KSR's 2025 SEC Baseball Preview: Texas A&M

With the 2025 College Baseball season just around the corner, KSR will be previewing all 15 SEC teams that will be competing with Kentucky for an SEC crown this season. Up next; the Texas A&M Aggies.

A year after falling to Tennessee in the 2024 Men’s College World Series, the Texas A&M Aggies will open the 2025 season ranked No. 1 in the country.

Along with being Preseason No. 1, the Aggies were tabbed as the favorites to win the SEC and had five player selected to Preseason All-SEC teams. It’s safe to say all eyes around the College Baseball world will be on College Station and first year head coach Michael Earley.

Earley, who was a career assistant before becoming the Aggies’ new head coach, takes over following former coach Jim Schlossnagle’s shocking move to rival Texas. Earley actually left with Schlossnagle to Texas as the Longhorns’ new hitting coach, but reverted back to A&M after being offered the head job.

Texas A&M has never won a National Championship, but that could change this season as the Aggies are likely the most talented team in all of College Baseball.

Returning Players:

• Gr. OF Hayden Schott (2024: 68 G, .335 AVG, 15 2B, 8 HR, 63 RBI, .498 SLG%, .418 OBP%)
• Jr. OF Jace LaViolette (2024: 68 G, .305 AVG, 16 2B, 29 HR, 78 RBI, .726 SLG%, .449 OBP%)
• So. INF/OF Gavin Grahovac (2024: 67 G, .298 AVG, 16 2B, 23 HR, 66 RBI, .596 SLG%, .390 OBP%)
• So. OF Caden Sorrell (2024: 62 G, .275 AVG, 8 2B, 11 HR, 43 RBI, .555 SLG%, .369 OBP%)
• Jr. INF Kaeden Kent (2024: 51 G, .327 AVG, 6 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, .491 SLG%, .414 OBP%)
• R-So. INF Blake Binderup (2024: 19 G, .231 AVG, 0 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .359 SLG%, .367 OBP%)

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• R-Jr. LHP Ryan Prager (2024: 19 APP, 19 GS, 9-1, 2.95 ERA, 97 2/3 IP, 124 K, 20 BB, .226 B/AVG)
• Jr. LHP Justin Lamkin (2024: 19 APP, 16 GS, 3-3, 5.21 ERA, 65 2/3 IP, 88 K, 22 BB, .253 B/AVG)
• Jr. LHP Shane Sdao (2024: 20 APP, 5 GS, 5-1, 2.96 ERA, 48 2/3 IP, 55 K, 9 BB, .235 B/AVG)
• Sr. RHP Brad Rudis (2024: 24 APP, 2 GS, 6-0, 2.55 ERA, 35 1/3 IP, 35 K, 12 BB, .261 B/AVG)
• Sr. RHP Josh Stewart (2024: 25 APP, 0 GS, 2-2, 4.26 ERA, 31 2/3 IP, 39 K, 9 BB, .258 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Weston Moss (2024: 20 APP, 2 GS, 3-0, 4.56 ERA, 23 2/3 IP, 26 K, 10 BB, .239 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Isaac Morton (2024: 10 APP, 4 GS, 1-0, 2.87 ERA, 15 2/3 IP, 22 K, 17 BB, .113 B/AVG)
• So. LHP Kaiden Wilson (2024: 10 APP, 0 GS, 0-2, 9.82 ERA, 11 IP, 15 K, 7 BB, .362 B/AVG)
• R-So. RHP Luke Jackson (2024: 8 APP, 2 GS, 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 8 1/3 IP, 4 K, 6 BB, .258 B/AVG)
• Jr. RHP Peyton Smith (2024: 7 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 12.00 ERA, 6 IP, 7 K, 4 BB, .433 B/AVG)
• Sr. LHP Troy Wansing (2024: 1 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 13.50 ERA, 2/3 IP, 0 K, 0 BB, .500 B/AVG)

Departing Players:

• Jr. INF Ali Camarillo (2024: 68 G, .288 AVG, 13 2B, 7 HR, 36 RBI, .432 SLG%, .384 OBP% – 12th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. C Jackson Appel (2024: 65 G, .331 AVG, 16 2B, 10 HR, 41 RBI, .534 SLG%, .422 OBP- 6th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. INF Ted Burton (2024: 63 G, .284 AVG, 13 2B, 9 HR, 44 RBI, .479 SLG%, .438 OBP% – Graduated)
• Jr. OF Braden Montgomery (2024: 61 G, .322 AVG, 14 2B, 27 HR, 85 RBI, .733 SLG%, .454 OBP% – 1st Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. UTIL Travis Chestnut (2024: 49 G, .262 AVG, 5 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, .411 SLG%, .441 OBP% – Graduated)
• Sr. UTIL Ryan Targac (2024: 26 G, .213 AVG, 5 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, .344 SLG%, .306 OBP% – Graduated)
• Sr. C Hank Bard (2024: 20 G, .222 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .333 SLG%, .349 OBP% – Graduated)
• Fr. INF Jack Bell (2024: 19 G, .250 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500 SLG%, .500 OBP% – Transferred to TCU)
• So. C Max Kaufer (2024: 14 G, .250 AVG, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .500 SLG%, .516 OBP% – Transferred to South Carolina)
• Fr. UTIL Jett Johnston (2024: 13 G, .188 AVG, 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .250 SLG%, .381 OBP% – Transferred to Auburn)
• R-Fr. INF Justin Vossos (2024: 7 G, .250 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .250 SLG%, .333 OBP% – Transferred to Texas State)

