Following a miraculous, 10-run comeback win against South Carolina on Saturday, Texas A&M baseball continued on its warpath with an 11-3 smooth-sailing victory over Tarleton State.
Since their no-hit, 10-0 defeat against then-No. 1 Tennessee on April 4, the Aggies have been on a tear. In a seven-game win streak, the Maroon and White have notched a staggering 95 runs as old faces and newcomers flexed their muscles with over 70 combined hits.
Though the offensive resurgence has taken the spotlight in the transformation of A&M’s 2025 season, the Aggies’ pitching has seen its share of a team-wide revival. Look no further than freshman right-handed pitcher Gavin Lyons, who has steadied the boat of midweek competition. Formerly Connecticut’s No.1-ranked prospect, Lyons’s 0.66 ERA has helped coast the Fightin’ Farmers to their midweek victory.
The Texans, however, would not make it easy on the Aggies. The visitors from Stephenville managed a trio of hits out of Lyons’ starting arm, eventually opening the door for the strong relief appearance of freshman left-handed pitcher Caden McCoy. The Bloomington, Indiana native contained the Tarleton offense to just two earned runs.
But in a game between two rivals in close proximity, victory is never completely out of reach. After silencing the Aggie batting order in the fourth inning, the Texans mounted their forces into a lead-off single, hoping to climb themselves into a shootout. But with McCoy’s and other young talent on the mound, no more than three runs would come from their eight hits.
While the A&M pitching staff found stability, Tarleton’s became more of a revolving door. The Texans’ fifth pitcher of the game saw his first batter reach third base on a miscommunication on the field, and with sophomore catcher Bear Harrison playing clean hitter with a hot bat, the Aggies were able to extend their lead, 5-2.
The following breakthrough showcased what has been the identity of the Aggies’ win streak: quality at-bats and timely hits. Facing two outs with a pair of runners on base, junior left fielder Jamal George took full advantage of starting in place of freshman LF Sawyer Farr. The Alabama State transfer added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth with his second RBI of the night.
The next inning went by the same script. Solid base running from junior center fielder Jace LaViolette after he was walked led to an RBI opportunity from sophomore designated hitter Caden Sorrell. However, without a 10-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Aggies were in jeopardy of facing their first full-length midweek game since March 4.
George’s one-out single gave the Fightin’ Farmers two runners on base, while LaViolette had the task of putting the game further out of reach for the Texans. On the first pitch of his at-bat, LaViolette channeled his strength into a booming swing that sent the ball over the left field wall for his 61st career home run.
In the blink of an eye, the Aggies were in position to grab a coveted run-rule victory, and who better to achieve that goal than the grand-slam machine, junior shortstop Kaeden Kent? A repeat of of Saturday’s historic victory awaited Kent at the bottom of the seventh, though the Olsen Field crowd would have to settle for a walk-in run to push the score to 11-3.
A&M opted to go with the arm of senior RHP Brad Rudis for the top of the eighth, where he performed admirably with a 1-2-3 outing, including a strikeout to hopefully put the game away. Instead, sophomore RHP Clayton Freshcorn had the final inning of work for the Aggies, as the Maroon and White offense was unable to knock in two run-rule-sealing runs.
Freshcorn made quick work of his three batters by way of a groundout and a pair of strikeouts, guiding Earley and Co. to their third straight double-digit outing.
The Aggies continue their Southeastern Conference conquest on a three-game road series against No. 2 Arkansas starting on April 17 at 6:30 p.m.
