Texas A&M Manager's Decision That Dictated the Game vs. Texas State

The Texas A&M Aggies are rolling into the regional final of the College Station Regional on Sunday after a dominating performance on Saturday.

The Aggies had a slow start to their regional, needing to make a major comeback against the Lamar Cardinals in the first game of postseason action. However, in game two, no big-time comeback was needed as Texas A&M breezed past the Texas State Bobcats, 17-2, to book its spot in the regional final.

Now the Aggies will await the winner between the Bobcats and the USC Trojans on Sunday night with a ticket to the Super Regionals on the line. While the ballgame turned into a quick blowout, there were still key decisions from head coach Michael Earley that impacted the game, with one choice in particular standing out among the rest.

Rolling with Weston Moss

Texas A&M Aggies — Texas A&M has a mound conference during an NCAA baseball game against Florida at Condron Family Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field in Gainesville, FL | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The biggest decision for Earley heading into the second game of the regional would be who his starter would be on the mound. The Aggies have been and will be without breakout sophomore Aiden Sims for the remainder of the postseason, and the arm Earley turned to in Shane Sdao started the game on Friday.

The two probable options to start on the hill would come down to junior Weston Moss, who has served as Texas A&M’s Sunday starter, and senior Ethan Darden, who made his way into the pitching rotation late in the season.

And Earley would turn to the junior righty in Moss to start the game, and the decision would pay off for the Aggies' head coach.

Moss would spin a gem in his first career postseason start as he surrendered five hits and just turned earned runs against a slugging Texas State batting order that can score in bunches. The junior went deep into his start, tossing 7.1 innings, the longest start of his career.

While the Bobcats got to Moss in the first two innings with solo shots in both frames, those runs would be the only offense that Texas State was able to muster. After those two innings, Moss would keep the Bobcats quiet with five shutout innings until he was relieved after getting the first out in the eighth inning.

Moss would also notch a career high in strikeouts, punching out 10 Bobcat batters. The decision from Earley paid off, holding off a potent Texas State offense. The showing on the mound from Moss gave the Aggies batting order the time to come around and explode for 17 runs as each hitter in the lineup recorded a base hit.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google