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• Sr. LHP Evan Aschenbeck (2024: 32 APP, 0 GS, 6-1, 1.78 ERA, 75 2/3 IP, 87 K, 12 BB, .198 B/AVG – 13th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. RHP Chris Cortez (2024: 25 APP, 3 GS, 10-3, 2.78 ERA, 64 2/3 IP, 102 K, 37 BB, .187 B/AVG – 2nd Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. RHP Tanner Jones (2024: 15 APP, 12 GS, 3-1, 6.33 ERA, 48 1/3 IP, 47 K, 19 BB, .310 B/AVG – 6th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• R-Sr. RHP Zane Badmaev (2024: 17 APP, 1 GS, 3-0, 2.59 ERA, 24 1/3 IP, 29 K, 5 BB, .200 B/AVG – Graduated)
• Sr. RHP Brock Peery (2024: 24 APP, 0 GS, 2-1, 3.54 ERA, 20 1/3 IP, 22 K, 17 BB, .095 B/AVG- Graduated)
• Jr. RHP Eldridge Armstrong III (2024: 4 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 7.71 ERA, 4 2/3 IP, 7 K, 2 BB, .300 B/AVG)
• Fr. RHP Brett Antolick (2024: 4 APP, 1 GS, 0-0, 9.64 ERA, 4 2/3 IP, 1 K, 2 BB, .409 B/AVG – Transferred to East Carolina)
• Fr. RHP Jason Bodin (2024: 2 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 K, 3 BB, .200 B/AVG – Transferred to Oklahoma)

Incoming Transfers:

• Jr. C Jacob Galloway (2024: 58 G, .286 AVG, 17 2B, 6 HR, 40 RBI, .451 SLG%, .386 OBP% – Transferred from USC)
• Sr. INF/OF Gavin Kash (2024: 56 G, .300 AVG, 17 2B, 15 HR, 51 RBI, .561 SLG%, .365 OBP% – Transferred from Texas Tech)
• Sr. INF Matt Bergevin (2024: 55 G, .287 AVG, 15 2B, 18 HR, 59 RBI, .627 SLG%, .418 OBP% – Transferred from Fairfield)
• Jr. UTIL Jamal George (2024: 50 G, .310 AVG, 10 2B, 9 HR, 35 RBI, .523 SLG%, .404 OBP% – Transferred from Alabama State)
• Sr. INF Wyatt Henseler (2024: 49 G, .360 AVG, 9 2B, 22 HR, 56 RBI, .755 SLG%, .465 OBP% – Transferred from Penn)
• So. C Connor Harrison (2024: 43 G, .322 AVG, 8 2B, 8 HR, 36 RBI, .541 SLG%, .410 OBP% – Transferred from Saint Mary’s)
• Jr. INF Ben Royo (2024: 27 G, .169 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .221 SLG%, .229 OBP% – Transferred from Rice)

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• Jr. LHP Myles Patton (2024: 11 APP, 11 GS, 4-3, 3.26 ERA, 66 1/3 IP, 85 K, 24 BB, .216 B/AVG – Transferred from Long Beach State)
• Jr. RHP Grant Cunningham (2024: 20 APP, 1 GS, 3-4, 2.86 ERA, 50 1/3 IP, 56 K, 16 BB, .222 B/AVG – Transferred from Washington)

The best returning offensive player and pitcher in College Baseball will both suit up for Texas A&M this season. D1Baseball’s Preseason SEC Player of the Year Jace LaViolette and D1Baseball’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year Ryan Prager are back to lead A&M in the first year of the Michael Earley era.

LaViolette, who is the top prospect from the SEC in the 2025 MLB Draft according to D1Baseball, is poised to become the next SEC superstar and No. 1 draft pick this season. As a sophomore last season, LaViolette hit for a .305 average with 16 doubles, 29 home runs, and 78 RBI.

Ryan Prager was actually selected in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels, but decided to return to school instead of sign pro. Prager, who compiled an insane K to walk ratio (124 to 20) last season, will now return to dominate non-conference and SEC batters.

Along with these two bonafide superstars, A&M also returns major contributors in outfielder Hayden Schott, third baseman Gavin Grahovac, and second baseman Kaeden Kent in the field. The Aggie pitching staff also returns a whopping 344 1/3 innings (58%) from last season’s team. It’s no surprise they are the Preseason pick to win it all.

Although the Aggies return an extremely strong core, they also hauled in the third (Saint Marys’ Wyatt Henseler) and fifth (Texas Tech’s Gavin Kash) best players in the entire Transfer Portal, according to D1Baseball. There isn’t a more talented team in all of College Baseball than this one.

Texas A&M is scheduled to face six SEC teams present in D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 25 Rankings this season (No. 3 LSU, at No. 4 Tennessee, at No. 5 Arkansas, at No. 8 Georgia, at No. 16 Vanderbilt, at No. 19 Texas), including a Men’s College World Series rematch at Tennessee the weekend of April 4-6. Also, their April 25-27 series against Texas is one of the most anticipated of the College Baseball season.

Kentucky will travel to Texas A&M the weekend of March 28-30 for a major weekend series against the Aggies. A&M handed the Cats their first loss in the Men’s College World Series last season. The Aggies are 14-8 all-time against Kentucky.