Category Archives: College baseball

Baseball preview: Owens, Royse, Orloski in line to pitch on opening weekend for UTSA

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Braylon Owens made his first start of the season and allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings. UTSA played Wichita State in the second game of an American Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Roadrunner-Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Braylon Owens was 4-1 with a 4.99 earned run average last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Pitchers Braylon Owens, Zach Royse and Rob Orloski are in the running to start for the UTSA Roadrunners as they prepare for the season-opening baseball series next weekend at UT Arlington, Coach Pat Hallmark said Wednesday.

“I don’t know if they’ll all three be starters, because someone needs to fill the role left by Ruger (Riojas last year) and then the year before, Simon Miller, which we call stopper,” Hallmark said. “I think in the major leagues you call it a closer. But we use ’em sooner than they do in the major leagues.

Zach Royse. Sam Houston State beat UTSA 18-2 in non-conference baseball on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Zach Royse, a junior from Katy Cinco Ranch, has moved into consideration as an opening weekend starter for the UTSA Roadrunners – File photo by Joe Alexander

“In other words, we’ll use ’em sooner. We’ll use ’em in the fifth inning. We need to fill that role, and it could be one of those three guys. But two of those guys I think are starters, and maybe one of those three guys is the stopper, but we’ve got some other good pitchers, too. We just need to see what they do against people that don’t wear the same color uniforms. In other words, not in an intrasquad game.”

Even though the staff this season might not be as experienced as last year top to bottom, Hallmark said he likes the talent.

“It’s good,” he said. “It’s not deep. I don’t think it’s deep enough. But it could be.”

Owens, Royse and Orloski apparently have separated themselves from the others going into the final week of preparation.

“We’re super excited to have ’em,” Hallmark said. “They’re going to be good. They’re going to be reliable, steady, and they’re going to pitch a lot – as long as they’re healthy.

“I joked with ’em already,” he said. “I used to tell ’em, if you walk two guys in an inning, I’m going to come and take you out. I hope they don’t walk two in an inning, but I’ve already told ’em I’m going to be leaving them in there a little longer than I used to.

“So, we need to get some development from some of the younger guys, or some of the new guys, and I think they’re on their way to doing that.”

The Roadrunners, picked to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference, will open the season on Friday, Feb. 14, on the road in the first of a three-game series against UT Arlington.

Robert Orloski. UTSA beat Incarnate Word 13-3 in non-conference baseball on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Righthander Robert Orloski beat East Carolina last season at Roadrunner Field. – File photo by Joe Alexander

After playing a mid-week game at Baylor on Feb. 18, the Roadrunners will open at home Feb. 21-23 with four games against the Long Island University Sharks.

Center fielder Mason Lytle is the team’s top returning player. Back in December, he was tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year in the American. The Roadrunners lost two other stars — Riojas and shortstop Matt King — to the transfer portal. Riojas is now at Texas and King at Arizona State.

Here’s a look at the Roadrunners, position by position, going into next week:

Pitchers – Robert Orloski, Braylon Owens, Zach Royse

Catchers – Lorenzo Morresi, Andrew Stucky, Broc Parmer

First base – Caden Miller, Lorenzo Morresi, Cade Sadler

Second base – Diego Diaz, Jordan Ballin

Shortstop – Ty Hodge, Jordan Ballin

Mason Lytle, a senior center fielder for UTSA baseball. At UTSA media day at Roadrunner Field, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2005. - Photo by Joe Alexander.

Outfielder Mason Lytle is the preseason Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference. ,- Photo by Joe Alexander

Third base – Norris McClure, Jordan Ballin

Right field – James Taussig

Center field – Mason Lytle

Left field – Tye Odom

Designated hitter — Garrett Gruell, Drew Detlefsen

Notable

Shortstop is a position in transition at UTSA with the departure of King, a former three-year starter. Ty Hodge, who’s played at Texas A&M one season and Houston Christian for two, is the leading candidate to take over at the position.

“Very, very talented player,” Hallmark said. “Lots of tools. A little bit banged up, that’s been the only knock on him in his college career. He’s a fourth-year college player … Missed one season because of an injury. And he’s a little banged up now, but the talent is there to be a terrific baseball player.

“If Ty’s not able to go, it’ll be Jordan Ballin, local freshman from Boerne (Champion High School). Terrific player.”

Cade Sadler, an infield prospect at first base with a power bat, recently dislocated his shoulder and likely won’t be available right away. Meaning that Caden Miller a freshman from Madisonville High School, might get the opening day start. Lorenzo Morresi, who might be the No. 1 catcher, can also play first.

James Taussig, a senior right fielder for UTSA baseball. At UTSA media day at Roadrunner Field, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2005. - Photo by Joe Alexander.

Senior and returning veteran James Taussig is set to play right field for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander.

The battle for playing time at catcher is interesting. Morresi has the best arm, but Andrew Stucky can hit, and was the team’s leader in home runs in the fall. Also, Broc Parmer has multiple skills.

