Texas A&M Baseball Ends Year on High Note
Texas A&M plans on returning to the College World Series in 2023. The expectation will be high after the Aggies' finish in the polls from 2022.
The Aggies (44-20, 19-11 SEC) end their year ranked No. 3 in the nation in the final D1Baseball rankings. Entering the CWS, A&M ranked No. 5 nationally and was the highest seed of the tournament.
Ole Miss claimed the top spot following its sweep over Oklahoma to win its first national title. The Sooners finish No. 2 following their impressive 3-0 run to the finals with stellar pitching and consistent plate discipline.
The Aggies surged midseason to become a household name in college baseball. Under the direction of first-year coach Jim Schlossnagle, A&M won eight of its 10 conference series to claim the SEC West regular season.
A&M elected to make a change to its coaching staff after 18 seasons with Rob Childress. With Schlossnagle at the helm, the Aggies bested their way into a national seed for the regional and super regionals. They defeated teams such as TCU and Louisville to make it to Omaha for the first time since 2017.
The Aggies ended their 29-year losing streak at the CWS with wins over Texas and Notre Dame. Sophomore Nathan Dettmer shined in a 5-1 win over the Fighting Irish with his seven standout innings. Players such as third baseman Trevor Werner, left fielder Dylan Rock and center fielder Jordan Thompson all contributed offensively.
Both of A&M's losses came to Oklahoma. In Game 2, a three-run home run from catcher Jimmy Crooks set the tone in the first inning on the way to a 5-1 victory. Reliever Jacob Palisch powered through 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out eight Sooners and allowing one run on three hits.
“If I had known what I know now, I would have started Palisch,” Schlossnagle said of Palisch's outing. “That's easy to say, but if that's your mindset, then you are cashing in one game for the tournament because he already doesn't bounce back awesome, and obviously, he gave us a ton today."
Seven SEC teams finished ranked in D1Baseball's final standings. Joining the Rebels and Aggies were Arkansas (No. 4), Auburn (No. 7), Tennessee (No. 9), Florida (No. 21) and LSU (No. 25). In the Coaches Poll, the Aggies finished No. 4 behind the Razorbacks, who took home the No. 3 honors.
The Aggies are set to replace multiple players such as Rock, Palisch, catcher Troy Claunch, shortstop Kole Kaler and potentially several others for the 2023 season.
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