While it was a thriller to start, No. 9 Texas A&M baseball handled Prairie View A&M by a final score of 16-7 in its last nonconference matchup on Tuesday, May 5. Scoring runs wasn’t hard to come by for the Aggies, especially benefiting from 13 free bases from the Panthers’ pitching staff. The Fightin’ Farmers finished their nonconference schedule 21-2, including 11-1 in midweek contests. 

“Pretty good baseball all year,” head coach Michael Earley said. “It’s just a different game with pitching and everything, but I think we played fairly good baseball in all of those games.”

For the second week in a row, junior right-handed pitcher Juan Vargas got the nod in a Tuesday matchup. The Tennessee Tech transfer was clean through his two innings of work, surrendering two hits and striking out three.

Both offenses were quiet through the first two, combining for a total of three hits and plating no runs. The Aggies turned to senior RHP Grant Cunningham in the third, which led to Prairie View plating the first run of the game. A triple, followed up by an infield single off the glove of junior third baseman Gavin Grahovac put the Panthers up one. Another single set the stage for senior left fielder Michael Burroughs, who smashed a three-run bomb to set the score at 4-0 headed to the bottom of the third.

A&M started to chip away at the Prairie View lead thanks to a bunt single from graduate student second baseman Travis Chestnut and a double from Grahovac that brought him in. A walk from junior center fielder Caden Sorrell put the ducks on the pond for senior LF Jake Duer, who smashed a double in the right-center gap to plate the two runners. Junior catcher Bear Harrison put the Aggies back in the lead, crushing a two-run home run to center. 

Grahovac gave the Maroon and White some insurance in the bottom of the fourth, hammering home run No. 17 to the Panther bullpen, setting the score at 7-4. After a walk to Sorrell, Duer followed up with a two-run bomb of his own, his first home run since March 29. A single from Harrison and a triple from freshman right fielder Jorian Wilson put the Aggies in double digits, and a wild pitch brought Wilson home to give A&M a seven-run lead headed to the fifth. 

“It’s all about just going back to my standards,” Duer said. “Just my routines and being able to repetitively do the same thing. I didn’t really change much, things just went my way today.”

Freshman left-handed pitcher Cole Hubert came in to get some work in the top of the fifth. The southpaw got hurt from an error, surrendering two unearned runs at the will of a blundered throw from freshman shortstop Boston Kellner. Two walks and a single brought in another Panther, forcing the Aggies to turn to junior LHP Hunter Bond. The Blinn transfer did his job quickly, forcing junior CF Ethan Walker to line out in just his second pitch.

Four straight free bases for the Aggies brought in another run in the bottom of the sixth, but the bases-loaded threat was ended with a groundout from Grahovac.

Prairie View’s walk problems went on all night, with No. 10 being issued to Sorrell in the bottom of the eighth. A single from senior designated hitter Wesley Jordan brought his fellow Marcus High School alumni in, setting the score at 13-7. 

Bond was excellent in his 3.1 innings of work, retiring all 10 batters he faced while striking out four. 

“It was awesome,” Earley said. “He’s worked his tail off since he’s got here. He’s struggled with a little bit of an injury bug, and it’s really hard to continue to show up every single day just to get an opportunity.” 

A&M threatened the run rule in the bottom of the eighth with a Jordan three-run home run to bring the lead to nine, followed by a Duer double to put the winning run in scoring position. A strike out from Wilson, however, led the contest to go all nine.

Sophomore LHP Cooper Powell came in to close things out for the Aggies. The Bedford native was efficient in his inning of work, apart from two hit-by-pitches, allowing no hits and striking out two. 

A&M will hit the road to take on No. 20 Ole Miss for a series starting on Friday, May 8, at Swayze Field, with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m.