By Shelbie Warr
Texas A&M comes into the season as the No. 1 team in the nation across ranking platforms. They have all the firepower in the world both at the plate and on the mound, but can they replicate last season's success- or maybe go one game further- with a new coaching staff? The hype around the team is real; now they have to back it up.
The Big Games
The non-conference schedule isn't a gauntlet compared to conference play, but a few games at the start of the year should bring some excitement in Aggieland. Two weekends stick out, starting with opening weekend against Elon, starting on Valentine's Day- coming in less than two weeks. The Phoniex aren't coming off a wonderful season, so it isn't the competition that should excite the Aggie faithful. Instead, it is the premier of a new season with a new coaching staff and a handful of new faces across the lineup and on the mound. This will be the first we see of the preseason No.1. team, and it is important for them to make a statement on opening weekend.
On February 28th, the Aggies head to Houston for the Astros Foundation College Classic. They will play Arizona, Oklahoma State, and Rice over that weekend. Last season, Arizona was a tournament team- although they went 0-2 in regional play at home- and are premiering in a new conference, the Big 12. They begin the season in the top 25 on most outlets, so this could be an exciting game. Speaking of the Big 12, the Aggies will face a top-20 Oklahoma State team on March 1st in Houston, another tournament team from 2024. They finished the season 42-19, eliminated in their own regional by the Florida Gators who went on to be an Omaha team. Finally, Texas A&M faces Rice on March 2nd to close out play in Houston. Rice was a sub-.500 team in 2024, but, on any given day on the baseball diamond, anything can happen so don't overlook the Owls.
The conference slate is going to be a journey for Texas A&M as they play some big-time programs this season. The first series that sticks out to me is March 28th through 30th against Kentucky at home. The Wildcats were an Omaha team a season ago, finishing the year 46-16. My next big series for the Aggies comes when they head to Knoxville, Tennessee from April 4th through 6th for a rematch of the 2024 championship series. This series is going to be a circled weekend for quite a few fans on both sides and could go a long way in determining how the SEC will shake out by the end of the season.
April 17th to 19th brings the series that we are really all waiting for: the Aggies and the Longhorns facing off at "The Disch". If you think that the return of the football series was a big deal, add in some coaching drama and bad blood resulting from it and you get this trip to Austin for the Aggies. It's going to be a big deal, no matter what the records are going in so buckle up because it's going to be a wild weekend.
Finally, the Aggies welcome the LSU Tigers to Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park from May 2nd to 4th. This series is always a fun one. The overall record between the two teams is 28-26 in favor of the Tigers and dates back to 1977. Look for this one to be another exciting series between two big programs in the SEC.
Players to Watch
There are some big names on this roster, starting with junior superstar OF Jace LaViolette. He has 132 starts under his belt over the last two seasons, in which he has hit 50 career home runs. For one season, he held the freshman home run record with 21 in a season. This record was broken in 2024 by then-freshman Gavon Grahovac- hitting 23 over the season. Grahovac was the 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Junior INF Kaeden Kent burst onto the scene after Braden Montgomery went down with an injury early in the Aggies' post-season run. He is most known for the moment shown above- the grand slam that would ultimately send Texas A&M to Omaha. Another big returner is sophomore OF Caden Sorrell. He became a mainstay at the end of March 2024 in the outfield for the Aggies and will likely find himself there again this year along with LaViolette and senior Texas Tech transfer Gavin Kash. With those two big names in the outfield, don't ignore Kash- he is ready to make a statement this season in maroon and white.
Speaking of transfers, it would be wrong not to mention the big gun Wyatt Henseler- an INF from Penn. Likely the Aggies' starting second baseman, Henseler's bat will add even more power to an already loaded lineup. The first base battle seems to come down to senior transfer Matt Bergevin and redshirt sophomore Blake Binderup, who has had a strong spring heading into the season. Don't forget about the Aggies' likely DH Hayden Schott, either. Coming off an injury that he worked through much of last season, Schott is wearing No. 12 for A&M with pride and is ready to make a statement in College Station this year.
A big name to watch for me, though, may not be a starter. Keep an eye out for utility man Jamal George out of Alabama State. He is quick and will be able to play all around the diamond- which is an amazing thing to have for the Aggies as they try to make a push to the MCWS final for the second straight season.
Behind the dish for the Aggies, you will likely see junior USC transfer Jacob Galloway or sophomore St. Mary's transfer Bear Harrison. Both have big shoes to fill following Jackson Appel, but both have the talent and strength to get it done for Texas A&M.
On the mound, Texas A&M has a plethora of options. Your likely Friday night guy is stud returner Ryan Prager. The redshirt junior turned down the Angels to return to Aggieland for another year in maroon and white. If he can replicate his dominance from a year ago, the Aggies are sitting pretty on Friday nights. Saturday and Sunday will likely bring you junior transfer Myles Patton and junior returner Justin Lamkin, both with starting experience that will round out the weekend rotation quite nicely. Don't forget about senior Troy Wansing, though, who missed most of last season with a back injury. He seems to be ready to go and was a huge asset in 2023 for the Ags.
The bullpen is filled with strong guys as well. Sophomore Kaiden Wilson showed that he can be trusted in big moments during the post-season run in 2024. Issac Morton, Josh Stewart, and Weston Moss will all be trustworthy arms out there as well. I am most excited to see senior Brad Rudis shine in 2025- I think he could pitch himself into a higher draft spot if the season goes well. Also, watch out for Mr. Triple Digits- Kyrin LeBlanc. If you enjoyed Chris Cortez last season- this is your guy.
Two freshmen you should be watching are Sawyer Farr and Terrence Kiel II. Both have serious talent that was shown off during the fall ball outings. They may not be everyday starters in 2025, but they will make an impact as the season goes on- I can promise you that.
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