Series Preview: Top-ranked Aggies host Elon for Opening Weekend
Also included above is a TexAgs Live segment with Ryan Brauninger, Richard Zane and Scott Clendenin from Friday morning, previewing this weekend’s series vs. Elon.
Who: Elon Phoenix (21-32, 10-17 CAA in 2024)
Where: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park – Bryan-College Station, Texas
When:
Friday: 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network+/ESPN+)
Saturday: 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network+/ESPN+)
Sunday: 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network+/ESPN+)
Pitching matchups
Friday: LHP Ryan Prager (9-1, 2.95 ERA in 2024) vs. RHP Justin Mitrovich (4-6, 5.06 ERA in 2024)
Saturday: LHP Justin Lamkin (3-3, 5.21 ERA in 2024) vs. TBD
Sunday: LHP Myles Patton (4-3, 3.26 ERA in 2024) vs. RHP Declan Lavelle (6-6, 5.11 ERA in 2024)
Scouting Elon
Gee, I wonder who scheduled this series...
Michael Earley’s Texas A&M tenure begins with a three-game set against his predecessor’s alma mater in perhaps the most anticipated season-opening series in recent memory.
In 2024, the Elon Phoenix finished 11 games under .500 overall and finished 10th in the Coastal Athletic Associated. Since joining the Division I ranks in 1999, Elon has made the NCAA Tournament on six occasions, but the Phoenix have not been in the field of 64 since 2013.
Entering year 29 as the head coach, Mike Kennedy’s 2025 team was picked to finish sixth in the CAA due to the veteran leadership the Phoenix have returning.
Offensively, Elon is led by senior outfielders Kenny Mallory Jr. and Charlie Granatell. A left-handed hitter, Mallory is a career .314 hitter who slugged .520 with seven homers and 40 RBIs in 2024, while right-handed hitting Granatell hit .330 with seven bombs and 38 driven in a year ago. Two-way player Ryan Sprock tied for the team lead with eight home runs to go along with a .300 average, but he’s a far cry from Shohei Ohtani (or Jac Caglianone) with a bloated 10.12 ERA in 15 appearances.
On the bump, junior right-hander Justin Mitrovich headlines Elon’s pitching staff. The Phoenix ace stands at 6-foot-3 and brings a little more velocity than one might expect to see on Opening Day. He was a Freshman All-American after a 2023 campaign that saw him post a 3.38 ERA in 12 starts. A preseason All-CAA pick, Mitrovich owns a career ERA north of 4.00 with 150 Ks in 136.0 IP. Like most mid-majors, Kennedy & Co. might be figuring it out beyond Mitrovich as the weekend (and season) goes along.
| Hitting (2024) | Avg. | Runs | Slugging % | On-Base % | Strikeouts |
| Texas A&M | .298 | 575 | .543 | .415 | 627 |
| Elon | .274 | 332 | .432 | .377 | 370 |
| Pitching (2024) | ERA | WHIP | Walks | Opp. Avg. | Strikeouts | Fielding % |
| Texas A&M | 3.86 | 1.26 | 216 | .236 | 715 | .978 |
| Elon | 7.25 | 1.78 | 264 | .299 | 393 | .965 |
Texas A&M storylines to watch
Even for the nation’s No. 1 club, there are still questions to be answered.
A few immediately come to mind: Who will win the job at first base? Who will be the Aggie backstop? How much will A&M miss Evan Aschenbeck and Chris Cortez? When will Jace LaViolette pass Daylan Holt?
All good questions. All are unlikely to be answered this weekend vs. Elon, though we could get a glimpse at what is to come by the time A&M faces power conference pitching in Houston at the end of February. The goal is to have those answers before SEC play arrives at Blue Bell Park in exactly one month (March 14 vs. Alabama).
So, in the meantime, here’s what I’ll have my eye on this weekend:
It was confirmed on Thursday that Caden Sorrell will miss Opening Weekend as a precaution while dealing with a hamstring issue, with Earley saying he’ll be on the shelf “for the foreseeable future.” Still, I would not overreact to that comment, as Sorrell should be expected back sooner rather than later. A year ago, he earned Freshman All-SEC honors after hitting .275 with 11 homers in 48 starts, and there was some talk that Sorrell might be the best player on the team... No disrespect to LaViolette or Gavin Grahovac. While A&M will miss No. 13, expect Terrence Kiel II to get the start in right field in Sorrell’s place. If you didn’t see TK play during the fall exhibitions or last week’s First Pitch Game, you’re in for a treat. Kiel’s speed is electrifying, and seeing the Aggie legacy on the diamond early would be exciting.
Beyond that housekeeping note, there are plenty of newcomers to familiarize ourselves with, and a couple of those newbies have received rave reviews in preseason workouts.
Penn transfer Wyatt Henseler comes to Aggieland with a career .354 average in 655 college at-bats to his credit. If you’re wondering how Ivy League stats translate to the SEC, remember that Hayden Schott was a .326 hitter at Columbia before posting a .335 average in his first season as an Aggie. Additionally, fellow Quaker Jackson Appel hit .331 last year after hitting .319 in the Ivy League. Henseler is absolutely capable of making that type of jump in addition to playing sound defense at second base.
On the mound, left-hander Myles Patton will start on Sunday behind fellow southpaws Ryan Prager and Justin Lamkin. At Long Beach, Patton posted a 4-3 record with a 3.26 ERA. Further, he fanned 85 batters in 66.1 innings pitched. That’s 1.28 strikeouts per inning. Prager’s rate was 1.27, and his 124 Ks in 2024 were the ninth-most in program history. Patton replicating similar success would go a long way toward solidifying the Aggie rotation.
The third and final newcomer I’d like to highlight is right-hander reliever Clayton Freshcorn. A transfer from McLennan has a fastball that ranges from 95-97 mph with a slider that features a spin rate north of 2,500 RPMs, and he throws strikes. He’s a back-of-the-bullpen weapon for Earley and Jason Kelly, along with familiar faces Isaac Morton, Peyton Smith and Ty Baker.
Lastly, and likely burying the lede here, the No. 1 storyline to watch this weekend is Earley himself. Why? Because he has never managed a college baseball game before. That point has been beaten into the ground by Earley’s recruiting rivals, but it will cease to be true come Friday night. The Aggie skipper will learn and grow as the season progresses, and combined with A&M’s insane talent, that’s a scary prospect for clubs occupying the other dugout.
What’s at stake this weekend
Nothing. Yes, that’s lazy, but it’s also true.
Please, just enjoy the fact that baseball is back. Opening Weekend should be a celebration, and there are plenty of reasons for optimism inside and around Blue Bell Park.
Yes, on paper, the Aggies should sweep Elon, but the game isn’t played on paper. Also, the likelihood that A&M goes unbeaten vs. its non-conference schedule is slim, so don’t freak out if the Ags drop a game this weekend. While last year’s 25-0 non-conference record was an anomaly, the 2025 club is certainly talented enough to replicate that rare feat.
There will be plenty of time for message board vitriol come March, April or May, so for the time being, let’s settle in for the beginning of the Earley Era and prepare to enjoy the ride.
#BTHOelon