Said Hallmark: “Right now, there’s not enough innings to go around behind the plate, but we’ll get ’em all in there.”

The outfield appears to be in good shape with Tye Odom in left, Mason Lytle in center and James Taussig in right. Lytle, obviously, is the headliner. He hit .348 last year. Also had 11 home runs and 43 RBI. His batting average was tied for third in the AAC, So were his 142 total bases.

In left, Odom will be taking over for Caleb Hill, one of the mainstays for a team that finished second in the American. Odom is an athlete who can take on the challenge. Last year, he was off to a fast start when he was sidelined by a hamstring injury. Still, he hit .333 with gap power and a .598 slugging percentage in 30 games.

Taussig, at 6-foot-6, hit .307 with six homers and 37 RBI.

“We got two other (outfielders) who can really swing the bat, that we need to find a spot for, Garrett Gruell and Drew Detlefsen,” Hallmark said. “So, one of those guys could end up (at designated hitter), and we could platoon lefty-righty some, as well.”

Next season, the Roadrunners could be in line to offer more than the standard 11.7 scholarships as part of the new structure of college athletics. The top teams in the nation are expected to jump from 11.7 to 34. Teams in the American Athletic Conference likely won’t add that many, but more could be added.

Norris McClure, third baseman for UTSA baseball, spent four seasons at Division-II Spring Hill College in Alabama. At UTSA media day at Roadrunner Field, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2005. - Photo by Joe Alexander.

UTSA third baseman Norris McClure hit .375 over four seasons at Division II Spring Hill College in Alabama, including .401 as a junior in 2023. – Photo by Joe Alexander.

College World Series-finalist Texas A&M names Michael Earley as head baseball coach

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Michael Earley has been named the head baseball coach at Texas A&M to cap a wild six days since an Aggies rally fell short in the national title game.

Last Monday night, the Aggies lost to the Tennessee Volunteers 6-5 in Omaha to end their best season. By Tuesday, the head coach who led team to the brink of their first title accepted a job to become the head coach of the rival Texas Longhorns.

Jim Schlossnagle was introduced as head coach of the Longhorns in Austin last Wednesday. On the same day, the Longhorns announced that three Aggies assistants — including Earley — would also make the move to Texas.

All that changed over the last few days as the Aggies pursued Earley, an Indiana native, who had built a reputation as a hitting coach at both Arizona State and Texas A&M.

At Arizona State, Earley was credited with helping slugger Spencer Torkelson become a No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

At A&M, Earley served as the hitting coach for the Aggies for the past three seasons, helping the squad to two College World Series appearances. In his tenure, he developed Texas A&M into one of the most powerful and potent offenses in the Southeastern Conference.

This season, the Aggies were led by sluggers Jace LaViolette, Braden Montgomery and Gavin Grahovac, and they set program records for home runs with 136 and walks with a nation-leading 422. In the last three seasons, the Aggies have belted 306 homers, 704 extra-base hits and have reached base on 1,178 walks.

“Michael is a very talented coach and recruiter, but what stood out to me was his character and the relationships he has built with his current and former players,” Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts said in a release.

Earley was an All-Big Ten player at Indiana University. In 2010, he batted .352 with 13 home runs and was the only player in the conference to reach double-digits in home runs and stolen bases.

He was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 29th round of the 2010 MLB Draft and played six seasons in the White Sox organization, reaching the Triple-A level with the Charlotte Knights. He completed his professional career with the Southern Illinois Miners in the independent Frontier League in 2015.

“My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity,” said Earley, who thanked administrators for the opportunity.

“For putting your trust in me,” he said. “Being a part of this university and this program are a dream come true. I will not let you down. See you in Omaha!”

Next season, the Longhorns will join the Aggies in the SEC. The two bell-weather programs in the state will reunite as conference rivals for the first time since a decades-old rivalry developed in the Southwest Conference and the Big 12.

The Aggies fled the Big 12 and started play in the SEC in all sports in the 2012-13 academic year.

Schlossnagle leaves Texas A&M baseball to coach at the University of Texas

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Less than 24 hours after Jim Schlossnagle implied that he would continue to coach a Texas A&M Aggies program that reached the Men’s College World Series championship game, he was announced on Tuesday night as baseball coach of the University of Texas Longhorns, the Aggies’ traditional in-state rival.

“What a home run hire,” Texas president Jay Hartzell said in a statement. “Coach Schlossnagle is the best in the business, his long list of accomplishments is incredible, and his track record of building great programs is well documented.

“We are the premier baseball program in the country with legendary coaches, our six national championships and record 38 College World Series appearances, so it’s certainly fitting that we hired a coach of his caliber to lead us.”

Schlossnagle has spent the last three seasons coaching the Aggies, taking them to unprecedented heights. The former longtime coach of the TCU Horned Frogs led A&M to the MCWS in 2022 and again last week. The 2022 team went 2-2 in Omaha.

