Gavin Grahovac Latest Aggie to Hit Transfer Portal Amid Jim Schlossnagle's Departure

The SEC's Freshman of the Year was envisioned to have a strong career in Aggieland, but now, he'll be looking elsewhere amid the departure of Jim Schlossnagle, the coach who recruited and coached him all-season long.

Jun 19, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies third baseman Gavin Grahovac (9) sits on the base after being thrown out against the Florida Gators during the second inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing on his social media would indicate that anything other than a tough loss in a championship game had occurred within the walls of Olsen Field and the Texas A&M Aggies baseball program, but Gavin Grahovac has had quite the 48 hours.

After losing to Tennessee in the College World Series Final, falling just one run short of taking Game 3 and winning the series outright, Grahovac watched as many of his older teammates came to terms with their careers waning or coming to an end.

He didn't relate to them in that sense, as he was just a freshman and likely had a few more seasons before making the move to the MLB Draft, if he progressed the way he'd shown early on, but all of a sudden, questions surrounding his future were posed.

Jim Schlossnagle, the coach who recruited and coached him all season long, was leaving in what was a shocking move for everyone involved. Not 24 hours earlier, he'd affirmed his allegiance to the Aggies and to building up a program that was seeing clear improvements with him at the helm, but that didn't stop him from cutting the rope and letting them fall.

Jun 24, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies third baseman Gavin Grahovac (9) and designated hitter Hayden Schott (5) look over the field after the loss against the Tennessee Volunteers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

He was the first domino. Without him, Texas A&M faced the tall order of finding a new coach in the midst of prime recruitment season, and the program — feeling reassured by Schlossnagle's comments — faced an identity crisis.

If he left, that meant many of the players he left would likely follow suit, but in the off chance that they didn't, maybe they'd be able to save face, especially if it was someone like Jace LaViolette or Grahovac. That didn't end up being the case.

LaViolette is now in the portal, the Aggies are nowhere closer to finding a coach and Grahovac is now also in the transfer portal looking to find a program he can develop with for the remainder of his college career.

LaViolette and Grahovac headline an outgoing transfer class also including postseason standout Kaeden Kent, Jack Bell, and Max Kaufer. Many of those Aggies either did play large roles in making their team as competitive as it was in Omaha or were set to have bigger roles next season.

Now, none of those things matter. Losing Grahovac, especially, stings for the Aggies as he was the youngest of them all. The SEC's Freshman of the Year was envisioned to have a strong career in Aggieland, but now, he'll be looking elsewhere.

Schlossnagle's heartbreaking departure already hurt. Losing the players he brought it just makes it worse for the Aggie fans. Their baseball program has fallen quite far in the last few days.