slot in the Stanford Regional alongside Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, and San Jose State. But just as interesting as their spot in the bracket is their pairing with the Coral Gables Regional for the Supers.

That regional is hosted by Miami (FL) and includes No. 3 Louisiana and fourth-seeded Maine. The group is rounding out with the No. 2 seeded Texas Longhorns.

If you take a moment and do the math, it means that if both the Aggies and Longhorns advance past the national seeds on the road, it would set up an intriguing Super Regional matchup against the backdrop of the Lone Star Showdown.

While the odds may be slim, both of these heated rivals are no stranger to facing each other in the postseason. The Longhorns bested the Maroon and White in the regional round in 2014 and 2018, only for the Aggies to serve a dish of revenge by taking down the Horns last year in Omaha.

As both of these teams head toward opposite coasts for the regionals, the distance apart mimics how these squads have been playing heading into the NCAA Tournament.

After entering the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Longhorns were sent home early after going 0-2 with losses to Kansas and Kansas State. The underwhelming finish relinquished their chance of hosting a regional in the NCAA Tournament.

On the other end of the spectrum, Texas A&M is coming off an incredible showing in the SEC Tournament last week, highlighted by convincing wins over Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina, and Arkansas. A&M would punch their ticket to the SEC title game, eventually falling to Vanderbilt.

The Aggies’ tournament run begins on Friday, June 2, against 3-seed Cal State Fullerton, with the first pitch set for 9:00 pm CT 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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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Texas A&M Baseball: Jim Schlossnagle, Hunter Haas, and Will Johnston discuss Stanford Regional

Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle, Hunter Haas, and Will Johnston discuss their upcoming matchup wilt Cal State Fullerton in the Stanford Regional.

Texas A&M is preparing to take the over 1,800-mile trip to Palo Alto, California, to face Cal State Fullerton (31-22) in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, as they will compete in the Stanford Regional. The bracket consists of one-seed host Stanford, 2-seed Texas A&M, 3-seed Cal State Fullerton, and 4-seed San Jose State.

As a 2-seed in the Regional bracket, The Aggie’s impressive performance in the SEC Tournament last week provided a jolt to their overall resume. However, the completion they’ll face is no walk in the park. Their opponent, the Cal State Fullerton Titans, is returning to the Tournament for the first time since 2018 and are winners of four National Titles, with their last coming in 2004.

Ending the regular season with a 32-23 (14-16 SEC), the Aggies when on quite the tear against some of the best competition college baseball has to offer, earning victories over Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina, and Arkansas before falling to Vanderbilt in the Title game. Saying that this Regional draw is favorable for the Aggies is a stretch, though the fact that eight SEC programs are hosting, three of which Texas A&M just defeated last week, bodes well going forward, especially if the pitching staff continues its hot streak down the stretch,

After the selection, head coach Jim Schlossnagle, Hunter Haas, and Will Johnston spoke to the local Aggie media to discuss their selection and what it would take to succeed in a fascinating tournament. Here’s what they had to say.

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.

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Twitter reacts to Texas A&M’s 10-4 loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Championship

Texas A&M’s incredible SEC Tournament run ended without a championship, and Twitter was chock-full of commentary following the Aggies loss to Vanderbilt.

No. 10 Texas A&M put together a miraculous run to punch their ticket to the SEC Championship game as a double-digit seed. Still, after playing six games over six days, the magic had to run out eventually.

The Aggies fell to No. 4 Vanderbilt 10-4 on Championship Sunday, keeping a conference title out of reach once more since the Maroon and White were last crowned champs back in 2016. Despite keeping the score tightly contested midway through the game, a late surge by the Commodores propelled them to a title at the expense of A&M.

The score was tied 4-4 before the Commodores scored on a squeeze bunt by Enrique Bradfield in the sixth inning, and shortly afterward, Vanderbilt added five insurance runs in the eighth to effectively put the game out of reach, 10-4.

Despite a career-high three RBI from Max Kaufer, A&M’s assortment of pitchers on the mound, unfortunately, had a collective day to forget. Nathan Dettmer surrendered four runs on seven hits while striking out one in 2.2 IP. Ty Sexton and Troy Wansing highlighted the seven pitchers out of the bullpen. Sexton worked 1.1 blank frames while Wansing chipped in with a 1.0 shutout inning.

Texas A&M now focuses on awaiting an at-large bid to an NCAA Regional, with the NCAA Tournament Selection Show airing Monday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2. But for others, this is an opportune time to take to social media.