This time, the Aggies were loaded with talent, and even with injuries to a couple of key players, they made a spirited run to the finals against the top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers. No. 3 A&M finished 53-15 on the season, 9-2 in the NCAA tournament and 4-2 in the MCWS.

On Monday, in Austin, as the MCWS in Omaha was preparing for the championship showdown, Texas officials acknowledged that they had parted ways with eight-year coach David Pierce. By Monday night, Tennessee held off A&M 6-5 in an emotional winner-take-all contest.

In postgame interviews, a question to Schlossnagle about his “future in Aggieland” sparked an emotional response.

The question went like this: “With respect to the difficult outcome tonight, with the rumors circulating today about a specific job opening, what do you have to say about your future in Aggieland?”

“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask that question, to be honest with you,” Schlossnagle responded. “But … I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again, and that hasn’t changed in my mind. That’s unfair to talk about something like that.

“That’d be like you asking (Braden) Montgomery if he’s going to sign in the (Major League Baseball) draft. But, I understand you got to ask the question. But, I gave up a big part of my life to come take this job, and I’ve poured every ounce of my soul in this job. And I’ve given this job every single ounce I could possibly give it. So, write that.”

In a statement from Schlossnagle published Tuesday night by ESPN reporter Dave Wilson, he thanked Texas A&M administrators and the fans “for an incredible experience during my time at Texas A&M.”

“Although I know many will be upset with my decision, I chose to make a change to join a longtime friend to continue my career as a college baseball coach,” the coach said. “The run to the (national title) game was truly a remarkable one this year, and I will savor the memories and true friendships I have made there for a lifetime.”

In Austin, Schlossnagle will be reunited with Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, who was athletic director at TCU when Schlossnagle coached the Horned Frogs.

Schlossnagle’s key staffers at A&M will follow him to Texas, including assistants Nolan Cain, Michael Earley and Max Weiner.

Tennessee holds off Texas A&M, 6-5, to win the Men’s College World Series

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Dylan Dreiling homered for the third straight game to spark a three-run seventh inning, and the top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers held on at the end to win the Men’s College World Series with a 6-5 victory Monday night over the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies.

With the win, Tennessee rebounded from a championship series-opening loss to A&M and claimed victories on consecutive days in Omaha, Neb., to put an end to the so-called “Curse of the No. 1 seed.” They became the first top-seeded team to win the NCAA baseball tournament since 1999, when the Miami Hurricanes won the title.

For the Vols, it was a sweet victory, one that yielded their first national title. On the flip side, it was a brutal loss for the Aggies, who were also looking to win the championship for the first time, only to fall painfully short on the last day of the season.

In a winner-take-all game at Charles Schwab Stadium, the Volunteers entered the bottom of the seventh leading by only two runs when they started to rally against Aggies relief ace Evan Aschenbeck. First, Dreiling hit a two-run homer. Then, after a Hunter Ensley single, Kavares Tears added an RBI double to make it 6-1.

The Tennessee fans at Charles Schwab Stadium were roaring on the play when Ensley scored all the way from first base. With Tears’ blast hitting off the wall in center, Ensley ran hard. He kept going, contorting his body and barely getting around A&M catcher Jackson Appel to score. The Aggies asked for an umpire’s review but the call was upheld.

In a drama-filled ending, A&M scored two runs each in the eighth and ninth innings. But after Tennessee reliever Aaron Combs threw a wild pitch that allowed the Aggies’ second run in the ninth and their fifth in the game to score, he struck out Ted Burton for the last out to nail down the victory.

On Saturday night, in the first game of the championship series, the Aggies jumped out to an early six-run lead and defeated the Vols, 9-5. They led by one run in Game 2 going into the seventh inning but couldn’t hold on, eventually falling in a 4-1 decision. Dreiling, a sophomore from Hays, Kan., homered in each of the three games.

Records

Texas A&M

Overall 53-15
In the NCAA tournament 9-2
In the MCWS 4-2

Tennessee

Overall 60-13
In the NCAA tournament 10-2
In the MCWS 5-1

Notable

In postgame interviews, a question to Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle about his “future in Aggieland” sparked an emotional response. The question came in the wake of developments in Austin earlier in the day that the University of Texas had fired baseball coach David Pierce, and that the Longhorns were looking for a replacement.

The question to Schlossnagle went like this: “With respect to the difficult outcome tonight, with the rumors circulating today about a specific job opening, what do you have to say about your future in Aggieland?”

“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask that question, to be honest with you,” Schlossnagle responded. “But … I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again, and that hasn’t changed in my mind. That’s unfair to talk about something like that.

“That’d be like you asking (Braden) Montgomery if he’s going to sign in the (Major League Baseball) draft. But, I understand you got to ask the question. But, I gave up a big part of my life to come take this job, and I’ve poured every ounce of my soul in this job. And I’ve given this job every single ounce I could possibly give it. So, write that.”

