Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley summed it up best on Wednesday, “Playing with emotion and not being emotional is the biggest thing in a rivalry.” That seems to be the most imperative message this weekend as the stage is set for the No. 18 Aggies’ colossal, top-25 showdown against archrival #2 Texas (27-5, 9-3 SEC).
Longhorns vs. Aggies. It’s a rivalry that splits houses, marriages, friendships and even former coaches in half. Coach Jim Schlossnagle makes his long-awaited return to Olsen Field
at Blue Bell Park, on Friday, since the abrupt departure following a National Runner-Up finish at the 2024 Men’s College World Series, the best ever finish by a Texas A&M baseball squad.
Before we dive deeper into the Lone Star Showdown, let’s recap the midweek defeat to Texas State. The first of five in-state matchups over a seven-day span did not go very well for A&M. The Aggies (25-7, 7-5 SEC) took a 9-8 loss in their first road midweek game of the campaign. Texas A&M left 11 men on base across the nine-inning thriller in San Marcos, while also allowing seven of the nine Bobcat runs to score with two outs. Suspect fielding and rocky outings from reliable bullpen arms left plenty to be desired in the Hill Country. Caden Sorrell homered, pushing his total to 16 on the year.
As the page turns to a tension-filled tilt against the Longhorns, pitching still remains the biggest question mark for the Farmers. Can Clayton Freshcorn, Juan Vargas, Gavin Lyons and Grant Cunningham be at the best to anchor the back-end of the bullpen? How many effective innings will you get from starters Shane Sdao and Weston Moss?
Good thing is none of those questions include the offense. The Aggie bats have been as consistent as summer humidity in the Brazos Valley. Caden Sorrell is tied for the SEC lead in homers (16), Gavin Grahovac continues to get on base and set the table, Jorian Wilson and Nico Partida are punching way above their weight as freshman, Jake Duer’s clutch hitting seems to maintain consistency. In fact, as a team, the Aggies are in the top five of the conference in just about every offensive category.
Everyone has a job in the starting nine, and is carrying it out to the fullest. The Longhorn arms are going to hope to contain the Aggie bats as best as possible, especially as they hold the SEC’s best team ERA. To them I wish them good luck against this well-rounded Aggie offense.
If a collective effort is there between the mound and at the plate, Texas A&M should very well win the series. However, if the pitching leaves too many question marks, this series could set the table for a rough finish in conference play. The four of the final five opponents for the Aggies (at LSU, vs. Auburn, at Ole Miss, vs. Mississippi State) are all ranked, while a tough road trip to Florida still remains. Sitting at 7-5 in SEC play, only half the job is done. Anywhere between 14-16 SEC victories should be enough to get an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, but with a weaker-than-normal bottom third of the conference, the number of wins probably shifts closer to 15-17.
Aidan Sims has been moved up to a Saturday game two start, while Sdao remains as the Friday night guy. It appears Sunday will be a bullpen game, as the A&M starter in the finale is listed as TBA. If the starters set the tone, it could be a very interesting weekend in Aggieland.
Either way, all systems go for what should be an eventful, palpable, matchup of giant proportions between the lines in College Station. The first two games of the series will be on national television, with Friday’s tilt on SEC Network and Saturday’s afternoon battle on ESPN2.
Probable Starters:
- Friday: LHP Shane Sdao (3-2, 5.48 ERA) vs. RHP Ruger Riojas (5-1, 2.74 ERA)
- Saturday: RHP Aiden Sims (6-0, 3.32 ERA) vs. LHP Luke Harrison (4-0, 2.72 ERA)
- Sunday: TBA vs. LHP Dylan Volantis (4-0, 2.01 ERA)
Game Info (weather permitting):
- Friday: 7:00 p.m. on SEC Network
- Saturday: 2:00 p.m. on ESPN2
- Sunday: 1:00 p.m. on SEC Network+
BTHO texas.
