Late Grand Slam vs. Oregon Helps Texas A&M Punch Ticket to College World Series

The Texas A&M Aggies took to Olsen Field to face the Oregon Ducks for Game 2 of the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals, punching their ticket to Omaha in the process behind a late grand slam from Kaeden 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

The Texas A&M Aggies didn't want to believe they'd be in trouble if they were to fall to the Oregon Ducks in Game 2. They didn't want to think about a win-or-go-home scenario, either.

Luckily for them, they didn't have to do either. After securing a 10-6 victory in Game 1, coach Jim Schlossnagle's squad punched its ticket to the Men's College World Series in Omaha with a 15-9 victory at Olsen Field Sunday night.

A game that started much later in the evening than Game 1 was certainly to attract more attention from fans, which would only help the Aggies' home-field advantage. Add on the extra motivation they got from losing Braden Montgomery in the first inning the day before, and you had a fired-up team.

That couldn't have been more true in the top of the seventh inning.

As Kaeden Kent stepped up to the plate ahead of the seventh pitch of his at-bat, he knew what was at stake. His Aggies had just taken the lead after entering the inning with a four-run deficit. A string of bad pitches had caused the bases to fill, which led to a few walked-in runs.

By time it was Kent's turn to bat, his team had a lead, but wanted more insurance to take the upper hand headed down the stretch. When the seventh pitch came and went, the Aggies had that and more. His second career grand slam was marked by a five-run lead that the home team ultimately never gave back — sending the Aggies to Omaha and Oregon back to Eugene.

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

The Ducks started hot in a similar way to Game 1 — a byproduct of poor performances from both Shane Sdao and Brad Rudis. Through two innings, they had a four-run lead that the Aggies had to claw back from, which was answered by three more runs from both squads that led to the eventful seventh inning. Had it not been for those three outs, both squads could have been preparing for a winner-take-all matchup on Monday evening.

Now, Texas A&M won't have to worry about that.

Another home run from Hayden Schott — an overall standout from the Super Regional — added even more cushion for the Aggies over their visitors, and told the story of the latter innings of the game. While they were certainly still feeling the effects of losing Montgomery, it didn't show on the field as the ninth inning came and went with only one solo home run from Oregon to make it a 15-9 win for them. As the final pitch was caught in the infield, the celebration commenced and the Aggies' home stand ended successfully — and without a loss.

Next up for Texas A&M is a trip to Omaha to await their full bracket in the Men's College World Series. There, they will have a chance to compete for a national title with seven other squads in their eighth appearance in program history.

Games for the final round of the NCAA Tournament begin Friday, June 14.