Texas A&M Star Ruled Out For Remainder of SEC Tournament

The Texas A&M Aggies star exited Thursday afternoon's game against the Auburn Tigers after being hit by a pitch on his dominant hand.

Auburn Tigers' Cooper McMurray (26) encourages Texas A&M Aggies' Jace LaViolette (17) after LaViolette got hit in the hands by a pitch as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies during the SEC baseball tournament at Hoover Met in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The SEC Tournament just got a little harder for Michael Earley and the Texas A&M Aggies.

In the fifth inning of the Aggies' 3-2 victory over the Auburn Tigers Thursday, star player Jace LaViolette was hit on his left hand while checking his swing against Auburn's Caden Myers.

LaViolette was ultimately replaced on the basepath by Jamal George and later was seen in the A&M dugout with a massive bandage on his left hand, almost halfway up his forearm.

Texas A&M Aggies' Kaeden Kent (6) swings at the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies during the SEC baseball tournament at Hoover Met in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Aggies shift their focus towards the LSU Tigers in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, the worst fears of the team and the A&M fans in Hoover were soon made as reality during Michael Earley's postgame press conference, where the first-year coach announced that the junior star had fractured his left hand and would miss the remainder of the SEC Tournament.

Similar to last year, LaViolette was the shining star in the Texas A&M batting order, overcoming the occasional slump throughout the season to still put together a 16-homer, 59-RBI performance, the former adding on to his program record that he set earlier in the season.

And though the Katy, TX native is a junior, there is a possibility that he could forgo his senior season and declare for the draft, as the outfielder was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft prior to the season's start.

Time will only tell, though, whether LaViolette wants to continue to prove himself to MLB scouts for another year or perhaps do what Ryan Prager did last year and return to College Station even after being selected in the draft.