Not long ago, Texas A&M baseball’s 2025 campaign reached its lowest point in a demoralizing 10-0, no-hit run-rule loss to then-No. 1 Tennessee on April 4. The defeat was a kick in the mouth, dropping the Aggies to a crushing 14-15 record. With just one Southeastern Conference win to their name, it seemed the 2024 national runner-ups were destined for a failed season fraught with wasted potential.
But in their darkest moment, the Maroon and White sharpened their resolve and have been on a tear since: winners of 10 of their last 11 games, two SEC Player of the Week honors, 120+ combined runs and a pair of top-2 ranked road series victories.
An amazing comeback is brewing for the Aggies, but what has gone into their recent resurgence and what has made them one of the scariest teams going into the rest of their gauntlet of a schedule? Here are a few ways A&M has gained momentum and how its newfound synergy has carried it into the driver’s seat of its NCAA Tournament destiny.
Trust on the mound
Blown leads plagued the early season for the Maroon and White, but in recent weeks, coach Michael Earley has leaned on his bullpen and has let it torch opposing batters.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Weston Moss’ deadly change-up was paramount in toppling the then-No. 2 Arkansas batting order, and the rocket arm of redshirt sophomore RHP Luke Jackson has been freezing offenses in every appearance on the mound.
Additionally, Earley has found his go-to Tuesday night starter in freshman RHP Gavin Lyons, a slinging Connecticut native who has been instrumental in three comfortable midweek victories.
With lethal combinations of weekend pitchers at their disposal, the Aggies have been able to make sizzling pots out of some of the nation’s most red-hot offenses in Tennessee and Arkansas.
Standardized batting order
With the long-awaited return of sophomore designated hitter Caden Sorrell has come a batting order that hasn’t shuffled much in the last 11 contests. For good reason, too, seeing that the Aggie offense is averaging 11.36 runs per game since being no-hit.
Having dynamic freshman right fielder Terrence Kiel II in the one-hole has opened the door for a balanced attack through the whole batting order, and the Aggies have wreaked havoc on opposing pitching staffs.
No longer is there a gap between the meat of the order. It’s a Texas-sized barbecue buffet from Kiel to the nine-spot hitter, junior left fielder Jamal George. And with Sorrell averaging a home run every three games since his return, it’s easy to see why A&M missed his production in the beginning of the season.
When you tie in junior center fielder Jace LaViolette earning SEC Player of the Week honor for his four home runs against Arkansas, it is more than apparent that the current order is working to a tee.
‘The Master’-ing of dugout swagger
The 2022 A&M baseball team had Pringles, 2024 had the Rattlin’ Bog and in between it all was the “Whammy Wagon.” Today, the Aggies have shaved heads and some golf-inspired celebrations.
These kinds of shared references unite players and fans alike, getting them excited to have something unique to them and them alone. When a home run gets drilled, what’s better than to feel like Tiger Woods on top of the world with a green Master’s jacket and a putter to boot?
The Aggies have their signature, and the home run kings have stuck their bats in the kiln where the heat is just getting started.
When the players really start to believe in each other and in the process, it’s hard for fans and coaches alike to not get in on the fun of bald heads and mulligans on behalf of golf clubs for baseball bats.
Technique paying dividends
Just a few short weeks ago, the A&M batting order was not as robust as it appears today. As the Aggies got deeper into the order, quick outs were easy to come by for opposing teams’ pitchers, and the strikeout rate was immense.
But not anymore. Now, the SEC fears the names of redshirt sophomore first baseman Blake Binderup and sophomore catcher Bear Harrison, among others. This sophomore duo has been on a tear since adjusting their stances and swing, signaling resilience in the fight from the Maroon and White.
Binderup is a week removed from his first SEC Player of the Week honor and has been the difference maker in many of his last starts, including a five-RBI night with a grand slam that carried A&M over South Carolina on April 10. The local College Station High School product has crushed five home runs in just eight games.
As for Harrison, the St. Mary’s transfer has skyrocketed his batting average from .077 to .323 in a little over a month, thanks to a new timing technique in his swing. He has since propelled himself to an everyday starter at catcher, and his defensive presence has been as solid as it gets in the SEC.
George is just now seeing his rise into a consistent starter with eight hits in his last five games, but his batting isn’t the only thing that pleads his case for a starting role. A jaw-dropping over-the-wall home run robbery likely prevented a South Carolina victory on April 10, and his fielding has not had a drop in production since.
Belief never ceased
A&M’s skipper never stopped believing in what his Aggies were capable of, and neither did his players. Earley made it known publicly that neither he nor his squad was ever going to give up, and their determination has never been more apparent.
From a pair of electric grand slams in the ninth inning against South Carolina to exacting revenge on old foes, the Maroon and White have put on full display what talent they possess and what can be done with it going forward.
Ole Miss’ 2022 national championship team weathered four straight SEC series losses before rising through the ashes for a battle through Omaha’s best. While the road ahead is as dangerous as it gets, hope is not lost for the Fightin’ Farmers to recreate a conference rival’s warpath.
Their struggle has not yet breathed its last, and until then, the Maroon and White will charge on, hungry for more.
