Texas A&M (52-13) is on its way to the College World Series finals, largely thanks to Justin Lamkin’s outstanding performance. The sophomore’s pitching gem, with 70 pitches in five nearly flawless innings, set a new CWS record with nine strikeouts and allowed just three hits, leading the team to a 6-0 victory over Florida on Wednesday night.
On the offensive front, the Aggies demonstrated their prowess at the plate. Junior Kaeden Kent continued his impressive postseason run with two more hits and an RBI. SEC Freshman of the Year Gavin Grahovac also made his mark with two hits and an RBI, contributing to the team’s total of six hits.
Freshman Caden Sorrell’s 6th inning homer off of star Gators closer Brandon Neely blew the game wide open, scoring two more runs before sending Florida back to Gainesville after a very impressive and admirable run.
However, it was Texas A&M’s elite pitching that sent the program to its first appearance in the title game, going 8-0 since the start of the postseason. Since reaching Omaha, the Aggies have dominated on the mound, allowing an incredible 1.00 ERA in 27 innings paired with 37 strikeouts in three wins over Florida and Kentucky.
First-year pitching coach Max Weiner deserves a lot of credit for turning things around. The Aggies have now set a program record with 680 strikeouts on the year and turned a weakness in 2023 into a predominant strength.
On paper, Tennessee is as good as it gets from an opponent’s standpoint, hitting .311 at the plate with 178 home runs and a 3.87-team ERA on the year. The best teams have made it to the final round, and we’re in for one heck of a finish.
Texas A&M will play Tennessee in Game 1 of the College World Series Finals on Saturday, June 22, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN.
ππ¨π¦π’π§πππ’π§π ππ‘π ππ¨π§π in Omaha! π€#GigEm x #MCWS pic.twitter.com/HrL2PPUZXU
— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) June 20, 2024
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