No. 14 Texas A&M baseball looked like they were going to sweep New Mexico State heading into the last game of the series after outscoring the visitors 26-1 in the first two matchups. Sunday’s 4-1 loss ended the home Aggies’ short-lived three-game win streak.
The last time junior left-handed pitcher Myles Patton got the nod , the Long Beach, California native recorded seven strikeouts, four hits and a home run in five innings against Rice. Patton’s outing was plagued by errors but he still earned the win against the Owls.
As a sophomore at Long Beach State last season, Patton recorded an ERA of 3.26 while allowing 52 hits, 29 runs and struck out 85 batters. In just three outings to start his time with the Aggies, he had a 2-0 record with a 2.12 ERA, 17 innings pitched, and12 hits, combined with four runs and 23 strikeouts.
Patton has established himself as a solid Sunday starter. Before his time on the mound ended in the seventh inning, he recorded four strikeouts over 91 pitches.
Junior shortstop Kaeden Kent established himself as a household name for the 12th Man after Chicago White Sox outfielder and A&M center fielder Braden Montgomery suffered a season-ending injury last season. His grand slams against LSU and Oregon and a total of two homers and 14 RBIs in the postseason gave a sneak peak at what to expect in 2025.
Kent struck first for the Aggies, sending a 408-foot shot over the visitor’s bullpen in the bottom of the third. The son of former five-time MLB All-Star and 2000 National League MVP Jeff Kent leads the team with six home runs on the season. The younger Kent has started an impressive resume of his own, as he was named to the 2024 Men’s College World Series All-Tournament Team.
In the top of the fourth inning, New Mexico State sophomore first baseman Steve Solorzano sent one into the visitor’s bullpen to tie the game up, 1-1. The Las Cruces, New Mexico native was named the program’s first Conference USA All-American Freshman Team honoree in 2024 after his 36-hit, three homer year where he averaged .327.
New Mexico State junior right fielder Jonatan Clough crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly, courtesy of junior SS Camden Kaufman, to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
A&M completely fell apart in the later innings. With senior right handed pitcher Brad Rudis on the mound, the Aggies found themselves in a bind. With two outs, Rudis faced a loaded basepath. Clough sent two runs home on a single to increase the New Mexico State lead to three. The Maroon and White couldn’t get anything going offensively in the last two innings, recording only four hits in the loss.
However, the Aggies were putting bat on ball consistently, but could not get their hits to fall. Multiple Fightin’ Farmers went 0-3 on the day despite hitting the ball well.
A&M will look to bounce back against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before Alabama comes to town for the first series of SEC play.