Montgomery, who hit 27 home runs this season to go along with 85 RBI, is projected as a first-round pick in the July draft. He didn’t play in the MCWS after breaking his ankle in the first game of the Super Regional round of the NCAA playoffs. As a result, the Aggies played short-handed in Omaha, without both Montgomery and left-handed starting pitcher Shane Sdao.

A&M players gave it their all to the very end in the final game, with Hayden Schott and Jackson Appel enjoying three-hit games and Gavin Grahovac contributing two. Appel scored twice, while Schott and Grahovac scored once. All three of them, along with Caden Sorrell, contributed one RBI apiece.

In the dizzying ninth, Combs entered to pitch for the Vols, trying to protect a three-run lead. But Grahovac greeted him with a double to left field. After Jace LaViolette struck out, Appel came to bat, and Grahovac took third base on a wild pitch that sailed high, tipping off the catcher’s glove and going back to the screen.

At that point, Appel singled to drive in Grahovac, who scored the first run of the inning and the fourth of the game for the Aggies. Throwing hard, Combs settled down and struck out Schott, with Appel moving to second base. Pitching to Burton, Combs faked a pickoff attempt and was called a balk, allowing Appel to take third base. He scored to make it 6-5 when Combs threw another wild pitch.

Finally, Combs settled down and fanned Burton to end the game.

Tennessee starter Zander Sechrist (6-1) worked 5 and 1/3 innings for the win. He allowed one run on six hits and a walk while striking out seven. Nate Snead pitched 1 and 2/3 innings, followed by Dylan Loy and Kirby Connell before Combs closed in the ninth.

Texas A&M’s Justin Lamkin (3-3) went down as the losing pitcher in an effort that went 2 and 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs on five hits. The former standout at Corpus Christi Calallen just didn’t seem to have as much pop on his pitches as he did in two starts in MCWS bracket play. In relief, Josh Stewart worked 2 and 1/3 scoreless while Aschenbeck yielded six hits in three innings. He was charged with all three runs in the seventh.

Tennessee pounded out 13 hits, including home runs by Christian Moore and Dylan Dreiling. Moore led off the bottom of the first inning with his 34th of the season. For Dreiling, the homer was his 23rd. Additionally, five players finished with two hits apiece, including Blake Burke, Dreiling, Hunter Ensley, Kavares Tears and Dean Curley.

Tennessee rallies past Texas A&M, 4-1, to even the MCWS at one win apiece

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Two-run homers by Dylan Dreiling in the seventh inning and Cal Stark in the eighth propelled the top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers past the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies 4-1 on Sunday at the Men’s College World Series.

With the win, Tennessee evened the best-of-three MCWS title round at one win apiece, with the third and deciding game scheduled for Monday.

Coming into Sunday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., the Aggies were 9-0 in the NCAA tournament and 4-0 in the MCWS and needed to win only once to clinch their first national championship in baseball.

They got off to a good start with Jace LaViolette hitting a solo home run in the first inning for a 1-0 lead. But that was it for the Aggies, who were limited to seven hits on the day.

In the wake of the game, the Volunteers were talking about how it feels to come within one game of the school’s first championship.

“It feels pretty dang good,” Stark told ESPN reporter Kris Budden. “You know, we got a lot of work left to do. We got to play nine innings tomorrow against a really good team. I mean, Game 3, final game of the year. What else could you want?”

With Tennessee’s season on the line, Dreiling continued to swing a hot bat in clutch situations. On Saturday, in Game 1 of the series, he hit a two-run homer in a three-run seventh. The Vols ultimately fell short, losing 9-5. On Sunday, he connected again, this time in a difficult lefty-on-lefty situation.

He clubbed a pitch from freshman Kaiden Wilson over the right field wall, giving the Vols a 2-1 lead.

In the eighth, the Vols struck again, this time with Stark doing the honors. He came to the plate with one on base and in an 0 for 16 skid in the MCWS, but he re-directed a Wilson pitch over the wall for his 11th homer of the season and his first since June 9. With one swing, Tennessee opened a 4-1 advantage.

“I was glad I could come through for my teammates,” Stark said. “I obviously haven’t had the best series. So, just trying to keep grinding, keep grinding at the plate.”

Tennessee pitching had a good day, striking out 12. The Vols got four innings out of starter Drew Beam and four more from Aaron Combs, who was roughed up in the Vols’ MCWS opener against Florida State. In the ninth, Combs, Kirby Connell and Nate Snead all pitched for the Vols, who had to hold on at the end to win.

Ted Burton led off against Combs and poked a single into left field. Connell entered at that point and yielded a single to Caden Sorrell. With the potential tying run at the plate, the Vols brought in Snead, who would face Ali Camarillo. On a slow ground ball to the right side, second baseman Ariel Antigua, whose only play was to slap a tag on Sorrell.

Not only was Sorrell the first out, he also went back to the dugout with a bloodied eyebrow. The next batter, red-hot Kaeden Kent, flied to the outfield for the second out. At that juncture, with runners at first and third, A&M sent in pinch hitter Ryan Targac. During his at bat, Camarillo took second base, and then Targac flied to right to end the game.

