Michael Earley evaluates No. 1 A&M's season-opening showing vs. Elon

Outscoring Elon 32-14 over the weekend, top-ranked Texas A&M handled business to open the Aggies' 2025 campaign. Head coach Michael Earley joined Monday's edition of TexAgs Live to look back on Opening Weekend and highlight a few standout performances.

Key notes from Michael Earley interview

• Summing up the weekend, it was great. I felt the same as I've done every other game I've ever coached. I just had more responsibility. Obviously, there was a ton of buildup, but awesome weekend and the fan support and the crowds were just amazing. I saw we set a record for Opening Night and then Opening Weekend. It was good to get out there, and we played in three different weather conditions. Usually, it's either nice or bad all weekend, so that was odd.
   
• For what we did right, I thought we really controlled the strike zone as an offense. Besides, in the first game, we hammered strikes we were supposed to hammer. Especially on Sunday, in weather that's not conducive to hitting, let alone conducive to hitting a home run. We were able to put together some good at-bats. Starting pitching did a really good job.
   
• I felt we had some relievers kind of show who they are. Like Clayton Freshcorn, that guy is going to be big time for us. The other thing was just getting some guys out there that need that experience that didn't get it last year. They didn't all perform, but the team allowing them to get out there was really good.
   
• The response and body language of our team was great. I tell them all the time I want them to be professional. Understanding what that means when things don't always go your way, and understanding that the first game or Opening Weekend, there's such a long way to go, and if your goal is to hit 30 homers, you're not doing that weekend No. 1. Committing to that process and that type of mentality, you might not always feel great, and you're not always going to feel the same. There is no possible way a baseball player can feel the same on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in that weather as opposed to the juice they felt on Friday night. I thought they found something there. That’s the mentality that you have to have when you play baseball because there are a lot of up and downs. I was really proud of how they responded to everything this weekend.
   
• The cool thing about Terrence Kiel II is I think everyone else, not me, was more nervous because he's a freshman and wondering if he's nervous. He had no nerves at all. None. He hasn't since the day he stepped on campus. He's confident in his abilities, so it was no surprise to us. I knew he would perform. He's been performing in practice, and I never thought the lights would be too big for him.  I'm just really excited for him. I texted his mom a little bit last night. I'm just happy for them as a family that he could come out and perform like that.
   
• Kaeden Kent was great. That was what we expected out of him. That's who we think he is. That's who I think he is as a player. What we were able to see in the postseason last year and what he's done, and the home run was really impressive. He had good at-bats all around. He did a really good job. A guy like him performing like that adds depth to our lineup.
   
• My whole philosophy is to take what the game gives you. There are no trick plays in baseball. Don't try to make anything happen. Making those decisions, for instance, I knew the delay was open, and I knew we had it just from scouting, but when you delay there, I had a pretty good idea that they would walk Jace LaViolette if that pitch was a ball. I had confidence in Wyatt Henseler, if you want to walk anyone and get to Wyatt throughout the course of the year, and I've got two guys in scoring position, we're not just going to run on one guy. Decisions like that, you have to make them in a split second. It was cool. In baseball, I've always internally in my head managed the game when I wasn't managing the game, and it's really a sport of taking what the game gives you. If it's not showing you it's hand, don't try and make something happen when it's not there.
   
• There were some highs with the bullpen and some guys that struggled a little bit. Freshcorn was great. Weston Moss was great. Kaiden Wilson was in there briefly. I mean, a guy got a hit off of him, and he should have got over on a ground ball. Peyton Smith and Ty Baker have been performing in practice, and I think it's in there. When we have opportunities to get them in, I'm going to get them in. There are some other guys we want to see, too, that we weren't able to get in.
   
• There were some highs. There were some lows. Depth wins throughout the course of the year. Getting Brad Rudis back. Josh Stewart will be back soon, that will just add to it. I thought Luke Jackson did a good job. I thought he ran into a little bit of bad luck, but I thought he took a step in the right direction. The only way to get past those demons is to pitch in a real game because the staff shows they can do it. It's just about them making it happen.
   
• The starting pitching had 25 strikeouts between the three guys. It was great. I thought they did a really nice job, in general, in competing in the strike zone against a team that was one of the best, I think, I've seen at just fouling pitches off. Justin Lamkin threw 70.5 percent strikes. Myles Patton threw 69.9 percent strikes. Ryan Prager threw 68.7 percent strikes. That's pretty darn good out of your starting pitchers. I was super pleased with the starting pitching. I also feel like they have room to improve, which is what I want. I want us to continue to grow.
   
• In the end, we just have to get guys in there to play. When the score is 10-0, could I have brought out Freshcorn and maybe shut the door? Sure, but that experience, to me, wasn't that big of a negative because we need to keep building in the right direction.
   
• On the defensive front, it just wasn't good enough. Period. It was things that we needed to control in our own ballpark, and we didn't. No. 1, it's my fault for not having apparently not 100 percent prepared for that, so we'll continue cleaning that up. There's another part to it, too, where we've got a guy at second base who's been playing third his whole career. We've got a guy at left who's been playing first his whole career. We've got a guy at first base who's been a pitcher most of his life and first base half the time he's been here. You've got some guys that are in new spots.
   
• Kaeden Kent hasn't played a ton of games at shortstop. Those aren't excuses. They're just the reality, so we have to continue to get better, and that's my job and the other coaches' jobs to put them in situations in practice and continue to grow and learn. We have to be better, and luckily, we weren't in situations where it hurt us, but it could have. Eventually, it will. Right now, just chalk that up to what I said, but mainly, I just need to prepare them better on that front.
   
• I felt really good with both Blake Binderup and Matt Bergevin, but I felt really good with Blake. I think he has a chance to be a pro. There's some untapped potential in there. Anyone with a baseball eye could see it. Matt provides something a little different, too. He has some power. I'm going to continue to roll with Blake as of right now, just because why would you not? Blake needs to continue to get better at first base, but both of them have to continue to get better at first base.
   
• At the catcher position, Bear Harrison didn't have any hits, but he got a couple of walks and caught really well. Jacob Galloway performed awesome, so they're going to continue to battle it out. I have no set guy behind the plate. There might be a matchup situation. At some point, if a guy is playing well, a guy is playing well. I'm not going to make him wonder if they're playing every single day. If someone runs away with this, we'll go in that direction, but they both bring different elements. Matchups will always be part of the consideration.
   
• About McNeese, I've got Ryan Brauninger throwing out the first pitch, and coach Will Fox is going to catch it. I have to be honest with you: as soon as I get done with this interview, I'll have an answer about McNeese. I know nothing about McNeese at this moment. Besides the fact that we played them last year, and I know they play hard. They're scrappy, and they've got some talented players. That's usually my Monday routine — diving into the Tuesday game. I know McNeese is well-coached. I have a ton of respect for coach Justin Hill over there. I know, just like any other team, they're going to want to come in here and beat us.
   
• Having Ryan Prager back, I definitely don't take it for granted. I really like him as a person. I really enjoy being around him and seeing him in uniform and competing. I love his demeanor on the mound. I want guys to be themselves, but I love the fact that he's not a scream-and-yell pitcher after every single thing he does well. I've always appreciated that about him. I got a kick out of last year. He threw the nine pitches with three strikeouts, and that was the most emotion I've ever seen out of him, and he kind of smiled. He did a really good job, and I think he's going to continue to grow and get better, which is part of the plan and why he came back.
   
• For Prager to start off like this, I think he's in a good spot, and he'll just continue to progress throughout the season. He's on track with everything we've planned right now, and that's really good to see. It's a testament to his work ethic, his character and who he is. He's a professional.