Heading to Omaha: How A 2-Game Storybook Series Gave Texas A&M 8th College World Series Berth

The Texas A&M Aggies faced plenty of adversity on their way to the final round of the NCAA Tournament. Here's how they overcame it, and how they plan to move forward in Omaha.

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle celebrates after sweeping Oregon in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional series at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Both hands in the air like many of his other teammates, Texas A&M Aggies infielder Kaeden Kent let the novelty of the biggest moment of his collegiate career engulf him.

The sophomore, not two seconds before, was on the ground in a forced slide as he cleared the area around first base to catch a fly ball that would send his team to the Men's College World Series. To no one's surprise, he made the catch, stood up and began celebrating in front of a packed house at Olsen Field.

The Aggies might not have been the home team on paper, but there was no doubt about it on this particular evening. As bubbles filled the air from Aggie faithful, confetti shot up and water began to spray, all in a matter of seconds. The excitement was palpable. And why?

Another installment of Olsen Magic had made its way into the history books for Texas A&M.

"That's representative of the 12th Man and what Texas A&M is all about," Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle said, describing the scene of a team winning in front of its home crowd. "It's not just the nine guys on the field. ... It's the entire family of Texas A&M. You feel it."

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M fans chant during the fourth inning against Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Schlossnagle was right. The Aggies entered their NCAA Tournament Super Regional matchup against the Oregon Ducks hoping to benefit from SEC play and home field. The latter was certainly true as Texas A&M's visitors headed to their locker room to pack up and go home for the season.

But how did they get here?

How did Schlossnagle end up drenched at home plate? How did Kent become the unlikely hero of the Aggies' Game 2 victory over Oregon to send them to their 8th Men's College World Series appearance in program history?

The long answer includes stories, anecdotes and symbols. Colored Texas A&M faced plenty of adversity getting to where it was. But the short answer, on the other hand, was much simpler.

The Aggies never stopped trying.

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M celebrates after sweeping Oregon in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional series at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

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Ninety feet to home plate.

It seems simple. Rounding third base en route to a run isn't anything new to any collegiate baseball player, and certainly not one as highly-touted as Braden Montgomery. He'd made the play many times before, and — being a top-5 projected pick in the MLB Draft — he was set to make it many more times.

Instead of a routine play, however, the Aggies' star ended his season on a bad plant.

As Montgomery went for a slide to neutralize a two-run lead Oregon had mounted in the top of the first inning in Game 1 of the Super Regional, his ankle endured a scary twist, leaving him lying on the dirt for several minutes before being helped off the field in an air cast.

A few innings later, and Montgomery had a full cast on his foot and sat in a chair in Texas A&M's dugout watching the rest of his teammates try and secure a series lead. The injury was a result of a late send from third base coach Nolan Cain, who allowed the junior to make a run for home as the outfield was already fielding a ball hit past the infield.

Had Cain opted to keep Montgomery at third base, the next at-bat would have brought him in, but dwelling on that only feeds a mindset the Aggies cannot afford to have.

Schlossnagle made that clear.

"The only person that feels worse than Braden is Nolan right now," the Aggies' coach expressed when asked Montgomery's untimely injury. "I'm sure he wishes something different would have happened, but that has nothing to do with it. It has nothing to do with it."

Jun 8, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery (6) is looked at by the medical staff and home plate umpire Mark Wagers after sliding into home plate during the first inning against Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Would have, could have.

There isn't any telling how the Aggies' series would have unfolded with Montgomery in the mix. It just as easily could have meant a swifter, less dramatic finish to baseball at Olsen Field, but that's not the way the story goes. That's not how it went.

Texas A&M knew it had to keep playing. And, from losing Montgomery onward, it had motivation.

Season-long starter Ryan Prager began on the mound Saturday afternoon, and as much as the Aggies would have liked to lean on his throws while figuring out a way to patch the hole left by Montgomery, they couldn't.

Prager didn't even last two innings, which left Chris Cortez to clean up the mess and keep his team in striking distance. That wasn't what he was focused on, though.

"I don't try to come in and pitch to the scoreboard," Cortez said of relieving Prager in Game 1. "My job is to get outs. Prager has been awesome all year — it was just an opportunity for me to go pick them up. ... That's my job. Just go out there and put up zeros." 

Jun 8, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M pitcher Chris Cortez (10) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

As Cortez threw, the Aggies found something to rally behind. They'd lost their best hitter and outfielder, but having a foundation to build on at the mound allowed them to erase the deficit that grew in the early innings — maxing out at three runs — en route to a victory.

Had it not been for the hot-handed pitcher, the Aggies wouldn't have been able to both avenge their star batter or enter Game 2 with a lead instead of a win-or-go-home ultimatum. That made Cortez the hero for both teams' first go round, and rightfully so.

