Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle recaps win vs. No. 23 Louisiana to reach Super Regionals

“We had a hitters meeting before BP and I thought, despite some outside factors that were really tough, our guys executed the plan awesome.”

For the second time in three years, coach Jim Schlossnagle has led the Texas A&M baseball team to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament.

“Congratulations to Louisiana on an awesome season and a great tournament. Coach Deggs has a great program and just honored to be on the same field with those guys and how hard they play,” Schlossnagle said. “I’m really proud of our team, hitters and pitching. I think until the ninth inning we had given up three runs in however many innings that we had played up until that point (28). The ninth inning got a little ugly but I thought we pitched well. We had a hitters meeting before BP today and I thought, despite some outside factors that were really tough, our guys executed the plan awesome. I’m really, really proud of our hitters tonight. I’m excited to win the regional and move on.”

The best of three series versus Oregon begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at Blue Bell Park on ESPN2.

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’50 people in the stands,’ Evan Aschenbeck gushes about 12th Man after Longhorns win

“Coming from Blinn where I had 50 people in the stands to having who knows how many we had. It was the best atmosphere and best fan base.”

Going from a junior college to an SEC university like Texas A&M is a massive difference as senior left-handed pitcher Evan Aschenbeck learned on Saturday night during a 4-2 win in extra frames against Texas during the Bryan-College Station Regional.

“It was probably the best atmosphere that I’ve ever been in pitching wise. I mean, coming from Blinn where I had 50 people in the stands to having who knows how many we had. It was the best atmosphere and the best fan base that I’ve ever been a part of,” Aschenbeck said. “I know that they’re going to pack it again (Sunday) night with whoever who we play. I know it’s just a game at the end of the day, we just try to go out there, execute pitches and play to the standard and not the scoreboard. Just trying to be the best version of ourselves.

“I just try to be myself, it doesn’t matter what the outing is going to be like because you don’t really know what the next pitch holds. So you have to worry about where your feet are and where your mind is at that point, going pitch by pitch.”

Aschenbeck (6-1) earned the win in relief of sophomore LHP Ryan Prager. He pitched 4.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit, recording 1 walk with 1 K on 62 pitches.

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‘Best college baseball atmosphere,’ Texas A&M LHP Ryan Prager recaps win vs. Longhorns

“That’s the best college baseball atmosphere, one, I’ve been in in-person and two, I’ve seen even looking at videos from the past,” he said.

Texas A&M sophomore left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager had a strong performance Saturday night at Blue Bell Park during a 4-2 win in 11 innings against Texas in the Bryan-College Station Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

“I thought the atmosphere of the crowd was outstanding! That’s the best college baseball atmosphere, one, I’ve been in in-person and two, I’ve seen even looking at videos from the past, what other places have done. That was the best I’ve ever seen,” Prager proclaimed. “I think the rivalry is what it is, that’s more so for the fans and for the university.

“For us, we’re just playing baseball. Yes, the opponent is who it is, but for us, it’s the same game that we played against Grambling, it’s the same against Texas. It was great for the fans to get to experience the rivalry in this setting but for us we’re just playing the game.

“We’re going to come back tomorrow and play the game against somebody.”

Prager was given a no decision after tossing 6.1 frames and allowing 4 hits, 4 walks and 2 runs with 7 strikeouts on 87 pitches.

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No. 3 Texas A&M advances to NCAA Super Regionals following win vs. No. 23 Louisiana

For the second time in three years, coach Jim Schlossnagle has led the Aggies baseball team to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament.

For the second time in three years, coach Jim Schlossnagle has led the Texas A&M baseball team to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 3 Aggies (47-13) clinched a berth into the next round following a 9-4 victory versus No. 23 Louisiana in the regional final on Sunday evening at Blue Bell Park. Texas A&M has begun the postseason tournament undefeated with wins against Grambling on Friday afternoon and Texas on Saturday night.

Two all-time single season program records were shattered against the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Aggies set a new record for home runs in a campaign. With a solo shot to right field in the top of the seventh inning, junior shortstop Ali Camarillo broke the previous record of 128 HR in one year.

Third baseman Gavin Grahovac belted his own solo bomb in the ninth frame to add on and bring the total to 130 thus far. With his 22nd homer of the season, Grahovac set the new freshman record. Junior outfielder Braden Montgomery was named MVP of the Bryan-College Station Regional.

Texas A&M will host Oregon (39-18) in the Super Regionals. The Ducks advanced from the UC Santa Barbara Regional, where they beat the No. 18 Gauchos twice and San Diego.

The next round of the NCAA Tournament begins Friday evening at Olsen Field.

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Texas A&M senior 1B Ted Burton reflects on go-ahead hit in ‘electric’ extra innings win

“Walking into that stadium today, it was electric. The 12th Man showed up as they always do. I think it definitely plays a role,” he said.

According to Texas A&M senior first baseman Ted Burton, the 12th Man played a large role in Saturday night’s 4-2 victory in 11 innings against Texas.

“It played like a big league park today, that’s for sure. It went both ways and just trying to stick to the game plan. We had a lot of guys hit balls hard at people. Our pitchers did their job. When it came our time, we loaded the bases up and I was just trying to do my part to help the team out,” Burton recalled. “Just walking into that stadium today, it was electric. The 12th Man showed up as they always do, a little bit more today. I think it definitely plays a role in the game being the opponent, it’s tough to walk into that ballpark.

“We’re just playing to a standard here. It was a rivalry game but ultimately we’re just trying to win a ballgame and play our best baseball at all times.”

