After falling to its first Southeastern Conference opponent, No. 23 Texas A&M baseball returns to Olsen Field to avenge its faults and attempt to claim its first victory in conference play against No. 7 Georgia. The Bulldogs turned a go-ahead then-No. 19 Tennessee Volunteer home run into the final out of the series on Sunday, March 15, thanks to a spectacular play off the center-field wall and will be hungry to dispatch another perennial contender.
But it won’t be such an easy task, as head coach Michael Earley’s squad has shown tenacity in the face of adversity. In Game 3 against then- No. 9 Oklahoma, the Aggie bats rallied from a 6-0 deficit to tie it up at 11-11 in the top of the eighth inning, though their pitching was their ultimate undoing at the bottom of the frame, with a go-ahead walk plating the Sooners.
Even so, junior center fielder Caden Sorrell has continued to put the SEC — and MLB scouts — on notice as he belted his ninth home run of the season against the Sooners, bringing his team-leading RBI total to 33. With an unblemished fielding percentage, Sorrell has been the backbone of an A&M resurgence since missing out on the postseason in 2025.
While Sorrell might lead the Aggies in longballs, the Bulldogs lead the entire country. A jaw-dropping 66 homers is the mark set by Georgia in the early weeks of the season, with junior catcher Daniel Jackson’s 14 leading his squad and sitting at second in the nation. Although 30 homers behind Georgia with 36, A&M ranks 15th nationally in the same category and fourth in conference.
The Maroon and White’s own home-plate defender, junior C Bear Harrison, has been a baseball magnet through his first 16 starts, as the former Saint Mary’s transfer ranks 14th in the country with 11 hit-by-pitches. Just ahead of him is junior third baseman Tre Phelps, whose 14 puts the Atlanta native at sixth.
Phelps, however, is not the only Atlantan poised for a Texas-sized impact in the second week of SEC play. Sophomore right fielder Terrence Kiel II, who also hails from the Peach State, will have Georgia on his mind with his 19-game on-base streak at stake. Walks, hits and hit-by-pitches are all part of his repertoire in his team-leading 24 runs.
The embers from a fire of runs may be on the precipice of igniting a full-blown Aggie Bonfire, as the long-awaited return of senior designated hitter Wesley Jordan and junior second baseman Chris Hacopian has sparked a renewed maroon and white blaze, the pair having left scorch marks in their limited time at the plate. Against Oklahoma, their combined eight RBIs and six walks provided vital fuel to the A&M-scoring machine and gave a glimpse of its maximum potential.
Pitching-wise, the Bulldogs have two surefire aces with the stuff to put away the red-hot Aggie bats. Friday-night starter junior right-handed pitcher Joey Volchko leads Georgia with 32 strikeouts and a 4-0 record, but his 3.81 ERA gives A&M an opening to exploit, especially with the Maroon and White’s .329 batting average.
On the Aggies’ side of the mound, the potential loss of graduate student RHP Josh Stewart puts an already depleted bullpen at the mercy of the A&M starters’ hot-and-cold pitching. A 3.81 ERA as a staff puts the Bulldogs in position to jump out early on the Maroon and White. Despite this, redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Shane Sdao remains A&M’s steady arm, posting a 3-0 record with 27 strikeouts.
Of those with at least 10 starts for Georgia, all but one have a batting average over .300, a testament to its offensive capability to generate runs from anywhere in the batting order. Additionally, 10 Bulldogs have multiple home runs this season, as do the Aggies, with a massive piece of said production coming from freshman sluggers.
Freshmen 3B and shortstop Nico Partida and Boston Kellner have started every game at their respective positions and have a combined eight home runs and 29 RBIs. While making just 11 appearances, freshman outfielder Jorian Wilson, who could prove impactful as a pinch runner, has also gotten in on the fun with two longballs of his own.
But even with the efficiency of their young talent, the Aggies will have to face another Bulldog with more homers than the three aforementioned combined: senior first baseman Brennan Hudson. In 19 appearances and 16 starts, Hudson has gone yard 11 times and is fifth on th team in RBIs.
While a less-than-ideal start to SEC play, A&M is still leaps and bounds ahead of its start a season ago, when it started 10-9 after being swept by then-No. 17 Alabama. Posting a 16-3 record through the first weekend of their current conference slate, the Aggies have a small hill rather than a steep mountain to climb to keep their push going for a regional-hosting bid.
The Maroon and White will begin their three-game series versus the Bulldogs on Friday, March 20, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