After all, he stepped up to the moment.

"Given the moment, it was his best," Schlossnagle said. "This was his first Super Regional, but ... what he's done is when we take the lead, (he's) continuing to fill up the strike zone. ... He did awesome. Super proud of Chris." 

Winning Game 1 was the first obstacle the Aggies overcame. It wasn't an easy task, especially after being rattled by the loss of Montgomery, but it also wasn't the only one in their path. Game 2 still loomed, and was arguably harder knowing Montgomery wouldn't be there the entire time.

Well, he'd be there. Just not on the field.

That was Texas A&M's next task.

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle looks on prior to the game against Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

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Jim Schlossnagle gave Aggie fans a fair warning before Game 2.

The writing was on the wall. Montgomery likely wasn't going to return for the rest of the series and, in line with fans' biggest fears, the rest of the season. It wasn't the first time that an injury of that caliber at such a late point in the season had happened to a player on a Schlossnagle-coached, but the prior incidents came during his tenure with other schools.

With the Aggies was a first. But he didn't want to draw attention to it and get caught up in a battle of "what could have been," so he didn't. And he instructed his team's fanbase to follow suit.

"(To) all the second-guessers: 'Just don't even show up tomorrow,'" Schlossnagle said. "Just don't even come to the freaking game." 

They didn't. Instead, Blue Bell Park was packed on the night that was set to be one to remember. With Montgomery out, the Aggies were tasked with filling his place. Someone else would need to step up and make an impact in order to avoid a dreaded elimination game the next day.

That someone turned out to be Kent.

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M infielder Kaeden Kent (3) hits a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning against Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

In the top of the seventh inning, the Aggies were seemingly up against it. Another shaky start on the mound — all three of Shane Sdao, Brad Rudis, and Tanner Jones combined for seven runs allowed before three innings had passed — led to the Aggies' early-game deficit.

On offense, they'd mustered up four runs through seven innings, which wasn't entirely disappointing, but it wasn't enough to secure a lead. That changed the "home" team's mindset.

"When we get down by X number of runs from the seventh inning on, it's called catch-up baseball," Schlossnagle explained of the Aggies' game plan toward the end of the night. "You just need a plan."

For the Aggies, that plan meant outlasting the pitcher on the mound. For Oregon, that was Brock Moore, who ultimately fell victim to Texas A&M's plan, giving up the game one pitch at a time. It's truly a demoralizing way to lose, but Schlossnagle and company weren't caught up in emotion.

They wanted to win.

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Ali Camarillo was up first in the top of the seventh. A first-pitch ball gave him the early advantage at the plate, but a strike and a foul ball to follow stacked the odds against him. He prevailed anyway, taking three straight balls.

Walked.

Kent came up next and notched a base hit to advance Camarillo to third, but Travis Chesnut struck out looking before any more movement was had. After him, it was Jackson Appel.

Four pitches later?

Walked.

At this point, Kent was on second, Camarillo was on third and Appel was on first. That made it Jace LaViolette's turn to bat. He only swung once.

Walked.

Suddenly, the Aggies had their first run of the inning, yet only one of their base runners had successfully tallied a hit. They were simply reaping the benefits of shaky pitching, but still, Oregon felt comfortable enough to keep Moore in the game. So, the inning continued.

Gavin Grahovac stepped up to the plate a little overzealous. With the bases loaded, he wanted to get his chance at batting in some runs, so he swung twice in a row for fouls. Then, he struck out.

Unfortunately for Moore, striking out Grahovac wasn't enough momentum to regain his confidence. With the pressure on him from the jeering crowd, Moore next faced Hayden Schott. He, too, swung just one time.

Walked.

What once was a four-run lead for Oregon was now a two-run lead and still, the bases were loaded. For Moore's sake, the good ending would be that he got out of the inning before things got worse. But that wasn't how it went. Ted Burton stepped up to bat and took two pitches.

One for a ball and one to the ribs.

Another run scored for the Aggies, and Caden Sorrell stepped up to the plate with a chance to tie the game. He took his time with Moore, forcing an eight-pitch at-bat and swinging twice. The result?

Walked. Tie game.

"Obviously, I'm sure their pitcher Moore doesn't feel great," Schlossnagle said of the horrific outing Oregon's senior put up in the seventh inning. "The crowd played a role ... but he's had I think, a pretty good season for them."

Oregon right-handed pitcher Brock Moore throws out a pitch as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at PK Park in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

No matter the season he had, Moore gave up the lead in what turned out to be a nightmarish outing with crunch time fast approaching. Finally, Oregon made a pitching change to try and get out of the inning without losing the lead, putting in Jaxon Jordan as relief.

Ali Camarillo was up again. A first-pitch ball gave him an early advantage, but a strike evened the count before he took three more pitches. All balls.

Walked.

