Aggies Improble SEC Title Run Ends Short In 10-4 Loss To Vanderbilt

Texas A&M came up just short to win their first SEC Championship on Sunday.

Jim Schlossnagle was hired following the 2021 season to bring prominence to Texas A&M Aggies baseball. An 18-year vet for TCU, Schlossnagle was a staple in Fort Worth, leading the Horned Frogs to five College World Series appearances. 

He's on the right trajectory to leave a similar impact in College Station two years into the gig but to be the best, you must beat the best. Few hover in the same stratosphere at Tim Corbin and Vanderbilt on the diamond. 

The fourth-seeded Commodores picked up their fourth Southeastern Conference Tournament title in program history Sunday, ending the 10th-seeded Aggies' improbable run through the Hoover, Ala., a game short. The 10-4 victory should guarantee home-field advantage for Vanderbilt entering both the regional and super-regional rounds beginning next week. 

For A&M, all that's left is to wait and keep on playing. Yes, Aggie nation, the Maroon and White's journey back to Omaha won't end at the Hoover Metroplex Sunday afternoon. 

"I'm super proud of our team the way we played the last 11 days," Schlossnagle said postgame to a pool of reporters just south of Birmingham, Ala. "We've been on the road for 11 days, played nine games ...just super disappointed. It's hard to get in this position when you have an opportunity to win a championship." 

We are tied! 🫧@kaufermax's 2-strike, 2-out RBI single scores Thompson and Minnich!

Bottom 6th | 4-4

📺 ESPN2
🔗 https://t.co/gGq5JunJra pic.twitter.com/VWsT88Ewtq

— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 28, 2023

Blue Bell Park is known for its "Olsen Magic," often given to the Ags that need it most. That College Station breeze blew a bit more than luck down eastbound to the Yellowhammer State for A&M over the previous six days. 

Timely hits were evident. Pitching performed adequately. Down but never out, the fighting kept delivering blows with bats until the final strike. Along the way, they found their niche that's needed to return to Omaha for a second consecutive season. 

"To have our backs against the wall this last week-and-a-half and then to get on a run, hopefully, we'll take into next week," first baseman Jack Moss said. 

A&M drew a 1-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to an RBI groundout from Max Kaufer. The Commodores responded in the bottom frame with four runs, three of which came on a moonshot blast from left fielder Troy LaNeve over the right-field fence. 

New life has struck A&M's arms, primarily in its starting pitching. Entering Hoover, the trio of Nathan Dettmer, Troy Wansing and Justin Lampkin featured an earned run average of over 6.1. Wansing and Lampkin each threw one-hitters in victories over seventh-seeded Tennessee and sixth-seeded South Carolina. 

Will Johnston, A&M's predominant closer through the regular season, picked up the first quality outing of his career, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out seven in six frames. Matthew Dillard, a transfer from Sam Houston, pitched 4.1 innings in two days and only allowed two hits. Relievers Evan Aschenbeck and Shane Sdao looked in control late in games.

"We just need to find a right-handed pitcher," Schlossnagle said. "That's been the story the whole season for us." 

Every starting player for A&M recorded a hit, including Kaufer, who came up clutch in the sixth with a two-run single to tie the game at four. The freshman catcher finished 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs, while Brett Minnich finished with a team-high two hits. 

The Aggies entered the eighth hoping to hold the Commodores' one-run lead. Instead, Vanderbilt tacked on five more to lead by six with three outs remaining. Second baseman RJ Austin was named the tournament's most outstanding player, finishing 2-for-3 Sunday with two runs and an RBI.

Chris Cortez (1-3) picked up the loss after allowing Vanderbilt to score on an RBI groundout from Parker Noland. Despite hurling 100 mph fastballs, two early hits were the difference. 

"I like the direction we're headed overall, but it tastes really bad right now," Schlossangle said. "It's tough to get in this spot. You want to be the team celebrating." 

While A&M must wait another season to bring home the SEC title, there's plenty for the program to celebrate before Monday's selection show. The Aggies rattled off six wins in 11 days, four of which were against nationally-ranked opponents. 

Should Wansing and Lampkin build off their Hoover heroics, the Aggies look to be in good hands entering the next round. Last season, A&M gained steam following a deep run in the SEC Tournament. In the College Station Regional, the Aggies rattled off three consecutive wins against Oral Roberts, Louisiana-Lafayette and TCU. 

They won back-to-back games in a best-of-three showdown against Louisville to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 2017 a week later. 

“The one thing is that this isn’t the end of our story — that’s the good part," said Moos. "We still have a lot of baseball to play. … I love these guys.”

A&M won't host a regional this year, but it could run the table and call whichever city home for longer than expected. Schlossnagle knows the potential of his roster. 

So does every contender looking to win the title at TD Ameritrade Park in three weeks. 

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