Here are a few of the notable social media reactions following the Aggies’ loss in the SEC Championship, and surprise, surprise, don’t be shocked to find a Texas Longhorns fan here and there in the mentions.

Game Recap – Baseball: No. 10 Texas A&M vs No. 4 Vanderbilt (SEC Tournament Championship)

Texas A&M’s incredible SEC Tournament run fell one game short of a title as the Aggies fell to Vanderbilt 10-4 in Sunday’s Championship Game.

An incredible run in the SEC Tournament falls one game shy of a title as No. 10 Texas A&M fell to No. 4 Vanderbilt 10-4 in the championship game. After playing six games over six days and upsetting Tennessee and LSU, the Maroon and White’s magic finally ran out Sunday afternoon.

After the Aggies struck first courtesy of a Max Kaufer RBI to allow Ryan Targac to score at the top of the second to put A&M up 1-0, a rough outing by Nathan Dettmer proved to be an unfortunate omen for the rest of the afternoon.

Troy LaNeve homered to right field for a three-run RBI off Detmer to put the Commodores up 3-1. In the fourth, RJ Austin singled to center field to score Parker Noland and increase Vanderbilt’s lead to 4-1.

Detmer finished with a 6.62 ERA for the afternoon, allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out just one batter in 2.2 IP.

The Aggies’ offense did their best in cutting the deficit, with Jordan Thompson scoring off a wild pitch in the fourth, followed by Kaufer singling to left field to score Austin Bost and Brett Minnich to tie the game 4-4.

Troy Wansing came in to limit the damage as best he could, giving up just one run off an Enrique Bradfield sac fly in the bottom of the sixth to put the Commoders up 5-4, with an SEC title still very much within reach.

But a nightmare eighth inning opened the floodgates and all but secured the Aggies’ fate on Championship Sunday.

Vanderbilt put five runs on the board in that inning, including a Calvin Hewett bases-clearing double with two outs to extend the Commodores’ lead 10-4, with A&M unable to tack on another run for the remainder of the game.

 

With the SEC Tournament now in the rearview mirror, all eyes will be on the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. CT, which will broadcast on ESPN2.

Final Score: Aggies 4, Commodores 10 – W: Reilly, Patrick (5-3) L: Cortez, Chris (3-1)

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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Twitter reacts to Texas A&M’s 5-4 win over Arkansas in the SEC Tournament Semifinals

No. 10 Texas A&M continued its magical run in the SEC Tournament with a 5-4 win over No. 2 Arkansas on Saturday, officially sending the Hogs home while punching their ticket to the title game on Sunday. Despite the highs and lows of the regular …

No. 10 Texas A&M continued its magical run in the SEC Tournament with a 5-4 win over No. 2 Arkansas on Saturday, officially sending the Hogs home while punching their ticket to the title game on Sunday.

Despite the highs and lows of the regular season, the Maroon and White have effectively put the trials of the past in the rearview mirror as they are arguably playing their best baseball of the season throughout this tournament. And it’s not like they’ve been besting meager foes en route to their success, either.

The Aggies have overcome the likes of No. 7 Tennessee, No. 6 South Carolina, No. 3 LSU, and now No. 2 Arkansas as they seek their first SEC Championship since 2016. While the job is by all means yet finished, the Maroon and White have already added themselves to the history books.

With Saturday’s victory, the No. 10 Aggies become the first double-digit seed in SEC Tournament history to reach the title game.

Following the win, Twitter reacted to the latest chapter of Texas A&M’s stellar run in the tournament. If there’s one common thread among the social media chatter as of late, it’s an agreement that the Aggies are peaking and playing their best ball of the season, and it couldn’t come at a perfect time.

Here are the best social media reactions following Saturday’s semifinals victory:

Game Recap – Baseball: No. 10 Texas A&M vs No. 2 Arkansas (SEC Tournament Semifinals)

Texas A&M baseball is headed to the championship! The Aggies become the first double-digit seed in SEC Tournament history to reach the title game following their 5-4 win over Arkansas.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but a win in the SEC Tournament Semifinals works just as well! In a rematch with No. 2 Arkansas, No. 10 Texas A&M fended off a ninth-inning comeback attempt to eliminate the Hogs with a 5-4 win.

