Game #15: No. 22 Texas A&M 12, Oakland 1 (7 innings)
Records: Texas A&M (14-1, 0-0), Oakland (1-14, 0-0)
WP: Aiden Sims (3-0)
LP: Tanner Ware (0-2)
Box Score
Hopefully, you’re having a great day.
It just isn’t going nearly as well as Caden Sorrell’s.
For starters, it’s the All-American outfielder’s 21st birthday.
Sorrell celebrated by going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in No. 22 Texas A&M’s 12-1 run-rule victory of Oakland in front of 5,105 at Blue Bell Park on Saturday.
“It definitely started off pretty great,” he said with a smile. “Can’t ask for much more. Blessed to be here. Big 2-1, so it’s been a great day so far.”
Sorrell’s two-run blast in the fifth was his eighth of the season and made it 12-0 as the Aggies scored earlier and often in clinching the non-conference series sweep.
Through 14 games, he is hitting .423 with a 1.415 OPS and 28 RBI. He’s slugging at a .923 clip.
“Just keeping the approach, keeping everything pitch-to-pitch,” Sorrell said. “If I swing at a bad pitch, forget it, move on, hunt the next pitch in the zone and then do damage. That’s been the mindset all year, and it’s been working pretty good.”
Joining the offensive party were a number of Sorrell’s friends.
Nico Partida was 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the second. Gavin Grahovac was 3-for-4 with six total RBI on the weekend. Blake Binderup hit a two-run moonshot in the fifth. Even Bear Harrison reached base three times.
After scoring once in both the first and second, A&M put up six and four in the fourth and fifth, respectively.
Indeed, Oakland's pitching allowed the Aggies to elevate and celebrate all day long.
“The guys just kept coming, kept coming, had great at-bats, and I always like a good six spot, that’s for sure,” A&M head coach Michael Earley said.
And if any Golden Grizzlies tried to crash Sorrell’s birthday bash, Aiden Sims was there to play the part of the bouncer.
The Aggie right-hander turned in another scoreless start that dropped his season ERA to 1.59.
Sims scattered just four hits while fanning four batters. He escaped a fourth-inning jam in which Oakland had men at the corners with nobody out, but a strikeout and a 6-4-3 double play kept Sims’ goose egg on the board.
“It was solid,” Earley said of Sims. “He’s continued to get us off to a great start. Allowed us to get some runs on the board early. He’s been really, really good.”
Oakland’s lone run came vs. Josh Stewart in the sixth when A&M was already up 12-0.
By then, the only question was whether or not the Saturday matinee would beat the impending weather in Bryan-College Station.
They did with about 30 minutes to spare, and instead of watching it rain, they’ll go celebrate somewhere else.
“I’m gonna go get some dinner with the family, and then you know, hang out with some buddies afterward,” Sorrell said. “Maybe go bowling, go laser tag, do something.”
Enjoy the “something,” Caden. Aggieland sure hopes it’s great!
