New coaches, clearer roles, and a healthy, hungry roster fuel Texas A&M's drive for a strong 2026 baseball season.
Texas A&M baseball is entering 2026 with a noticeably different vibe, and according to head coach Michael Earley, that’s by design.
Speaking with the media Monday, Earley outlined what he hopes will be a looser, more confident Aggies team in Year 2 of his tenure.
The message was clear ... fewer moving parts, clearer roles, and a renewed emphasis on doing the simple things well, something that went missing too often last spring.
The biggest changes came on the coaching staff.
After parting ways with assistant Will Fox, Earley brought in former Assistant Coach of the Year Cliff Pennington, a move aimed squarely at fixing two major pain points from 2025: infield mistakes and inconsistent run production.
Pennington’s arrival isn’t just about technique; it’s about delegation. Earley made it clear he wants fewer hats on his head.
“I took over the hitting this fall,” Earley said. “From a hitting standpoint, nothing has changed or will change in the cage.”
That matters even more after the resignation of hitting coach Caleb Longley. Rather than scramble, Earley leaned into structure.
Pennington will handle baserunning and infield fundamentals, freeing the head coach to focus on running the program and shaping the offense as a whole.
“It’s a huge reason why I brought in Cliff,” Earley explained. “So I could fully focus my time on running the team, the organization, and the hitting and the offense.”
Fewer crossed wires and fewer excuses.
Another major difference from a year ago? Health ... and plenty of it.
“I walked down there and we’ve got a bunch of healthy players,” Earley said. “Hungry players… guys that got after it and had a really good winter.”
That may sound simple, but after a season defined by uneven starts and pressing at the plate, it’s not nothing. Confidence tends to follow availability, and availability tends to win games.
The jury is still out on Earley beyond the most loyal corners of the fanbase. Another slow start would crank the temperature up quickly. But if Fall Ball is a preview and the staff alignment sticks, Texas A&M looks far better positioned to make noise.
The Aggies open the 2026 season February 13 with a three-game home series against Tennessee Tech at Blue Bell Park.
This time, they’re not just hoping things click ... they’re building toward it.