After growing up in Sugar Land, Texas, the Aggies’ junior third baseman Bryce Blaum had the opportunity to stay local and play for Texas A&M.
Instead, he chose to take his talents to Ole Miss, though he never felt truly at home during his freshman season.
After his first year of college, Blaum was looking for a change of scenery. He wanted to be closer to his hometown and was searching for a team where he felt comfortable.
“The minute I stepped onto the Ole Miss campus, I felt like I was in the wrong place,” Blaum said.
Guided by his parents’ advice, Blaum transferred to A&M in the fall of 2017.
“Out of high school, A&M was my other option, and my parents really wanted me to come here instead,” Blaum said. “Looking back, I really wish I would have listened to them.”
Blaum and his parents weren’t the only ones excited about his transition to Aggieland. After pursuing Blaum as a recruit out of high school, A&M coach Rob Childress said he was overjoyed to hear of Blaum’s transfer status.
“Bryce was somebody that was very big on our recruiting radar out of high school; he really endeared himself to us in the recruiting process,” Childress said. “When he made the decision to come back, we felt lucky to have him here.”
Now in his junior season, Blaum found a home as the lead-off hitter for an A&M baseball team fighting for a National Championship.
“Bryce is an energy guy,” senior catcher Mikey Hoehner said. “Every day he’s bringing an energy, and people [respond to] it. Some people don’t like it when it’s early in the morning, but he’s that guy. He’s been doing a real good job of talking to people and telling them how things go [around] here.”
Junior pitcher Chandler Jozwiak said he appreciates Blaum’s hard-working and selfless nature.
“He had to move from shortstop to third base this fall because [Logan Sartori] is a really good shortstop,” Jozwiak said. “He took that transition and just ran with it, and has done awesome at anywhere in the lineup. He’s going to do whatever it takes to help our team win.”
Since the NCAA transfer rules require transfer athletes sit out one year, Blaum was forced to miss the entire 2018 season. However, he said that year away from baseball was a blessing in disguise because it allowed him to get acclimated to the culture of A&M.
“Looking back, that was the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” Blaum said. “Having a year to learn the way that the culture around here functioned, that Coach Childress has established, and not have the pressure of playing a game helped me a lot.”
During that time, Blaum said he learned from veteran A&M players what it takes to play for the Aggies.
“By the time the next year rolled around, I already knew everything about the program,” Blaum said. “There were a bunch of guys that year that had gone to Omaha, so it was cool to just absorb all that information they’ve had from playing many years in the college program.”
When finally given the opportunity to play last season, Blaum established himself as a key part of the top-25 Aggie baseball team. In 2019, Blaum finished the season batting .292 with 32 RBIs and a team-high nine home runs.
Batting in the lead-off position, a spot usually reserved for contact hitters, Blaum helped set the tone in games, Childress said.
“He’s got a chance to start the game with a bang,” Childress said. “You’ve got to be at your very best when the game starts with him. He’s going to be a catalyst for everything that we do.”
Following a season-ending loss in the regional round, Blaum said he is looking forward to trying Omaha in 2020.
“The reason you come to A&M is to win a National Championship,” Blaum said. “We find a regional as a down year. I think we have the right group to get over the hump this year. If we sell out to the plan that the coaches want, then we’re going to be very special.”
Blaum said the best advice he learned during his transfer process is to trust his surroundings.
“I think you need to lean on the people that you’re close to,” Blaum said. “Everybody that is playing at a Division I level, [especially] an SEC school, is talented enough. The reason I’ve had success here as opposed to Ole Miss is all about finding the right fit for you. Once you find the right fit, it’s just baseball again. It’s the game you played since you were three years old.”
Entering his second season with the Aggies, Blaum said transferring to A&M introduced him to a group of life-long friends and mentors as well.
“Some of these guys on my team are going to be in my wedding someday,” Blaum said. “They’re my best friends, and I’ll talk to them for the rest of my life.”