Despite the loss for Texas A&M, LaViolette emerged from a batting slump with a two-for-two day. Additionally, reliever Chris Cortez relaced opener Zane Badmaev in the second inning and pitched 4 and 1/3 shutout innings. He allowed two hits and walked five but had good life on his pitches, striking out seven.

“I guess the difference in the game were the two, two-out homers,” Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “They got the big swings at the right time, but we battled back. Combs obviously settled down the game really well for them. I thought Chris (Cortez) battled. I was proud of Kaiden Wilson. Just, two pitches got him. Dreiling was on the fast ball, and (Wilson) hung a breaking ball to the catcher.

“Close ball game, just exactly what you’d expect with these two teams. To think you’re going to roll right through it in two games is … that would have been nice. We get to play. We don’t have to play, we get to play the last college baseball game of the season, and that’s awesome.”

Records

Texas A&M

Overall 53-14
In the NCAA tournament 9-1
In the MCWS 4-1

Tennessee

Overall 59-13
In the NCAA tournament 9-2
In the MCWS 4-1

Notable

Tennessee gave itself a chance to become the first No. 1 national seed in the NCAA baseball tournament to win a championship since the Miami Hurricanes did it in 1999.

Coming up

Texas A&M vs. Tennessee, Game 3 of the MCWS championship round, 6 p.m.

Kent-led Texas A&M beats No. 1 Tennessee, moves to within one win of a national championship

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With his famous father watching from the grandstands Saturday night, Kaeden Kent kept his NCAA playoff hot streak alive and helped lift the third-seeded Texas A&M Aggies to within one victory of a national championship.

The son of former Major League Baseball standout Jeff Kent homered and drove in four runs, leading the Aggies to a 9-5 victory over the top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in the opener of the best-of-three title round at the Men’s College World Series.

The Aggies hit well from the outset in front of a packed house in Omaha, Neb., building leads that grew to 7-1 in the middle of the third and to 9-2 in the middle of the seventh.

Undeterred, the Volunteers kept their poise and made it interesting. Rallying against Texas A&M relievers Josh Stewart and Brad Rudis, the Vols scored three times in the seventh to trim the Aggies’ lead to four.

First, Dylan Dreiling hammered a pitch from Stewart for a two-run homer. Stewart had pitched well to that point, but he would be lifted for Rudis, who immediately gave up a long solo homer to Hunter Ensly. When Ensly’s ball landed several rows deep in the left-field pavilion, Tennessee was back in the game, trailing 9-5.

A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle elected to bring in bullpen ace Evan Aschenbeck, who struck out the only two batters he faced in the seventh to prevent further damage.

Aschenbeck finished the game without allowing a run, escaping a one-out, first-and-third situation in the ninth to keep the Aggies undefeated at 9-0 in the NCAA tournament and 4-0 in the MCWS. The Aggies can clinch their first national title in baseball if they can win again Sunday night. A third game would be played on Monday, if necessary.

“I thought we played really well for the most part,” A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “We got a lot of timely hits. Had some really good at bats against some really good pitchers. Tennessee’s got a great pitching staff. They’re a very diverse pitching staff.

“I thought (A&M starter Ryan) Prager battled through some things and (reliever Josh Stewart) was awesome. Evan was Evan. And Kaeden just continues to play outstanding in the back half of the season. It’s one win. Can’t make it anything more than that.”

Entering their fourth game in the MCWS tournament that started on June 13 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, the Aggies had not trailed on the scoreboard in any of their previous three outings. Once again, they got the early jump, this time against Vols pitchers Chris Stamos and AJ Causey with a two-run first inning.

Gavin Grahovac opened the game with an opposite-field homer to right. It was his 23rd of the season. Jackson Appel followed with a one-out double down the left field line. A fielding error by shortstop Dean Curley compounded Tennessee’s problems, prompting the Vols to replace Stamos with Causey. After Ted Burton struck out, freshman Caden Sorrell drilled an RBI single up the middle.

In retaliation, the Vols scored one run in the bottom of the second off Aggies starter Ryan Prager but failed to capitalize on a few choice opportunities. Consequently, A&M came to bat in the top of the third, leading 2-1. The Aggies immediately took advantage, scoring five runs on four hits and an infield error. Caden Sorrell, Hayden Schott and Kent contributed with run-scoring singles.

Sorrell and Schott drove in one run apiece while Kent’s two-run single made it a 7-1 ballgame.

After the Vols added a run in the bottom of the third to make it 7-2, their prolific offense went into a lull. Prager, a lefty, worked another inning and gave way to Stewart, a righty, who started to frustrate Tennessee hitters with sliders and sweepers. All told, A&M pitching may have won the game from the fourth through the sixth, keeping Tennessee off the scoreboard in that span.

