As fans may recall, the 2024 Texas A&M baseball season was nothing short of historic. From broken records to stomping rivals and impossible odds to improbable comebacks, the Aggies made it known quite clearly that they were a force to be reckoned with.
The hype was real, as was the dream, but to the dismay of many, A&M came up just one game short of winning its first NCAA title in an impassioned College World Series Championship Game against Tennessee on June 24, 2024.
Now eight months later, the dust has settled, the roster has been set and all of America is aware of the near-unanimous ranking of the Maroon and White ball club: No. 1.
A familiar face is the commander-in-chief of the Fighting Farmers, and he is ready to cash in on the talent A&M has retained. Initially coaxed away by the rival Texas Longhorns as an assistant coach, coach Michael Earley takes charge of the revenge tour that surely has its sights set on Omaha once more. The 36-year-old Indiana native returns to the corner of Bush and Olsen after previously serving as A&M’s hitting coach for the past three seasons.
“My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity,” said Earley in his inaugural press conference. “Being a part of this university and this program are a dream come true. I will not let you down. See you in Omaha.”
The coaching expertise of Earley was paramount in the development of 2024 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year third baseman Gavin Grahovac, a young man who is looking to pick up right where he left off after setting a new A&M freshman home run record with 23 this past season.
On any other team, Gravohac would steal the spotlight by a long shot. But here in College Station, the man fans call “Lord Tubbington” is the center of attention of every pitching staff. 6-foot-6 giant outfielder junior Jace LaViolette was one of the top three players alongside Grahovac to go yard at least 20 times, and the Katy native is a top college prospect for Major League Baseball.
A rare mix of speed, strength and fielding ability, LaViolette lives up to his unanimous first-team All-American status. A program record of 64 drawn walks and back-to-back seasons of 20-plus home runs are reason enough to anticipate another monster season from one of America’s finest.
The key returns of junior infielder Kaeden Kent and sophomore OF Caden Sorrell provide incalculable advantages for the Aggies to make a deep run. Kent’s dominance in the NCAA Tournament displayed an eagerness to compete, and Sorrell seemed to make improbable save after save from his spot at left field. He also earned a 2024 Freshman All-SEC bid. Expect strong and timely supporting roles from the almost-name twins.
To the shock of the A&M faithful, the transfer portal, once thought to be a harbinger of doom, has created a spoil of riches for the Aggies in key positions as well as in the bullpen.
Juniors Jacob Galloway and Jamal George, as well as sophomore Connor “Bear” Harrison, are all viable choices for starting catcher. Still, the expectation is that Harrison will be the starter.
Senior INF/OF Gavin Kash out of Texas Tech will likely be slated as the starting first baseman, with his contributions expected to shore up a dominant infield — welcome to the SEC, boys.
The Maroon and White is no stranger to picking up Ivy League talent, demonstrated by former All-Conference C Jackson Appel and current graduate designated hitter and 12th Man Hayden Schott, transferring in from Penn and Columbia, respectively, in the 2023 offseason and greatly attributing to success in an unforgettable season.
This year will be more of the same as unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year senior INF Wyatt Henseler brings his three-time first-team all-conference talents to Aggieland. If Henseler is to replicate his 22 home runs from last season in his final campaign, it is likely the Aggies will have their three-headed terror in the batting order once again — look for Henseler at the second base spot.
Switching over to the bullpen, the likely last hurrah for redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager is anticipated to be his most admirable performance yet. Prager opted to return to A&M after being drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the third round of the MLB Draft and will look to further improve his 9-1 starting record and second-national best 6.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio from last season.
Experienced pitchers are not too hard to come by for the Aggies, with the likes of junior LHP Justin Lamkin playing himself back into a weekend starter role following utter dominance in Omaha and junior LHP Shane Sdao who sported a 5-1 record in 2024.
Sdao will aim to return to the high he left his sophomore season on before being lost to injury towards the end of the year. Senior RHP Josh Stewart will also be in contention to start for the Aggies, having flashes of excellence throughout 2024, including 12 punchouts in the College World Series.
Relief will be spearheaded by senior RHP Brad Rudis, whose 6-0 record last year makes him an invaluable veteran presence in the bullpen. Blink and you could miss a pitch from Cisco College transfer junior Kyrin LeBlanc, firing rockets clocking in at 102 miles per hour. Poached out of his commitment to Texas, LeBlanc will look to fill the void left by former RHP and Los Angeles Angels second-round pick Chris Cortez.
The gauntlet coming for the Aggies is as daunting as it gets. The championship runner-ups are scheduled to play 20 games against programs in D1Baseball’s preseason poll, the kicker is that only three of these games will be played within the confines of Blue Bell Park. This road challenge could prove vital in maturing a stacked unit should the Aggies prevail against their adversaries.
Among these matchups, a three-game series at Tennessee on April 4-6 allows A&M to exact its revenge in the heart of conference play. A late series at Texas on April 25-27 could continue the Aggies’ terror over the Longhorns — the Maroon and White have beaten their rivals five out of their past six matchups.
The 2024 season saw the Maroon and White go undefeated in non-conference play, a feat that could be replicated in a relatively average pool of opponents. The most difficult non-conference stretch will be a trip to the Astros Foundation College Classic on Feb. 28 to March 2, with the likes of Rice, Arizona and Oklahoma State stepping up to plate against the Aggies.
It all begins with a weekend set against Elon on Feb 14-16, where A&M will look to start its conquest for its first NCAA title. In Sections 12 and 203, fans will join together to sing the Spirit once more, hungry for the season to come with memories to be made. There will be bubbles, a little Chuck Connors’ “The Rifleman” and perhaps an Irish tale of the Rattlin’ Bog. Ready yourself, Aggieland — Earley and the boys are on their way.
