There’s nothing quite like Omaha when June rolls around.
Fans from across the country head to Charles Schwab Field to watch their teams compete in the Men’s College World Series, and everything their respective teams have worked for hangs in the balance.
The 12th Man got their first taste of that during Saturday’s 3-2 triumph over Florida. Their reward? A battle with Kentucky, who conquered the SEC in the regular season.
But fear hasn’t been the name of the game for the Aggies this year. Even this late in the season, they made a statement with a dominant 5-1 win over the Wildcats.
Homers have been Jim Schlossnagle and his team’s bread and butter this season. The Aggies currently have 132 home runs this year, which is good for third-most among SEC teams. Yet, the Maroon and White have yet to send a ball out in this tournament. The team has been getting it done with contact hits and great pitching, as they try to put all the pieces together for a national championship.
In these two games, the Aggies have scored just eight runs, while their pitching staff has allowed only three. Redshirt sophomore LHP Ryan Prager was on the mound for A&M in this game, and to say he was amazing would be quite an understatement. The Aggie southpaw suffocated the Wildcats, as he went 6 ⅔ no-hit innings with four punchouts.
Prager has now started three games this postseason for the Aggies, and he’s allowed two runs or less in two of them. A&M has also pitched much better in Omaha than they did in College Station during Super Regionals, where it allowed a total of 15 runs to Oregon.
Junior RHP Josh Stewart was sent to the mound in extended relief for the final 3 ⅓ innings, where he allowed only one run off a solo shot in the ninth inning.
The Aggies scored in only one inning during this tilt, but that sixth inning led to a five-run explosion. Graduate DH Hayden Schott got it started when he collected a two-run single that broke the scoreless tie and gave A&M a 2-0 lead.
Junior SS Ali Camarillo drove in Schott a few batters later with a line drive double to deep right field, making it 3-0.
Sophomore 2B Kaeden Kent put a ball into the right field corner for a two-run double, giving the Aggies a commanding 5-0 lead that proved to be too much for the Wildcats in the end.
Even with key contributors junior RF Braden Montgomery and sophomore LHP Shane Sdao sidelined due to injuries, A&M has simply been a force to be reckoned with this postseason. They are a perfect 7-0 while averaging 8.9 runs per game, while only allowing 3.4 runs per game. Both sides of the ball are hitting their stride at the perfect time.
The Aggies are in for a rematch in the semifinals, as they’ll face the winner of Florida-Kentucky on Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m.
Steve Filipowicz • Jun 18, 2024 at 4:12 pm
Schwab Field is a great venue, but I do miss the old Rosenblatt Stadium and it’s storied legacy!