In the top of the seventh, Kent electrified A&M fans with a long homer to right field. For Kent, who replaced injured star Braden Montgomery in the lineup in the Oregon series, it was his third hit of the night and his fourth RBI. With the outburst, the sophomore from Lake Travis High School in Austin hiked his productivity in the NCAA playoffs to 13 hits and 14 RBI in only seven games.

Kent, a sophomore from Lake Travis High School in Austin, said he thinks his surge can be traced to the support that he gets from teammates and members of his family.

“The support that I get and the people that believe in me,” he said. “The people that have my back and I can count on. People like my parents, or my brother. Like, I can look to the stands, and they can give me the … they can pound their chest, like, ‘You got this.’ That puts a lot of relaxation on my mind.”

In regard to the pitch he hit for the home run, he said the pitcher hung a slider, “and I was able to get it.”

Once again, the Aggies won a game with youthful talent making significant contributions. From Kent. From Grahovac, a freshman from Orange, Calif. From Sorrell, another freshman, from Highland Village and Flower Mound Marcus High School.

“Even though they’re young,” Kent said, “I think we’re past the young phase. Gavin Grahovac is so mature. So is Sorrell. They’ve had so much experience (and) they’re good baseball players.”

Kent considers his teammates to be smart players who put in the work to prepare themselves in between games.

“Baseball is a frustrating game,” he said. “So, the consistency and the time that you put in is not always shown out on the field when you play. The countless hours in the cages sometimes turns into a 0-for-4 when you go out on Tuesday. But, it’s just the repetition, man. You’re stacking days on days. It has a compound effect, and you just got to keep pushing through it.”

Records

Texas A&M

Overall 53-13
In the NCAA tournament 9-0
In the MCWS 4-0

Tennessee

Overall 58-13
In the NCAA tournament 8-2
In the MCWS 3-1

Coming up

MCWS title series continues with Game 2 on Sunday at 1 p.m. A Game 3 would be played on Monday if necessary.

Pitching has carried the Aggies to the brink of their first national title

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If you believe in curses in baseball and you subscribe to the so-called “Curse of the No. 1 seed” in the NCAA tournament, then you probably think the Texas A&M Aggies are destined to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in a best-of-three series this weekend for the Men’s College World Series title.

But if you have been paying close attention to the Aggies since they arrived in Nebraska for the MCWS, then you should know that third-seeded A&M will have a decent chance of beating top-seeded Tennessee, anyway.

Why is that? Well, for as long as young men have been scuffling around on infield dirt and grass outfields in a game dating back to the 1800s, pitching has always served as the key element to success, and A&M’s staff has been the most effective and efficient in Omaha.

The Aggies have have been nothing less than brilliant on the mound in their three games on Charles Schwab Field at TD Ameritrade Park.

In 27 innings, against Florida, Kentucky and Florida, again, A&M pitching has yielded only 16 hits and three earned runs. The staff has struck out 37 and walked 10.

Never mind that the Aggies are hobbled a bit offensively with some of their biggest sticks either sidelined or limited with injuries. Never mind that they have scored only 14 runs on 23 hits. Or, that they are batting a less-than-prodigious .223 as a team in the MCWS.

The A&M pitching has been so good, it has allowed the offense to relax, measure the man on the mound for the opponent and then capitalize when opportunities present themselves.

With ace Ryan Prager scheduled to start tonight, the Aggies would seem to have as good a chance as anyone to beat a Tennessee team that features several of the best hitters in the college game. Not to mention a hearty pitching staff, as well.

Jim Schlossnagle’s team has won 52 games, but Tony Vitello’s has won 58.

“Tennessee is far and away the best team outside of our team this year,” Schlossnagle said. “Pitching. Defense. (They’re) so physical … It doesn’t surprise me what Tony’s done. Not just with his team but with his entire program as a whole. So I’m looking forward to playing against ’em. That’s what you get in (the Southeastern Conference) and that’s what you get in the College World Series.”

Oddly, the top-seeded Miami Hurricanes won the title in 1999 in the first tournament played with a seeded field. But while the Hurricanes were the first top seed to win the championship, they were also the last.

Notable mishaps involving top seeds in the MCWS finals included losses by Texas in both 2004 and 2009.

Two years ago, top-seeded Tennessee advanced to the Super Regional with a whopping 56 wins, only to get beat at home two out of three by Notre Dame. Last season, Wake Forest emerged as the first No. 1 seed to make it to Omaha since 2018, and the Demon Deacons were eliminated in the semifinals, losing to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Notable mishaps involving top seeds in the MCWS finals included losses by Texas in both 2004 and 2009. To Cal State Fullerton and LSU, respectively. So, because this is college baseball, fans will believe what they’re going to believe. Fans are going to talk about superstitions.

Then again, if the Aggies can take two of three from the Vols for the program’s first national title this weekend, it’s more than likely going to happen as a result of pitching than any sort of curse.

