After having to surge from a five-run deficit against Lamar in the College Station Regional opener, No. 12 Texas A&M baseball had to replicate the same thing against Texas State. But in the case of Saturday, May 30, against the Bobcats, the Aggies laid down the hammer in a 17-2 comeback victory.
While the Maroon and White have waited anxiously for the return of star sophomore right-handed pitcher Aiden Sims, as the young ace has been battling injury for weeks, a key part in junior RHP Weston Moss’ start against the Bobcats.
Moss, like almost every other arm besides Sims, has struggled to keep opponents in check for the better part of the season, sporting a second-worst 5.84 ERA of eligible A&M starters. His welcome to his first postseason start in 2026 was less than ideal, watching as his eighth pitch of the evening flew into left field for Texas State’s first run.
If baseball was scripted, the second of the nine act sequence was a repeat, as yet another two-strike count found its not-so-shallow grave alongside his friend in left field. Likely feeling partial to the plight of the two lost outside the outfield, junior first baseman Gavin Grahovac made sure they too had a companion, launching his 21st homer of the year off the wall of the nearby Student Recreation Center.
And with all the excitement occurring on the southpaw’s side of the diamond, what better to capture the audience’s attention than right on the center of the mound? Despite allowing the first pair of homers out of the park, Moss’ total performance was that of legend, dropping 10 batters on strikeouts through just over seven innings of near unblemished work.
But still the power of friendship was too much for senior left fielder Jake Duer to pass up on in the fourth inning, keeping the other three home run balls company with a two-run shot of his own en route to securing A&M’s first lead of the contest, 3-2. The following inning, junior designated hitter Chris Hacopian added to the Aggies’ advantage by knocking another base runner in, making it three straight scoring innings — chasing out Bobcats’ starter redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Jesus Tovar.
With the exit of Tovar, the dam was breached for the Maroon and White, which had already rattled off nine hits. For the Bobcats, though? Not as much, with Moss pitching his heart out with concentrated — not erratic — emotion. Beating his chest upon every exit back to the dugout, the Olsen Field faithful rejoiced in the display of strength under tremendous pressure.
Emphatic indeed, and within the rousing yells of a crowd over 8,000 strong, a chant of “Go Spurs Go!” rang out as six Aggies made their way on base thanks to hits, walks and errors, all setting up Duer to continue his hot streak and send two more of his buddies gunning it home with a two-RBI single.
Already boasting a 8-2 lead, senior second baseman Ben Royo wanted more for his squad, registering A&M’s 13th hit of the night with an RBI single to break through a then-fruitless outing at the plate. Texas State finally stopped the bleeding at five runs, but it just meant more strikeouts and applause for Moss.
His 10th K of the night marked four shutdown innings in a row for the Spring native, and once again, the pounding of his chest raised the onlookers to their feet and the palpable energy reached a whole new peak. In their advance to the 2024 national championship, the Aggies left their regional unscathed, a feat head coach Michael Earley was hoping to get a jump on in 2026.
So when it came to replicating previous heroics, A&M didn’t bother reaching too far back to follow a blueprint. After falling behind 4-0 to Texas State on March 17, the Aggies used a huge seven-run inning to find their footing again. Now in regional play, Earley’s unit let the aforementioned five-run frame do the damage for it, with power on full display.
An extra run in the top of the seventh gave the designated visiting team a 10-2 advantage, but beyond the fantastic hitting was truly in the hands of Moss, who did more than meets the naked eye. The Bobcats, who used up nine arms in their defeat, will have to play their elimination game with a depleted bullpen and perhaps face a doubleheader.
The Aggies, however, were able to ride out their starter’s rebounding performance through seven innings, making all the difference for a team that will be playing for a chance at a regional victory in just short of 24 hours.
To make sure their point was made, junior center fielder Caden Sorrell cashed in on more walks and hit batters issued by the Texas State staff and rammed a two-RBI double into right field, ballooning the usual home team’s lead to 13-2. Hacopian appeared to be the second out of the eighth inning with a routine fly ball sent to the Bobcat left fielder, but in a bizarre miscalculation, the ball fell over his head and two more came trotting home.
Even with a 15-2 lead, A&M was not ready to take its foot off the gas pedal and, evidently, neither was Duer. The former Florida Atlantic star belted a looper in right-center field for his fifth and sixth RBIs of the night, and the Bobcats’ inning of doom and despair continued until the Aggies made it a 17-2 ball game, ending shortly after.
The Maroon and White will advance to Game 6 of the College Station Regional, where they will face the winner between USC and Texas State on Sunday, May 31, at 8 p.m with a shot of advancing to the Super Regionals.
