Texas A&M baseball regained momentum with a 21-1 crushing of UIW in a fireworks show of offense following a disappointing 10-5 series-sealing loss to Kentucky on Sunday,
Hitting batters has recently become a plague that has sickened the Maroon and White pitching staff, responsible for putting 11 runners on base throughout the weekend series against Kentucky. The first pitch of Tuesday’s game was no exception to this ailment, as the pitch went straight into the arm of senior left fielder Brandon Burckel, giving him a free pass from the get-go.
This mishap, however, seemed to ignite the resolve of freshman right-handed pitcher Gavin Lyons, who sought to steady the Aggie arms by rebounding with two strikeouts in his four innings of work. With consistency being a rare resource in a roller-coaster season, Lyons’ shutout start made sure the Fightin’ Farmers had a reliable arm to turn to in midweek competition.
“I’m extremely proud of him,” coach Michael Earley said. “He’s continued to improve and take care of filling up the strike zone. He did a lot for us and did his job.”
On the narrative of improvement, redshirt sophomore first baseman Blake Binderup made the most in the absence of starting senior 1B Gavin Kash. The College Station High product, who had been struggling since his one and only home run season on Opening Day, left no doubt on a 415-foot bomb that soared 105mph into left field.
Additionally, the development on the individual level has translated directly to the recent tear over non-conference competition. Since a March 4 midweek loss to UTSA, the Aggies have dominated their Tuesday contests with deadly precision, touting a combined score of 65-12 in their six-game win streak.
Extending his historic career home run record, junior centerfielder Jace LaViolette kept the pen of his legend in hand when he faced a bases-loaded situation. With a stone-cold stance, the Katy native avoided a second-straight walk, striking fire on a 3-0 count that sent yet another home run into the confines of Section 12.
LaViolette is no stranger to multi-home run games and wouldn’t take a breather in his third at-bat. A three-run homer marked his 12th time sending multiple balls packing, on this occasion sailing a 403-foot cannon shot over the UIW bullpen to push his record even further ahead of his predecessors with his 59th career home run.
“Every one he hits is a good one, and he does a lot to keep this team going,” LaViolette said. “I’m proud of him, and he’s always going to go out there and make contact.”
LaViolette and Binderup would not be the only Aggies to join in the recent offensive revival, with junior second baseman Ben Royo contributing a deep 426-foot cannon shot over the left-center field stands. A Rice transfer, Royo has delivered in a big way in his five consecutive starts, going yard three times and one of the best Aggie fielding percentages.
Two monster innings accounted for 18 of A&M’s 21 runs and stood testament to the talent level found in the batting order. However, the real question remained: Whether or not it can replicate these offensive fireworks in conference games. A third-straight SEC series loss has made some fans question whether they are seeing two different teams or not. Nevertheless, the control the Aggies display in their midweek games gives hope that a breakthrough is coming in the near future and a path is possible to the NCAA tournament.
With an 18-run cushion, the opportunity to mass-substitute the Aggie lineup came in just the fourth inning, giving a peek into the deeper reserves present on the Maroon and White roster. Though Lyons gave up his first hit of the game, the Aggie defense made sure to keep his dream of a shut-out victory alive heading into the fifth inning when junior RHP Peyton Smith appeared in relief.
After getting off to a red-hot start, the heat has somewhat cooled off the bat of junior shortstop Kaeden Kent, who had only one hit over a four-game stretch. This fact would not discourage Kent when he registered his 25th RBI of the season on a centerfield single. Although this cold streak has dropped him from batting in the one-hole, Kent’s fielding and talent keep him a lightning-in-a-bottle player, ready to strike at any point.
Lyons would earn his second career win, though Smith was unable to completely erase the UIW offense. His first batter took kindly to a 1-1 count and sent a ball deep into left field to score the Cardinals’ lone run.
Such utter dominance by the A&M offense allowed redshirt freshman left-handed pitcher Jackson Brasseux to get his first career appearance on the mound after an injury last season delayed his debut. The rookie southpaw made quick work of his first inning on the job, striking out his first two opponents to mark a dynamite start to his young career.
Washington transfer junior RHP Grant Cunningham closed a stellar outing put together on both fronts by the Maroon and White and made sure the Cardinals’ was limited to just one run.
The Aggies kickoff a three-game away series against the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers on April 4 at 6 p.m., featuring a rematch of the 2024 NCAA Championship Finals.