After falling to Arkansas in extra innings in the tournament’s second round, Saturday’s matchup set up a rematch with the Hogs in Hoover. After two scoreless innings to begin the afternoon, the Aggies struck first courtesy of a Trevor Werner double to right center, allowing Hunter Haas to score in the third inning to put A&M up 1-0.

Brady Tygart gave the Aggies everything they could handle with his performance on the mound, recording three strikeouts while allowing three hits and two walks in 3.1 innings.

Following a standstill in the fourth and fifth, a three-run inning by the Aggies in the sixth gave the Maroon and White a commanding 4-0 lead. Haas drew a bases-loaded walk to help extend the lead to 3-0, while Jack Moss followed up with a bases-loaded walk of his own to pick up the RBI to make it 4-0 in the sixth.

But the Hogs would not go down quietly, as Arkansas got one back in the seventh courtesy of a Ben McLaughlin single to left center, allowing Caleb Cali to score and cut the deficit to 4-1. Jace LaViolette provided some insurance by hitting a single and driving home Moss to put the Aggies up 5-1 in the eighth.

And then, an anxiety-filled ninth inning crept up to make Aggies fans sweat down the stretch.

A two-run double by Bolton brought the tying run to the plate with just one out, while the Hogs got another courtesy with runners at first and second. Arkansas cut the deficit to 5-4 in the ninth, with just one out.

And then, Troy Wansing entered to slam the door shut on the Hogs effectively. As the kids these days say, “Wansing is him!”

The southpaw entered the ninth, and with Jared Wagner standing at the plate with a 2-2 count, Wansing got him swinging to send Arkansas packing while propelling the Aggies to the title game.

 

Texas A&M moves on to the SEC Championship game tomorrow at 2 p.m. CT. They will face the winner of No. 1 Florida and No. 4 Vanderbilt.

Final Score: Aggies 5, Razorbacks 4 – W: Sdao, Shane (3-1), S: Wansing, Troy L: Tygart, Brady (2-1)

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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Game Recap – Baseball: No. 10 Texas A&M vs No. 3 LSU (SEC Tournament)

A stellar performance from the Aggies pitching staff, along with a three-run bomb by Hunter Haas, helps No. 10 Texas A&M eliminate No. 2 LSU in the SEC Tournament.

Amid all the struggles on the mound throughout the 2023 regular season, who could have foreseen the Aggies’ pitching staff put on an absolute clinic to help the Maroon and White put together a deep run in the SEC Tournament?

That happened Friday afternoon, as No. 10 Texas A&M rallied late down the stretch to eliminate the No. 3 LSU Tigers. The matchup had everything an Aggies fan could have hoped for with a Hunter Haas homer, a standout performance on the mound from Willy Johnston and Evan Aschenbeck, and of course, a Tigers team sent home packing.

The Maroon and White received their third quality start of the tourney, with Johnston pitching six innings and surrendering three runs. Despite a strong outing from the Tigers’ starting pitcher Ty Floyd, both teams managed to plate one run each by the second inning.

Then in the fourth, LSU started to pull away with back-to-back doubles by Dugas and Jobert before Travinski extended the lead with an RBI double in the fifth, bumping up the lead 3-1.

But even then, the Maroon and White didn’t falter as Haas walked up to the plate to be the day’s hero. Haas crushed Dutton’s pitch and sent it flying over left field

to bring in three runs, giving Texas A&M its first lead of the game, 5-3, and one it would never relinquish.

With the win, Texas A&M will face Arkansas tomorrow at noon C.T. in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

Final Score: Aggies 5, Tigers 4 – W: Aschenbeck, Evan, L: Herring, Griffin

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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Twitter reacts to Texas A&M’s 5-4 win over LSU in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals

Texas A&M defeated LSU 5-4 behind Hunter Haas’ 3-run home run in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinal, and Twitter blew up in the Aggies favor.

What a magical run it has been for Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament this week, staving off the likes of Tennessee (3-0 and South Carolina (5-0) to make it to the quarterfinal matchup vs. the mighty LSU Tigers on Friday afternoon, narrowly escaping the Bayou Bengals 5-4.

Behind the arm of lefty starting pitcher Will Johnston (6 IP, 7 Ks) and an impressive relief performance from closer Evan Aschenbeck (3 IP, 4 Ks), the Aggies offense woke up after trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh after Brett Minich flew out to score Ryan Targac, cutting the lead to 3-2, and in the blink of an eye, Hunter Hass made his way to the plate with two men on base, drilling a 3-run home run to make it 5-3 Aggies.