As Kent stepped up the plate for the second time in the inning, he had a lot less pressure on his back. He'd already hit the only base hit of the inning for the Aggies and scored — plus, his team had the lead. But, he was determined to get more.

"I wasn't really thinking about much except for, 'Let's score some runs in this game'," Kent said following the game. "The next at-bat (came) up in the same inning ... (and) I just went up to the plate with the same approach."

It took seven pitches for that determination to pay off.

Kent stepped away from the plate after six pitches from Jordan left him with a 2-2 count. He thought about his strategy and how he planned to to get a second hit in the same inning, taking a deep breath in the process. Then, he came back to the batter's box, squared up and swung.

Grand slam.

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M infielder Kaeden Kent (3) hits a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning against Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

"It was a heater," Kent said. "A 2-2 heater. I've never hit a baseball and been able to ... take in the moment (like that). That was the first time I've been able to do that. It was awesome."

Kent watched as the ball soared over the home-run fence, trotting the bases with one hand pointed at the sky. He took his time rounding the bags, knowing that when he got to home plate, he'd be embraced by his teammates — all of which wanted nothing more than a win and a trip to Omaha.

Before he got there, however, he made sure to acknowledge the fans that wanted the same thing.

"Rounding third, I was pointing to the fans," Kent said. "I was pointing to them because they played, honestly, probably the biggest role in that inning. It was so special to play in front of them."

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M infielder Kaeden Kent (3) hits a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning against Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

With Montgomery gone, Kent turned out to be the Aggies' unlikely hero. He hadn't notched more than 2 plate appearances in a game — the mark of a true rotational role — since May 10th, which was over a month prior to Game 2. In fact, that was a point of contention between him and Schlossnagle.

"He's been pissed," the Aggies' coach said. "And that's fine. I don't expect guys to be happy with not playing, but just go out there, take the ground balls, and give us swings. When he hits a homer in (batting practice), he always makes sure I see it. I tell him I see every single time:

"'I'm just so proud of him.'"

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Bubbles didn't stop blowing above Olsen Field throughout the entirety of the Aggies' post-game celebration.

When Kent stood back up — arms in the air — from notching the final out just behind first base, water began spraying from the Aggies' dugout. Confetti shot into the air and the Powerade jug was brought out. Texas A&M had officially any and all of the adversity it faced against the Oregon Ducks.

As special as the moment was, however, no player was as important as Texas A&M's injured star.

Braden Montgomery, with a full cast on his right foot and a pair of crutches helping support him when he wasn't walking with his teammates, was brought, carefully, to the center of the Aggies' celebration.

Instead of the Aggies' gray uniform pants, the junior had basketball shorts on. Instead of cleats, he had on a pair of slides — on his left foot, anyway. But on his head? He wore the same had as the rest of his teammates.

"Champs."

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M celebrates after sweeping Oregon in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional series at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

"I told the team after (Game 1) that now, Braden's challenge is to be the greatest teammate to everybody else that everybody's been to him," Schlossnagle said, re-defining Montgomery's role moving forward. "He helped us get to (this) point, and he'll be a great teammate moving forward."

The Aggies' job was to get Montgomery "back to Omaha," and they did that. He'd been integral to their overall success, and even without playing in Game 2, he was an inspiration to his teammates.

Now, they move forward.

"The fact that we're going to Omaha is pretty elite," Schott said of Texas A&M advancing to the Men's College World Series. "I can't say I've ever gotten close to that. ... I've never been part of such a crazy team — a team where one of our best players goes down and we have a guy ... who steps up and hits a grand slam in a Super Regional. It's just so deep. I think that's what makes it so special."

The Aggies have talent up and down their roster. They know that. It's a big reason why they spent multiple weeks with the No. 1 overall seed in the country. It's why they never pressed the panic button, even when they were eliminated in two games in the SEC Tournament.

Instead, they remained themselves.

"It takes a village," Schott said. "Our village showed out today. We could have really easily just sat back and waited for tomorrow, (but we didn't). I'm so proud of these guys."

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M celebrates after sweeping Oregon in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional series at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Schlossnagle echoed that sentiment.

"They're all special," he said of any trip to Omaha with a national title on the line. "I mean, this is all the things we do. ... We work all year for this and our entire lives. So I never take it for granted."

Watching Montgomery's season end in one play reminded the Aggies of that. Watching Cortez save Game 1 reminded them of that. Seeing bubbles at Olsen for the last time of the season reminded them of that. The Aggies won't be taking anything for granted.

And with Omaha ahead, they can't.

Not even a little bit.

"You never know when you're going to get a chance to go back," Schlossnagle said. "Hopefully, there'll be more seasons for me. ... But these guys, they only get a limited window of time. It's going to be fun to pull up to the stadium when we land on Wednesday and see their eyes.

"It's awesome."