WIZARD! Wansing twirls one-hit gem as A&M eliminates Tennessee in Hoover

Press conference video courtesy of the Southeastern Conference

Game #56: #10 Texas A&M 3, #7 Tennessee 0
Records: Texas A&M (33-23, 14-16), Tennessee (38-19, 16-14)
WP: Troy Wansing (3-3)
LP: Seth Halvorsen (2-3)
Save: Evan Aschenbeck (3)
Box Score

Wansing wizardry.

On a wet Tuesday in Hoover, Alabama, Texas A&M left-handed starter Troy Wansing was magical in a 3-0 Southeastern Conference Tournament victory over No. 13 Tennessee.

When the Aggies needed a great start most, the Purdue transfer delivered.

"Troy has been through a lot this year," A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. "We've never lost belief in what he's capable of doing."

Wansing befuddled Volunteer bats across eight scoreless frames. He punched out seven, walked none and allowed just one base hit.

"I think it just boiled down to execution and me finally feeling like me," Wansing said. "I think that was a big thing. Like I struggled some this season, but I think today, like I said earlier, it's just like a combination of everything, and it feels good to be able to go out there and do that."

In fact, Wansing carried a perfect game into the sixth. Christian Scott's one-out single was the only blemish against him.

"It kind of felt like everything came together today, and I just hope I can continue that kind of momentum and carry that into the postseason," Wansing said.

Scott was also the only Vol to reach as A&M arms faced just one over the minimum. He never got to second base.

It was A&M's first one-hitter since when Asa Lacy, Bryce Miller, Joseph Menefee and Kasey Kalich combined to shut out Schlossnagle's TCU Horned Frogs at the 2019 Shriners Childen's College Classic.

Highly efficient in the best start by an Aggie this season, Wansing needed just 95 bullets to complete his eight innings. Only twice did he enter a three-ball count.

A two-hour weather delay in the top of the ninth erased any chance of Wansing finishing what he started, but Evan Aschenbeck slammed the door shut on just 12 pitches to complete A&M's first shutout victory since a 23-0 drubbing of Houston Christian in February.

"The rain delay went perfect for us because if that would have happened in the sixth inning, then we've got a whole different game and a whole different decision to make," Schlossnagle explained. "Troy was already out of the game. The only question was if Aschenbeck had gotten hot and then had to sit."

It was the first quality start by an A&M starting pitcher since Wansing's six-inning outing vs. Northern Kentucky on March 11.

Thanks to just enough offense — including a 19th homer from freshman Jace LaViolette — Wansing is the first Aggie starter to win a ballgame against an SEC foe all season.

Trevor Werner's RBI fielder's choice in the third scored Hunter Haas to open the scoring, and Austin Bost's RBI single provided insurance in the ensuing inning.

LaViolette's sixth-inning no-doubter finished out the scoring as Tennessee truly had no answer for Wansing.

Michael Wade/SEC

Jace LaViolette’s 19th homer of the season traveled 442 feet with an exit velocity of 112 mph. 

The Volunteers had only a handful of well-hit balls all afternoon, and they never threatened.

"They hit some balls really hard right at us, but [Wansing] kept throwing strikes and scored some early," Schlossnagle said. "Jace's home run certainly proved really big. We're excited to be able to stay in town a little while longer."

Wansing's gem is the best performance by an Aggie hurler in Hoover since Chris Weber and John Doxakis dominated at the 2019 tournament. However, neither Weber nor Doxakis won as A&M was blanked in back-to-back ballgames.

But this time, Wansing and A&M would not be denied.

Not only does this win advance the Ags to the double-elimination portion of the SEC Tournament, but Tuesday's triumph should remove any doubt about A&M's regional resume.

"I would like to think this continues to prove that we do belong in the NCAA Tournament, but that's not the only reason why we're here," Schlossnagle said. "There's a championship to be won, and we're a long way from that. There's a lot of baseball ahead, but let's just see what can happen tomorrow."

A&M faces No. 4 Arkansas on Wednesday at approximately 1 p.m. CT.