Records

Texas A&M

Overall 52-13
In the NCAA tournament 8-0
In the MCWS 3-0

Tennessee

Overall 58-12
In the NCAA tournament 8-1
In the MCWS 3-0

In the title hunt: Texas A&M beats Florida, advances to the MCWS finals for the first time

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Led by a dominant pitching staff, the Texas A&M Aggies have surged into the finals of the Men’s College World Series for the first time. They clinched a spot in the title round after they eliminated the Florida Gators, 6-0, on Wednesday night at Charles Schwab Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

With the victory, the third-seeded Aggies will now focus on trying to capture their first national title in baseball. They’ll have a tough test in the top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers. The best-of-three set will commence on Saturday.

Coming into the game against the Gators, the Aggies’ pitching had been the story. They beat the Gators last Saturday, 3-2. They followed up with a 5-1 victory against the Kentucky Wildcats on Monday.

As it turned out, the rematch against the Gators turned into much the same narrative as A&M pitchers, with starter Justin Lamkin leading the way, allowed only four hits. Going back to late Saturday night, the Aggies have now strung zeroes on the scoreboard in 19 of their last 20 innings.

“Great ball game,” A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle told reporters later. “Lamkin was obviously outstanding. The decision was just how long to leave him in there and win the game but still give us a chance over the weekend since we’re down a pitcher.”

Lamkin, a 6-foot-4 lefty from Corpus Christi Calallen, made his second start of the MCWS and made it count with nine strikeouts in five innings. He allowed only three hits and was threatened seriously with runners in scoring position only once.

In the third inning, the Gators loaded the bases with one out. First, Michael Robertson drew a walk. Next, Jac Caglianone beat an infield shift by punching a single through the left side. Cade Kurland then smashed a ball back at Lamkin for an infield single.

At that point, Lamkin struck out Tyler Shelnut. The inning ended when shortstop Ali Camarillo raced into foul territory to catch a pop up off the bat of Colby Shelton.

When Lamkin was replaced to open the sixth, the Aggies went through a bit of uncertainty when Chris Cortez walked two straight. But Josh Stewart entered and used a sweeping curveball to pitch two scoreless frames. Evan Aschenbeck, the stopper of the year in college baseball, finished with the last two innings.

“Stewy made big pitches,” Schlossnagle said. “Got us out of a jam. Cortez will be better next time, I have no doubt.”

Caden Sorrell led the way offensively with a team-high three RBI, one coming on a sacrifice fly and the others on a two-run homer. It was his 11th of the season and his third in the NCAA playoffs. Gavin Grahovac and Kaeden Kent both had two hits and an RBI.

Jace LaViolette, who tweaked a hamstring Monday night against Kentucky, started and played right field but clearly wasn’t 100 percent physically. He went zero for four at the plate and struck out twice.

In the first inning, he was on third base when Sorrell hit his sac fly to center. LaViolette scored on the play but didn’t look smooth as he tried to accelerate. In the field, a fly ball that might have been caught on another night got past him for a double.

Given the circumstances, it’s remarkable that the Aggies are in position to win it all.

They lost star outfielder Braden Montgomery and front-line starting pitcher Shane Sdao for the season with injuries in the Super Regional round. Now, they’re playing with a less-than-100 percent LaViolette, and they’re two wins away from holding up the trophy. One of the big reasons for their success in Omaha is Lamkin, who has pitched eight scoreless innings.

“I think the big part of it is just having self confidence in myself, knowing that I can go out there and compete and play at this level,” Lamkin said. “I think just getting ahead of hitters and having true confidence in all my pitches really helped me out.”

Asked how it feels to become a part of Texas A&M history as the first baseball team to play for a national title, Sorrell talked about how he had always followed the program when he was younger.

“It’s definitely an amazing feeling,” Sorrell said. “I remember coming to these games when I was like 10 years old and always wanting to be a part of this. You know, finally being here and making it this far, it’s been an amazing feeling. But, obviously, the job is not finished yet.”

A&M’s 8-0 ride through the NCAA tournament has not been without a few hiccups. Namely, the injuries and the accompanying decisions on what to do with personnel. Kent, who stepped into the lineup in Game 1 of the Super Regionals when Montgomery went out, has been the most visible of players coming off the bench to perform well.

The son of former major league infielder Jeff Kent has produced five hits in three games in the MCWS, including two against Kentucky and two against Florida. Another player rising to the occasion has been Stewart, who didn’t pitch in either NCAA regional or the super regional round.

For the first time since May 23, he got into a game on Monday against Kentucky and pitched 2 and 1/3 innings, giving up a run (on a solo homer) and three hits. Against Florida, his emergence was a key in steadying the team after Cortez faltered. Stewart said

“It wasn’t too big of a deal with the break (between games),” Stewart said. “Got work in on the off days, and whatnot, and didn’t try to rise to the occasion, or whatever. Just got back to what we do every single day and just (went) one day at a time, really. Didn’t try to make it bigger than it is.”

