Series Preview: No. 1 A&M's non-conference slate continues vs. Cal Poly

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. Cal Poly.

Who: Cal Poly Mustangs (1-3, 0-0 in Big West)
Where: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park – Bryan-College Station, Texas
When:

Friday: 4 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 (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Griffin Naess (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Justin Lamkin (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. LHP Josh Volmerding (0-1, 13.50 ERA)
Sunday: LHP Myles Patton (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Ethan Marmie (0-1, 15.75 ERA)

Scouting Cal Poly

Larry Lee’s 23rd season at Cal Poly is off to a 1-3 start after getting swept out of Jackie Robinson Stadium on Opening Weekend by unranked UCLA. The Mustangs dropped a 3-2 decision last Friday before being outscored by the Bruins 34-2 over the final two games of that series in Los Angeles. However, Cal Poly rebounded on Monday to beat Loyola Marymount, 9-1.

Don’t let those numbers allow you to overlook the Mustangs, though. Look at their 2024 schedule, and you’ll see they knocked off an SEC school on Opening Day and battled with Texas in Austin on the second weekend. All in all, the Mustangs finished 13 games over .500 with a 20-10 record in Big West play to finish third in the league, but they have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2014.

Back for another year is sophomore third baseman Alejandro Garza, who was the Big West’s Freshman Field Player of the Year after hitting .346 in 56 games in 2024. He’s off to a modest start offensively at .267 with three runs scored and two driven in. Through four games, junior catcher Jack Collins and senior infielder Zach Daudet are leading the way for the Mustangs. Collins is hitting .429 through his first 14 at-bats, while Daudet owns an OPS of 1.017 and the club’s only home run of the season. Overall, the early offensive metrics are rather modest for Lee’s bunch, and the weather could lean point toward more of a West Coast small-ball approach this weekend from the Mustangs.

On the bump, right-handed sophomore Griffin Naess is the ace as he helped Cal Poly stay in last Friday’s ballgame by allowing two runs on two hits through 4.0 innings vs. UCLA. The reigning Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year posted a 3.58 ERA with a 7-0 record in 2024. The staff ERA is approaching 10.00, and the other two starters are well over that mark. The only arm not to allow a run across multiple outings is right-handed reliever Reece Bruno, who has still allowed four free passes in his 4.0 innings of work. As a group, Cal Poly pitching has walked 28 and plunked 12 in 33.0 innings, and if the Mustangs fail to limit the free pass this weekend, A&M’s patient offensive approach will eat them alive.

Still, this is a Cal Poly club picked toward the top of the Big West. The Mustangs landed at No. 3 in the league’s preseason poll, and Garza and Naess earned All-Big West preseason honors. As is the case with every opponent, A&M cannot afford to overlook these Ponies.

Texas A&M storylines to watch

On Opening Weekend, the Aggies got three wins despite not playing their best.

Still, Texas A&M’s offense plated over 10 runs per game without any individual player having a massive weekend. That should be plenty of reason to be confident about what these guys are capable of once everyone starts clicking and the wind at Blue Bell Park turns around.

Last weekend, we saw Terrence Kiel II put his best foot forward in the absence of Caden Sorrell. In the series vs. Elon, Kiel went 4-for-8 with three runs scored and was named the SEC’s co-Freshman of the Week. With Sorrell again on the shelf this week as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury, Kiel will get the chance to showcase his skills against the Mustangs.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Caden Sorrell will remain sidelined again this weekend with a hamstring injury  

One player who clearly looked less than 100 percent but will remain in the lineup is Gavin Grahovac. Michael Earley told TexAgs Live on Thursday that Grahovac is dealing with some left-shoulder tightness, but the Aggie third baseman will battle through that discomfort again this weekend. Against Elon, the 6-foot-2 sophomore hit .273 (3-for-11) with a home run, five runs scored and three RBIs. It’s wildly impressive that Grahovac is able to influence ballgames in such a positive manner despite not feeling like himself.

While Sorrell remains out, A&M’s bullpen will get reinforcements from the likes of Brad Rudis, who pitched the final 1.2 innings of Sunday’s win, and Josh Stewart. That duo will likely trot in from the Aggie bullpen a lot this year, but they’re both proven commodities. The question becomes who else can Earley and Jason Kelly count on? Clearly, they like Clayton Freshcorn as a high-leverage arm, and the newcomer from McLennan earned a four-out save in his A&M debut last Friday. Weston Moss and Isaac Morton also impressed on Opening Weekend. But who else can they turn to? Expect names like Kaiden Wilson, Luke Jackson, Peyton Smith and Ty Baker to continue getting looks. Hopefully, someone (preferably a few someones) will step up this weekend and start building the confidence necessary to succeed as 2025 rolls along.

The other “concern” to emerge from the Elon series (and subsequently talked into oblivion) is the way A&M played defense. The Aggies committed five errors and dropped two more sky-ball, wind-aided “doubles” in the finale that were ruled as hits. In total, they fielded .949, which is 231st out of 284 Division I clubs. Sure, it was far from good enough, but one weekend does not make a season. The weather conditions were absolutely brutal for defenders, with rain, fog, wind and cold temperatures scattered throughout. However, it again looks as if the elements will create additional challenges, so we’ll see how A&M handles them vs. Cal Poly.

And one final storyline to watch is one that will be included here until he hits four more: Jace LaViolette is closing in on Daylan Holt’s program record for home runs in a career. With three vs. Elon, LaViolette sits at 53. Holt finished his tenure with 56. Will this be the weekend No. 17 passes No. 17 to become No. 1?

What’s at stake this weekend

It cannot be understated how important it is for Earley & Co. to get three nine-inning games in this weekend...which is why Friday’s start time was pushed up to 4 p.m. CT instead of the originally scheduled 6 p.m. CT.

Additionally, the importance is on the reps themselves rather than the outcomes of the ball games, but that’s not to say the Aggies shouldn't again sweep a mid-major opponent.

Yes, the forecast calls for frigid temperatures and some rain, but after having a pair of shortened games vs. Elon last week and a midweek matchup with McNeese axed, the Aggies are running out of runway before the conference slate begins on March 14.

There’s no better time than the present to figure out roles for different guys, whether they be bullpen pieces or newcomers in the lineup...just make sure you bundle up before coming to the ballpark.