Aggies Get Revenge On Arkansas, Advance To SEC Championship
Inside a quiet hotel room in Hoover, Ala. Monday morning, Texas A&M manager Jim Schlossnagle told reporters nothing was guaranteed for his roster. Every win in the Southeastern Conference Tournament mattered toward the Aggies' chances of making it to postseason play.
Schlossnagle no longer has to worry about A&M's chances of making it to the NCAA Tournament. Now comes wondering if a win Sunday could give the program a second year of home-field advantage.
The tenth-seeded Aggies kept their Hoover hopes alive after thwarting second-seeded Arkansas in a 5-4 victory to advance to the SEC Championship. A&M will face fourth-seeded Vanderbilt for a shot at the conference title, a first since 2016.
“It’s been a while since we left College Station,” Schlossnagle joked with reporters postgame. “We’ve been here this long, we might as well hang out for one more day.”
The Aggies have been away from Blue Bell Park for over a week following their three-game series in Starkville to close out the season. It didn't matter. That Olsen Magic found its way to the Hoover Metroplex and hasn't lost its pizzaz since the series-opening win against seventh-seeded Tennessee.
Folks around the ballpark might not understand this A&M roster. Then again, who does? The Aggies benefitted in series victories over the season based on productive hitting. They were hampered by inadequate pitching, posting a team earned run average of over 6.1 through 55 regular season games.
Hitting has been on the back burner this week. Pitching has been the team's driving force. Troy Wansing and Justin Lampkin each delivered one-hit shutouts against Tennessee and South Carolina to advance to the quarterfinals. Will Johnston's five innings of work was enough to hold off third-seeded LSU in a 5-4 win Friday to push A&M deeper into the winner's bracket.
“It’s utter insanity, this conference,” said Schlossnagle. “Every single game is a street fight. It’s not even a boxing match – it’s a street fight until the very last out is made.”
Matt Dillard got the call Saturday and delivered against the No. 2 team in the nation. A transfer from Sam Houston, Dillard threw four shutout innings and struck out six in the process. He allowed two hits and issued a walk, but never let a runner to enter scoring position.
Trevor Werner kicked off the scoring with an RBI double in the third to plate quarterfinals hero Hunter Haas from second. Austin Bost picked up an RBI with a single in the sixth to score Jordan Thompson from first. After that, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn went to the bullpen to work his way out of a bases-loaded jam.
Instead, Gage Wood and Parker Coli each issued a walk to plate Bost and Brett Minnich and extend A&M's lead to four.
"Last time we played them a couple of days ago things just didn’t go our way, but we kept doing what we do, and it felt amazing to get this one," said Thompson.
Thompson finished with a team-high three hits while Haas and Bost each finished 1-for-4. Freshman sensation Jace LaViolette added some extra insurance with an RBI single in the eighth to keep A&M's lead at four heading into the final frame.
While Shane Sdao picked up the victory, drama ensued for the second consecutive game in the ninth. Arkansas shortstop John Bolton smacked a double down the right-field line and brought the Hogs within two. An error from Moss plated another run and nearly completed a second Arkansas comeback in three days.
Wansing, who struggled with his command throughout the regular season, charred the Hogs' bats after Moss' mistake. After starting Tuesday off strong, he closed the door on Arkansas with back-to-back strikeouts to send A&M back to the title game for the first time in seven seasons.
“I was telling guys before the game, this is what you lay in bed at 11 at night and think about, dream about,” Dillard said postgame. "This is so much fun – you want to be in moments like this.”
Entering the week, A&M hovered on the bubble of tournament contenders. That's popped, just like the doubts from voters looking for a reason to keep the program out of the field of 64. The Aggies have eliminated four of the top seven seeds in Hoover, three of which are expected to host a regional next week among the 16 destinations.
Pitching all season was a weak point for A&M. It's not become the program's best asset. While the Aggies aren't driving in countless runs, they're finding open holes at the right time to score baserunners and keep their SEC title aspirations alive.
"We're going to face great teams next weekend," Schlossangle said. "This is the best I've felt about our team all season."
Schlossnagle joked on Monday that he'd settle for a fourth-seed in a fictional NCAA Tournament regional in Alaska if it meant the Aggies would have a shot to return to Omaha.
Who knew a trip to Alabama was the remedy needed to make A&M one of the hottest rosters entering postseason play?
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