Records

Florida: 36-30
In the MCWS: 2-2
In the NCAA tournament: 8-3

Texas A&M 52-13
In the MCWS: 3-0
In the NCAA tournament: 8-0

Notable

The Gators entered the game with one loss, having dropped their opener to the Aggies before rebounding to eliminate both North Carolina State, 5-4, and second-seeded Kentucky, 15-4.

The Gators rolled the dice with the use of freshman Liam Peterson as their starter. Peterson was ineffective against A&M in the opener and once again didn’t have it, walking four of the first five batters that he faced. He was charged with two runs and the loss and fell to 3-6 on the season. Lamkin was the winner and improved to 3-2.

Florida star Jac Caglianone finished his night two for four at the plate. But, fortunately for A&M, he didn’t homer. He had hit home runs in four of five NCAA tournament games coming in.

Tennessee advances to the MCWS finals with a 7-2 victory over Florida State

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers scored three runs in the first inning Wednesday afternoon and cruised past the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles 7-2 and into the finals at the Men’s College World Series.

Blake Burke had two RBI and three of Tennessee’s 10 hits, including a solo homer, to back Tennessee pitchers Zach Secrist, Kirby Connell and Nate Snead, who blanked the hard-hitting Seminoles in eight of nine innings

Daniel Cantu and Alex Lodise homered back to back in the sixth inning for Florida State’s only runs.

Tennessee entered the MCWS as one of the nation’s most potent offenses, but the pitching has also come on strong.

The Vols have allowed only three runs on 12 hits in their last two games. Florida State, which needed two wins in the semifinals to advance, represented a threat to Tennessee’s dominance because of its own potent attack.

But the Seminoles, who lost to the Vols 12-11 last Friday night, could never put anything together.

Records

Tennessee: 58-12 overall, 8-1 in the NCAA tournament, 3-0 in the MCWS
Florida State: 49-17, 7-2 in the NCAA tournament, 2-2 in the MCWS

MCWS recap

Tennessee defeated Florida State, 12-11; defeated North Carolina, 6-1; defeated Florida State, 7-2.

Florida State lost to Tennessee, 12-11; defeated Virginia, 7-3; defeated North Carolina, 9-5, lost to Tennessee, 7-2

Coming up

Tennessee advances to the best-of-three MCWS title round, set for Saturday, Sunday and Monday if necessary, against either Texas A&M or Florida.

Once a .500 team in April, Florida reaches the MCWS semifinals against Texas A&M

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The Florida Gators once looked nothing like a national-title contender. They were once 17-17 on the season and 6-8 in the Southeastern Conference at the end of a season-long, six-game losing streak.

That was in April. By May, at the SEC tournament, the perennial national power had shown some progress with a few victories against highly-ranked opponents but had once again found themselves in trouble. Beaten in the SEC tournament by Vanderbilt, they fell to 28-27 entering a week during which the NCAA tournament selection committee would decide whether the Gators deserved a chance to play again.

Fortunately for the Gators, they survived the cut into the 64-team field, and they were designated as a No. 3 seed out of four teams in the Stillwater Regional. In Stillwater they came alive, winning four out of five games and beating the home-team Oklahoma State Cowboys twice. On their way to the Clemson Super Regional, the Gators stayed hot, winning 10-7 and then 11-10 in 13 innings for a berth in the eight-team Men’s College World Series.

Now they’re in the MCWS semifinals, taking a modest 36-29 record into tonight’s game against the third-seeded and 51-13 Texas A&M Aggies. Once again, the Gators fell down before they rose up and played their best baseball. They lost to the Aggies 3-2 to fall into the losers bracket. Adversity? Florida didn’t flinch, eliminating North Carolina State 5-4 on Monday. On Wednesday, they erupted for seven runs in the first inning and advanced with a 15-4 victory.

As usual, the Gators had plenty of offense. Brody Donay hit two home runs, including a first-inning grand slam. All-American Jac Caglianone hit a solo homer in the sixth inning to give him four homers in his last five games and 35 for the season. Caglianone has 75 for his career to become Florida’s all-time leader. He is also tied for eighth all-time in the NCAA and tied for third in the SEC history books.

Coming up

MCWS semifinals

Wednesday: Florida State vs. Tennessee, in progress
Wednesday: Florida vs. Texas A&M
x-Tennessee and Texas A&M need one win to advance to the finals
x-Florida State and Florida need two wins to advance
x-play in semifinals will be completed Thursday if necessary

Records

Florida State 49-16
In the NCAA tournament: 7-1
In the MCWS: Lost to Tennessee, 12-11; defeated Virginia, 7-3; defeated North Carolina, 9-5.

Tennessee 57-12
In the NCAA tournament: 7-1
In the MCWS: Defeated Florida State, 12-11; defeated North Carolina, 6-1.

Florida 36-29
In the NCAA tournament: 8-2
In the MCWS: Lost to Texas A&M, 3-2; defeated NC State, 5-4; defeated Kentucky, 15-4.

Texas A&M 51-13
In the NCAA tournament: 7-0
In the MCWS: Defeated Florida, 3-2; defeated Kentucky, 5-1.