How Texas A&M Baseball Is Preparing for the College Station Regional

Texas A&M baseball will kick off its postseason campaign in the College Station Regional on Friday, May 29, marking the Aggies’ first NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Michael Earley.

The Aggies finished their regular season schedule with an overall record of 39-14, despite losing 5-of-10 games to end the year.

Over the weekend, A&M will host a trio of top-tier college baseball competitors at Blue Bell Park, including USC, Texas State, and Lamar. With key contributors returning to the starting lineup, how is Earley preparing his squad for postseason play?

Texas A&M Utilizing Live At-Bats After Lack of Play at End of Season

Texas A&M Aggies center fielder Travis Chestnut (4) slides into second base on an error against the Tennessee Volunteers. — Texas A&M Aggies center fielder Travis Chestnut (4) slides into second base on an error against the Tennessee Volunteers during the third inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Ahead of the College Station Regional, Earley made one thing clear about his team’s approach to the upcoming slate of competition: consistent preparation.

“We’ve kept a really consistent level of preparation all season,” Earley said in a press conference on May 28. “The one difference with this week, than others … we mixed in some live at-bats. From the Auburn Saturday doubleheader, we had a week off before Mississippi State, so you don’t have those Tuesday games to get at-bats or innings. From there, we had a week off again … a lack of Tuesday at-bats, which are huge, and then a week off again. We did a little more high-speed stuff, from a defensive standpoint and from a hitting standpoint … a little more game-simulated so that you can get that nervous system spike.”

Before its second-to-last SEC series against Ole Miss, A&M completed its non-conference schedule with a 16-7 win over Prairie View A&M on May 5. From there, the Aggies navigated three consecutive weeks without mid-week competition, forcing the Maroon and White to look elsewhere for live practice.

“We’ve had some really big gaps,” Earley said. “Our last gap, we only played one game. But how we do our stuff, when we stretch, how we stretch, how we play catch, how we go about our business, has been consistent all season. I think that’s why we’ve been a consistent baseball team, and in times when we haven’t, we’ve been able to revert to what we’ve done all year and bring it right back to the middle.”

Prepared or not, A&M will be put to the test against Lamar on Friday afternoon. With a successful weekend performance, the Aggies will advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.

“I think what it takes at this point in the year is that you have put yourself in a situation where you don’t have to react,” Earley said. “You can follow a level of your preparation that started from the first meeting we had to the first practice … consistency in our day-to-day. You don’t have to try to change … just because some of these games can be lose-and-go-home or you put yourself in a bad situation, you continue to play the game how you’ve played the game.”

Aside from experience, the difference between an exciting and disappointing postseason run comes down to personnel. According to Earley, his squad has what it takes to win at the highest level.

“We’ve obviously, at times, been put through the wringer,” Earley said. “But we’ve done nothing but respond with extreme resilience. I feel prepared as you can possibly be prepared. That’s from what we’ve done since day one; that's from playing in tough environments; that’s from playing in a tough league … but it's also from the guys and the leadership that we have at the top of the clubhouse. We’ve got the right people, and you have to have the right people to win.”

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