Gritty finale victory cements Texas A&M's case to host

Game #52: No. 10 Texas A&M 7, No. 13 Mississippi State 6
Records: Texas A&M (39-13, 18-11), Mississippi State (39-16, 16-14)
WP: Clayton Freshcorn (3-2)
LP: Charlie Foster (0-3)
Box Score

As 6,600 smiling and sunburnt faces filed out of Blue Bell Park on Saturday afternoon, the left field scoreboard ought to have said the following:

“See you soon!”

It didn’t, but the 12th Man is certainly keeping the last weekend in May and the first in June free for postseason baseball in Aggieland, especially after No. 10 Texas A&M’s pulse-raising 7-6 win over No. 13 Mississippi State in the regular-season finale.

“Our body of work speaks for itself. Our quality of wins. We’ve done it on the road. We’ve done it at home,” Aggie skipper Michael Earley said. “We’re about to be at full health here in just a few days. I think our resilience is something you can’t overlook, but our season and our body of work, to me, there’s no question in my mind that we deserve to be a top-eight. No doubt.”

To his point, the Aggies finished with a 39-13 overall record. With 18 SEC wins that will see them finish no worse than third, they figure to be a top-eight national seed.

They’re battered, but they’re battle-tested.

They’re bruised, but they’re relentless.

Above all, they’re deserving because they’re all of the above.

“I didn’t know who to give the lineup card to, to be honest,” Earley said. “It’s a complete team effort, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

His culture was on full display in an incredibly important rubber match with a Bulldog team also fighting to bring a regional to Starkville.

But because the entire roster bought in and delivered, State is headed home with its tail between its legs.

Listing the individual performances that formed the collective unit is long but necessary.

It started with a text on Friday night to a left-hander.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

In two starts vs. Mississippi State, Ethan Darden allowed three earned runs on six hits while pitching 5.1 innings.

“I got home, getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth, and then coach (Jason) Kelly texted me,” Ethan Darden said after his second start in three days. “‘Have you ever seen anyone start two weekend games?’ I said, ‘LMAO. No. Let’s do this S---.’”

The southpaw did that...stuff.

Darden recorded 10 outs and allowed just one run on four hits. Behind him, Gavin Lyons surrendered the lead, but got the game to the late innings.

Little-used lefty Cooper Powell then trotted in. He struck out three of the six Bulldogs he faced across two perfect innings.

Then, on short rest after throwing 52 pitches a night ago, Clayton Freshcorn was true to his word.

While Ace Reese took him deep with a two-run home run that put State in front 6-5 in the eighth, the National Stopper of the Year candidate bounced back, retiring six of the next seven to secure the win.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

Leading the SEC with 12 saves, Clayton Freshcorn is now 3-2 with a 2.42 ERA.

Fortunately, a second clutch hit for Bear Harrison plated a pair — Caden Sorrell and Chris Hacopian, essentially on one leg.

It was just A&M’s third hit with men in scoring position, but it proved to be the difference.

“Just put it all on the line. Put your whole body on the line,” Harrison said. “It’s the last one of the year, and it was a very important one. So just do anything it takes to battle and win that game. It was huge for us, and I’m just so glad we won, man.”

The Aggie backstop, an All-SEC candidate himself, finished 2-for-4. His first hit, a double in the seventh, was just A&M’s third.

Working 13 walks, they finished with seven knocks as Earley pushed the right buttons with his bench.

In his first appearance since pulling his hamstring on May 2, Nico Partida worked a walk. Terrence Kiel II pinch-ran.

To set up Harrison’s go-ahead single, pinch-hitter Travis Chestnut laid down a crucial sacrifice bunt.

“There’s just so much to talk about that was good in this whole weekend, but again, my clubhouse is tight, man,” Earley beamed. “And they’re really good.

“I’m just happy to put ourselves in a good position. We’ve got big goals, but what’s next is our first game in Hoover.”

Along with three runs early, the late stages both staved off a comeback bid and completed their own.

Now, the 52-game grind is complete. Bigger things are ahead in the postseason, where A&M will begin play at the SEC Tournament on Friday.

Beyond that, an NCAA regional will be back at Blue Bell Park to end May. If successful, a super on home soil should follow.

A bona fide SEC Coach of the Year candidate, Earley’s second chapter is still being written, but one thing is known:

He and the Aggies will see you at Olsen Field again soon.