From being the preseason No. 1 to now being unranked, Texas A&M has arguably had the most underwhelming performance in college baseball so far.
The Aggies sit at 10-9 overall and 0-3 in SEC action after No. 17 Alabama swept them last weekend. After making it to last year’s College World Series final, sitting barely above .500 just five weeks into the season is something nobody saw coming for this talented roster.
With a .257 batting average and totaling just 120 runs, 153 hits and 113 RBIs throughout its first 19 games, Texas A&M’s offense is currently the worst in the SEC. These stats also rank amongst some of the worst in the nation right now, as the Aggies sit No. 214 in batting average and No. 213 in hits.
After taking early losses against Cal Poly, Texas State, Arizona, Oklahoma State, USTA and New Mexico State, the Aggies entered conference play ranked No. 19. However, three more losses from Alabama didn’t help Texas A&M’s case.
Texas A&M had a strong offensive performance in Friday’s outing, notching 11 hits, but dropped the game in the top of the ninth inning after Alabama immediately hit two back-to-back homers upon the Aggies bringing senior Brad Rudis to the mound.
Some credited the loss to a poor coaching decision from first-season head coach Michael Early, who replaced redshirt sophomore pitcher Luke Jackson when the game was tied 4-4.
After that, the Aggies didn’t see much success in the batter’s box the rest of the weekend, only recording four hits in Saturday and Sunday’s outings.
However, Texas A&M’s shaky performance cannot be talked about without mentioning the crucial injuries that this team has faced.
Sophomore Gavin Grahovac, named last year’s SEC Freshman of the Year, re-injured his shoulder in the season’s first game before announcing he would undergo a season-ending surgery.
Grahovac batted .298 last season with 85 hits, 66 RBIs and 23 home runs, the most home runs ever hit by an Aggie freshman. He was also a preseason first-team All-SEC selection and made the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List for this year.
This injury came after star outfield Caden Sorrell’s ongoing hamstring injury, which prevented him from stepping onto the field this season. It is still unknown as to when Sorrell will return.
While it’s undeniable that Texas A&M has had far from the season it hoped for, it’s only Week 2 of conference play. The Aggies will have to get the ball rolling to get back to playing like the College World Series team from last year, but there is still time to make their case.
The Aggies continue their SEC slate against No. 22 Vanderbilt this weekend.