Aschenbeck’s wild pitch led to an LSU score in the top of the ninth. Still, the junior took a breath, realized the significance of the moment, and struck out LSU’s Gavin Dugas and popped up the next batter to secure the enormous victory for the Maroon and White, who will now face Arkansas on Saturday Afternoon in the semifinal round.

After the game, Twitter reacted to the Aggies beyond gutsy performance, while those of us who cover the program are noticing one thing that can’t be overlooked; Texas A&M is one of the hottest teams in the country right now. So here are the best social media reactions after the win!

Game Recap – Baseball: No. 10 Texas A&M vs No. 6 South Carolina (SEC Tournament)

Have a day Justin Lamkin! The freshman southpaw dominated in seven innings as Texas A&M stifled South Carolina in Thursday’s 5-0 win, marking the Aggies’ second one-hitter of the 2023 SEC Tournament.

Have a day, Justin Lamkin! The freshman southpaw dominated in seven innings on the mound as No. 10 Texas A&M (34-24, 14-16 SEC) stifled No. 6 South Carolina (39-19, 16-13 SEC) in Thursday’s 5-0 win in the SEC Baseball Tournament.

Lamkin’s 7.0 IP and nine strikeouts were career highs for the freshman, as he allowed just one total hit and three walks. The Gamecock’s lone hit of the day came off a leadoff single at the top of the fifth inning. This marks Texas A&M’s second one-hitter of the 2023 SEC Tournament.

In relief of Lamkin came Chris Cortez and Matt Dillard, who pitched 0.2 and 1.1 innings, respectively. Overall, the Aggies walked seven batters, but South Carolina could not take advantage when on base. On the day, they were 0-for-9 with runners on base.

After two scoreless innings, Hunter Haas put the Aggies on the board first with a bunt single, followed by a triple from Trevor Werner. Then, thanks to leadoff walks from Jordan Thompson and Ryan Targac, the floodgates were open in a three-run fourth inning.

Austin Bost added a double, Brett Minnich chipped in with a groundout, while Max Kaufer capped things off with a sac fly.

The fifth and final run of the day came off a sac fly from Thompson in the fifth, who added two walks to his stat line. Werner went 3-for-4 on the day with a triple, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Texas A&M will face the loser of LSU vs. Arkansas in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, 3 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

Final Score: Aggies 5, Gamecocks 0 – W: Lamkin, Justin (3-3), L: Mahoney, Jack (6-3)

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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Game Recap – Baseball: No. 10 Texas A&M vs No. 2 Arkansas (SEC Tournament)

Texas A&M baseball fell to Arkansas 6-5 in extra innings Wednesday afternoon, setting up an SEC Tournament elimination game matchup for Thursday morning.

The baseball gods were not in the Aggies’ favor Wednesday afternoon, as No. 10 Texas A&M fell to No. 2 Arkansas with a final score of 6-5 in extra innings.

For a hot minute, the Maroon and White looked like a completely different team from the regular season as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the top of the third inning. Jack Moss got things started with a ground out that allowed Brett Minnich to score.

Not long after with Trevor Werner at bat, the junior singled through the left side for 2 RBIs, allowing Hunter Haas and Max Kaufer to score.

Ryan Targac piled on the lead with a homer at the top of the fourth, but the Hogs would not go down without a fight. Tavian Josenberger’s sac fly in the bottom of the fourth allowed Harold Coll to score, cutting Arkansas’ deficit 4-1.

After two scoreless innings, the bottom of the seventh completely tilted the momentum in the Hogs’ favor. With bases loaded, Jared Wegner homered to left field to allow Arkansas to retake the lead, 5-4, on a grand slam.

The Maroon and White flexed their short-term memory, as Austin Bost answered back with a homer to left field to tie the game 5-5 in the ninth. After a scoreless tenth inning, Kendall Diggs would go on to homer to left field in the bottom of the 11th, securing a 6-5 walk-off win for the Razorbacks.

The Aggies registered seven hits and four walks in 39 at-bats while striking out nine times. Texas A&M’s bullpen of Ty Sexton, Brandyn Garcia, Shane Sdao, and Nathan Dettmer struck out nine batters while allowing eight hits and eight walks for a 5.65 ERA.

The Aggies will go on to face South Carolina in an elimination game tomorrow morning, with the first pitch set for 9:30 a.m. CT.

Final Score: Aggies 5, Razorbacks 6 – W: McEntire, Will (7-3), L: Sexton, Ty (1-3)

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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