How Important Is A Series Win Over Mississippi State For Texas A&M Baseball?

The Aggies should make the SEC tournament, but their national tournament odds remain a mystery.

Texas A&M Aggies baseball was expected to build off its College World Series semifinals appearance entering Year 2 of the Jim Schlossnagle era. At this point, Schlossnagle just is hoping for a chance to head back to TD Ameritrade Park. 

The Aggies (30-22, 12-15) are coming off a series loss that could have pushed them over the edge into postseason contention. An 11-0 loss Sunday now has A&M fighting not to stay alive in the conference tournament picture but rather on the national stage. 

Ole Miss, which claimed its first national title last June over Oklahoma, was the first program eliminated from next month's SEC tournament in Hoover, Ala. Mississippi State, who won the CWS title in 2021, could follow suit with a series loss to the Aggies at home. 

The Bulldogs (26-24, 8-19 SEC) are on the verge of missing consecutive SEC tournaments for the first time since 2010. They only control a third of their destiny for a date in the outskirts of Birmingham. A&M controls another third, and the combination of Georgia and Missouri pick up the last bits. 

For Mississippi State to guarantee a higher seed in the tournament, it would need to sweep the Aggies, plus have Missouri lose all three contests to Auburn. The Bulldogs would also need LSU to sweep Georgia in Baton Rouge to avoid a tiebreaker with the SEC East program.

As for the Aggies, who currently rank fifth in the SEC West standings, a series sweep over MSU would likely keep them in contention for a top-eight seed. A series win would probably garner a top-10 spot. Being swept, however, could force A&M into a one-game elimination showdown on May 23. 

Alabama (35-17, 13-14 SEC), which is 5-2 since the firing of Brad Bohannon, would need to either be swept or lose two of three to Ole Miss in its season finale, while A&M would have to pick up a road sweep to move up the standings. Alabama thwarted the Aggies Sunday evening after a seven-hour rain delay.

The game was initially called by both Schlossnagle and Crimson Tide interim head coach Jason Jackson, but Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne made a last-second push to have it played.

"We needed to play, and we needed to win, and we didn’t," Schlossnagle said postgame. "I met with the players. I sent them home, and apparently … their athletic director got involved, and the league put a hold on it.”

In the NCAA's latest Field of 68 predictions, the Aggies are projected to play in the Stillwater Regional as the No. 3-seed along with top-ranked Oklahoma State, No. 2-seed Dallas Baptist and No. 4-seed Oral Roberts. A&M is one of 11 projected programs from the SEC to make this year's tournament. 

Thursday's first pitch from Dudy Noble Field in Starkville is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Aggies return Friday for a 6 p.m. start time and close out the regular season Saturday at 2 p.m. 

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