After-dark Aggies weather storm to take down Gators in MCWS, 3-2

Press conference video courtesy of the NCAA

Game #63: #3 Texas A&M 3, Florida 2
Records: Texas A&M (50-13, 19-11), Florida (34-29, 13-17)
WP: Chris Cortez (10-3)
LP: Liam Peterson (3-5)
Save: Evan Aschenbeck (10)
Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. — Breathe.

Following a four-hour delay that pushed a thrilling nail-biter into the early hours of Father's Day, Texas A&M eventually emerged with a 3-2 victory over Florida in Game 4 of the 2024 Men's College World Series.

With the win, the Aggies will face Kentucky in Bracket 2's 1-0 contest on Monday night.

To get there, they outlasted the Gators in a well-pitch bout that hinged on a single pitch and a few defensive gems.

"Great ballgame. I thought it was a very well-pitched game by both sides," A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said postgame. "We had chances to stretch the lead and couldn't put a ball in play, and they had chances to score as well. Just a super awesome game."

With NCBWA Stopper of the Year Evan Aschenbeck on the mound, Florida came within inches of taking a late lead.

But All-American Jace LaViolette used every bit of his 6-foot-5 frame to pull back a would-be home run off the bat of Cade Kurland for the second out of the ninth.

"Off the bat, homer," Schlossnagle said of Kurland's swing. "I know there have been homers hit, but you never know until it goes over the fence because of how this place plays.

"I told Jace I'm really happy that he's tall."

After a walk to the ever-dangerous Jac Caglianone, the Brenham Bell Cow fanned Ashton Wilson to end a rollercoaster evening/early morning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.

A&M's 16th strikeout of the game was undoubtedly the sweetest.

"I wish we would have scored more runs, but pitching-wise, that's exactly how we wanted to script it," Schlossnagle said.

Starter Justin Lamkin — thought to be a gamble entering Saturday's late-night battle — punched out six across three scoreless innings.

The lefty faced just 10 men in as the supremely important opener.

"It was awesome," Lamkin said. "I wanted to set the tone early and get the energy going."

Behind him, fireballer Chris Cortez struck out six, and Aschenbeck added the final four.

The former earned the victory, while the latter notched another three-inning season.

A&M's two top relievers flirted with surrendering the lead, but the timely hit ultimately eluded Florida.

"My job is just to go out there and execute pitches," Aschenbeck said. "It doesn't matter what the score is. Just execute pitches and keep my team in the game, and so having that, I just wanted to go out there and throw strikes. That's what we have been doing all year."

Cortez stranded a pair of Gators in scoring position in the sixth.

Jamie Maury

Evan Aschenbeck threw 51 pitches in A&M’s MCWS opener. 

In the eighth, Aschenbeck left them loaded.

The next stanza saw the tying run reach second base after a Caglianone walk, but Aschenbeck stopped Florida — and the game — right there.

"That's a really good team playing in the College World Series with your season on the line. We trust Evan," Schlossnagle said. "In that situation, you're going to ride and die with Aschenbeck."

Those high-wire acts featured multiple crucial plays before the LaViolette robbery.

Catcher Jackson Appel was a brick wall, pouncing on a third strike in the dirt to help escape the sixth.

Kaeden Kent and Ted Burton combined on the would-be play of the night to end the eighth, with the latter making a vertical stretch to grab a high flip.

Truly a game of inches.

"At least in the SEC, it has been that way all year," Schlossnagle said. "I just think the players are amazing. This is the golden age of college baseball.

"I've been around it 35 years. It has never been this good."

All of that was needed to uphold A&M's three early runs.

In the second, Caden Sorrell scored on a Travis Chestnut single, and Ali Camarillo came across on a wild pitch.

An inning later, Sorrell's double drove in Hayden Schott.

A&M wouldn't score again.

Florida scratched in the seventh as the two clubs combined to leave 18 on.

While the scoring was finished, the anxiety wasn't.

But as of 1:13 a.m. CT on Sunday, the Aggies could finally exhale.