Despite an undefeated start, walk-off drama and offensive struggles ignite early season concerns for the Aggies.
After a quick 7-0 start for the Texas A&M Aggies, you would assume the boys in maroon would be receiving nothing but praise and confidence, especially after defending their home turf with a clean sweep in College Station over the University of Pennsylvania.
However, despite the undefeated record, not all fans of the Texas A&M Aggies baseball team are celebrating.
In fact, some have actually become concerned about this year’s squad.
The reason? Although the Aggies completed the sweep, the weekend series against Penn was far from dominant. The wins were secured, but the performances, especially on the offensive side, were anything but pretty.
Only a total of three runs were scored across the first two games of the series, with a 1-0 victory in Game 1 and a 2-1 victory in Game 2.
In both contests, the Ags failed to score until the bottom of the ninth inning, clinching back-to-back walk-off victories.
The way those walk-offs unfolded made the finishes even more dramatic. So, if you didn’t believe in “Olsen Magic”, then you might just believe it now.
In Game 1, shortstop Boston Kesner called game with a deep drive to center field that initially looked like a routine play for Pennsylvania center fielder Ryan Taylor.
But after misjudging the ball off the bat, Taylor drifted too far forward, and the ball sailed well over his head. Sawyer Farr raced home from second, sealing a 1-0 victory for Texas A&M.
In Game 2, the Aggies had its backs against the wall, trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth with one out remaining.
Sawyer Farr enters the game as a pinch hitter for second baseman Caden Sorrell. With the game on the line and a runner in scoring position at second, Farr worked his way into a full count before lining a clutch double just inside the foul line. The hit scored Terrence Kiel II from second to tie the game 1-1.
In extras the game stretched into the eleventh inning, where another unusual walk-off unfolded. After back-to-back singles from Terrence Kiell II and Nico Partida, followed by a sacrifice bunt attempt that ultimately resulted in a single by Travis Chestnut, the Aggies finally seized momentum with the bases loaded and no outs.
After helping bring A&M back from the brink with an RBI double, Sawyer Farr found himself at the plate once again following a remarkable defensive play at second base.
Farr drew a walk-offbase on balls, allowing Kiell II to score and delivering the Aggies another walk-off victory with a 2-1 score.
Game 3 was a breath of fresh air for the Ags, as the bats finally came alive early in the contest. The Aggies scored seven runs on nine hits, cruising to a dominant 7-0 victory, and giving the weekend series a much cleaner finish.
So, should Texas A&M fans actually be worried about the state of the program, or was this just a shaky early-season series?
“Worried” might be too strong of a word this early in the year, but there are certainly some concerns. The biggest question mark is the offense.
The Aggiest struggled to generate consistent production, waiting until the final innings and relying on late-game scrappiness and theatrics to secure wins against a Pennsylvania team that was expected to be handled more comfortably.
However, baseball of course, is a different game than football. Upsets and close games are far more common, and any team can stay competitive on a given day.
Still, many would argue that if a higher-ranked opponent had taken Penn’s place, it would likely have produced a different result.
On the positive side, the Aggies did secure the sweep, and at the end of the day, wins are the only stat that truly matters.
Also, the team had not scored fewer than seven runs in a game all season until the first two contests against Penn, so it’s just the first bump in the road for the A&M offense.
Pitching has also been a strong point. From the starting rotation to the bullpen, the staff has opened the season really well, with only two games allowing more than three runs over the past seven outings.
While the series may have raised some early questions, a win is still a win. Game 3 should also provide confidence heading into Tuesday’s match-up against Lamar at 6 p.m. CT in College Station.