Game #2: No. 25 Texas A&M 23, Tennessee Tech 7 (7 innings)
Records: Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0), Tennessee Tech (0-2, 0-0)
WP: Weston Moss (1-0)
LP: Cooper Casteel (0-1)
Box Score
Early start. Early finish.
It was decided even earlier.
First pitch was at 11:02 a.m. CT, but No. 25 Texas A&M quickly turned Saturday proceedings into a laugher as the Aggies run-ruled Tennessee Tech in front of 5,462 at Blue Bell Park, 23-7.
By 11:38, the scoreboard read 9-0 as A&M immediately resumed the offensive bludgeoning seen in Friday’s late innings.
“They’re getting strikes, and they’re hammering them,” A&M head coach Michael Earley said. “They’re pretty consistently right now laying off balls. There’s some lulls here and there, but hitting is really, really tough. For the most part, they are just staying on baseballs when they’re strikes, hitting them hard; when they’re balls, they’re not swinging.”
Unbothered by the quick turnaround from last night, a 33-minute bottom of the first saw the Aggies send 15 men to the plate as they tallied seven, homered twice and worked five free passes.
It was the first of three times A&M would bat around en route to the program’s highest run output since blanking Houston Christian 23-0 in 2023.
After a pair of home runs on Opening Day, Caden Sorrell’s third of the season made it 2-0 just seven pitches into the morning.
The first of Wesley Jordan’s two round-trippers moved the Aggie advantage to 3-0 shortly thereafter as a turnstile of six Tennessee Tech arms failed to slow the A&M carousel.
“I’m just trying to stay within our approach,” the Baylor transfer said. “For me, it’s stay right-center gap and try not to do too much, and just let the barrel play, and it’s been working so far.”
Jordan reached base in all five trips, walking thrice and scoring four times.
As if a nine-run explosion wasn’t enough, A&M posted an eight-run fifth as Jake Duer and Gavin Grahovac both hit three-run homers.
Accounting for the caliber of pitching faced, the offense has still impressed.
On Saturday, the Olsen Field launching pad produced five long balls and nine extra base hits. Along with A&M’s 15 knocks, the Aggies worked 15 free passes.
“We just got talent, one through nine and even after that,” Jordan said. “Every guy we sent to the plate is really good. There’s no breaks, so when you got that many good players in a row, it’s tough.”
Through two games, their totals include eight home runs, 11 doubles and 21 walks. They’re averaging 19 runs per game.
Four of those two-baggers belong to freshman shortstop Boston Kellner, who was again 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.
Two games into his collegiate career, the Arizona native is 4-for-6 with four runs scored and three RBIs.
“It’s honestly everything I can dream of,” Kellner said. “I grew up as a kid, just starting to play the game that I loved, and now that I’m on a stage like this and a program that breeds excellence, it’s awesome to get those first moments and then keep it rolling.
“A lot of it comes from preparation, to be honest. It’s a lot easier when you have a culture and a team and teammates who, no matter what’s going to happen, are going to pick you up. This coaching staff and the program as a whole has been awesome, and I think that’s allowed me to feel very comfortable.”
Grahovac (3-for-3), Sorrell (2-for-4), Jordan (2-for-2) and Duer (2-for-3) joined the young infielder with mult-hit afternoons as A&M’s relentless offense never let up.
Perhaps the only uncomfortable part of the day was the threat of rain, but the shortened seven-inning game beat the weather.
The lopsided score line also helps overshadow a not-so-sharp first start from right-hander Weston Moss, who allowed four runs on seven hits across five innings.
“I thought he was really good in the first, and then I thought when he came back out after sitting there for a long time, I thought it went down a little bit,” Earley said of Moss. “I think it’s a really good learning experience for him.
“Maybe he’ll change some stuff just to be a little better and come out and be sharper, but I’ll trade nine for him to take a little rest any day of the week.”
A pesky Golden Eagle lineup scored in each of the final five innings, but they never got within seven runs of the Aggies.
The early-and-often approach overwhelmed, and A&M will look for the sweep on Sunday at noon.
Now, the Aggies will focus on the finish.
“We need to finish it off,” Earley said. “Those guys are scrappy. They’re tough. Especially their offense.
“You never think about a sweep when you play a series. You do not. Think about winning Friday, you win. Saturday, you win. Now, it’s like, ‘OK, now we got to finish it.’ And it’s going to be a test for us early on.”