Burton went 1-for-5 with 1 RBI and 1 walk versus the Longhorns.

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‘7,600 is a joke,’ Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle reacts to 11-inning win vs. Longhorns

“I thought both teams played great. I hope whoever’s in charge of the attendance numbers can do my taxes because 7,600 is a joke,” he said.

The No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team earned a 4-2 victory in 11 innings versus Texas on Saturday night at Blue Bell Park to advance to the Bryan-College Station Regional Final on Sunday evening.

After the game, coach Jim Schlossnagle spoke to the media.

“It was just an incredible ballgame. I thought that Lebarron Johnson and Gage Bane were awesome! And Prager was outstanding, Aschenbeck was great,” Schlossnagle said. “I thought that we got a lot of really good swings on them. Teddy in particular, it’s crazy to see how dumb baseball is. The guy destroys two balls to center field and then the one that gives us the lead is a swinging bunt that hits the base. I thought both teams played great.

“And I hope whoever’s in charge of the attendance numbers can do my taxes because 7,600 is a joke.”

Based on Schlossnagle’s recent interview with ESPN, Saturday’s attendance is likely a sign of what’s to come in Aggieland.

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No. 3 Texas A&M to play No. 23 Louisiana in NCAA Regional Final after another Longhorns L

Instead of getting a much-anticipated rematch in the College Station Regional, the Aggies will face the only team that they’ve yet to play.

Instead of getting a much-anticipated rematch on Sunday night at Blue Bell Park between Texas A&M and Texas in the Bryan-College Station Regional, the Aggies will have to face the only team that they have yet to play thus far in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

After shutting out Grambling on Friday to begin the weekend, No. 3 Texas A&M beat the Longhorns 4-2 in an extra inning thriller to advance to the regional final. The Aggies will play No. 23 Louisiana after a dominant 10-2 victory by the Ragin’ Cajuns against Texas on Sunday afternoon.

Louisiana was knocked into the loser’s bracket Friday evening following a 12-5 loss to the Longhorns. The Ragin’ Cajuns got revenge and eliminated Texas with two 3-run homers in a 7-run top of the eighth inning to seize control following a 2-2 tie.

Two years ago, Louisiana’s season came to an end at Olsen Field on Sunday, June 5 during the 2022 regional. Texas A&M will attempt to make history repeat itself tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

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‘I didn’t leave for a better job,’ Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle tells all to ESPN

“I didn’t need this job. I had a great job. To be honest, TCU’s program was ahead of Texas A&M’s program. I didn’t leave for a better job.”

Baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle recently spoke to Dave Wilson of ESPN for an in-depth interview in which he discussed topics including why he came to Texas A&M and how he wants to improve the program.

“I didn’t need this job. I had a great job. To be honest with you, TCU’s program was ahead of Texas A&M’s program. I didn’t leave for a better job. I left for a different job,” Schlossnagle said. “If you asked the average college fan, on a scale of one to 10, where was Texas A&M’s baseball program in 2021, they would have said, ‘Hey, man, it’s a solid eight,’ right? But the attraction wasn’t the eight. The attraction was the difference between eight and 10.”

“If you look at the SEC West — just in our division — since 2012, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Alabama and LSU have either built brand new ballparks or done major renovations since then. Auburn has spent more money on their stadium than Texas A&M. We’re the biggest school with supposedly the most money. Kyle Field is to college football what Olsen Field should be to college baseball.

“What I’m trying to do is get this program right where it should be relative to the size, power and strength of the school.”

Since taking over the program, Schlossnagle has accumulated a 126-60 record and one appearance in the College World Series during his first season.

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Texas A&M junior Braden Montgomery is ‘as complete of a player as you’re going to get’

“Everybody had heard about Braden, but no one had seen him in person. He’s about as complete of a player as you’re going to get in college.”

Texas A&M junior Braden Montgomery is projected to be a Top 10 pick in many mocks around the country and for good reason ahead of July’s 2024 MLB Draft.

Ben Weinrib of MLB.com recently wrote an article about Montgomery’s potential to go in the first five picks and Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle raved about the versatile outfielder/right-handed pitcher.

“Yeah, not fun,” Schlossnagle said of facing Montgomery. “He pitched great against us. He effectively ended our season, both with his bat and on the mound. We knew he was a great player. We also knew he had areas he could get better, but we had no idea what a great human being he is.”

“Everybody had heard about Braden, but no one had seen him in person. It was like seeing Santa Claus the first time. And he hits a home run and it’s like as storybook as you could possibly be.”

“He’s about as complete of a player as you’re going to get in college baseball.”

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Texas A&M junior reliever Brad Rudis improves perfect record with win vs. Grambling

“The mindset is always the same no matter the score or if there’s runners on base. Just hammer the zone and let the defense work behind me.”

Junior right-hander Brad Rudis’ relief appearance on Friday afternoon ensured an easy opening win for Texas A&M against Grambling State to start the Bryan-College Station Regional.

Rudis (6-0) earned the victory on the mound after relieving sophomore starter Tanner Jones. He entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the fourth inning but got out of the jam. Rudis struck out the first Tiger that he faced, then got the next to fly out to center field. He allowed 1 walk in 1.2 frames without allowing a hit on 18 pitches.

“The mindset is always the same no matter the score, if there is runners on base or whatever it may be,” Rudis recalled postgame. “Just hammer the zone and let the defense work behind me. That’s about it.”

The Aggies play Texas tomorrow night for a berth in the Bryan-College Station Regional Final. First pitch at Blue Bell Park is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN.

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