3 Players That Sam Houston Has To Shut Down In Texas A&M's Lineup

Another opportunity for Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley and Co. presents itself this Tuesday evening when Sam Houston comes to College Station.

The Aggies are coming off a three-game sweep against the Tigers in Columbia, Missouri, with a statement made that the team still has plenty to prove as the season goes along.

The Maroon and White’s lineup has stepped up to the plate and read the pitches given really well recently, as there was lots of production from the upper part of the lineup, so those three players are going to need another phenomenal outing at the ballpark before a big matchup at home this Easter weekend.

Caden Sorrell

The junior from Highland Village has been the best hitter in the lineup for the Aggies with a .371 batting average this season. Over the weekend, the dangerous hitter drilled a 3-run home run in Friday’s contest, where he finished with two runs and two walks recorded. On Sunday, Sorrell hammered a 405-foot bomb over the fence in left for another three runs,

There’s no doubt that when the Marion Pugh Most Valuable Player sees the right pitch, he’s going to take his chance and let it rip. This year, he is fourth in the SEC in batting average and home runs and is also third in slugging percentage and runs batted in. No pitcher wants to see him, so ensuring the pitch selection is on the mark will be important.

Gavin Grahovac

After suffering a season-ending injury last season, where Grahovac stayed involved with the team as a first base coach, the turnaround has been one for the books as the Orange, California native, who is tied for the second-best batting average on A&M’s roster.

He was ranked as the No. 55 overall prospect and No. 10 outfielder by Perfect Game coming out of Villa Park High School. Now, he has lots of scouts watching the work he’s done since coming back, as he’s put in the effort to get to where he is now, with a .347 batting average and 31 RBIs.

Against Missouri, the 6-foot-3 star smashed a ton of balls to the open gap with seven RBIs alone in the 14-3 win on Sunday. To add to the huge weekend, the 14-6 win over Missouri was another dominant day, as he tallied two hits and five RBIs. With the stakes higher in the next several series coming up, it’s the right time for him to heat up and a bad time to be a pitcher.

Chris Hacopian

Over the weekend, Hacopian racked up four hits with three walks and one RBI. Throughout the season, he has been one of the guys who bats in the four hole, so he has the potential at any time to clear the bases with the strength he has to punish the baseball.

This season, he is a .353 hitter with a 1.073 OPS, .569 slugging percentage, and .468 on-base percentage. Earlier in the season, he was going through a short-term hand fracture that sidelined him for a few games, but he recovered quickly and got back to his duties in the infield.

Before his time in Aggieland, he played for Maryland, where he was a Second Team All-Big Ten and appeared in all 52 games with a .357 batting average that included a .502 on-base percentage and a .656 slugging percentage, so he brings a feel for the barrel with lots of contact to the bat. Watch the Winston Churchill High School product to find his way on base and even drive in a few of his teammates.