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Texas A&M Star Jace LaViolette Headlines Multiple Aggies to Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Following the departure of head coach Jim Schlossnagle, the Texas A&M Aggies have lost star outfielder Jace LaViolette to the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Matt Galatzan

Jun 24, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies right fielder Jace Laviolette (17) walks off as catcher Jackson Appel (20) walks up to bat during the sixth inning against the Tennessee Volunteers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies right fielder Jace Laviolette (17) walks off as catcher Jackson Appel (20) walks up to bat during the sixth inning against the Tennessee Volunteers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas A&M Aggies lost head coach Jim Schlossnagle in a heartbreaking move on Tuesday when he was hired by the arch-rival Texas Longhorns.

And now, Schlossnagle's decision is starting to affect the roster.

On Wednesday, star Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette elected to leave the program and enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per reports from D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers.

The news comes just 24 hours after LaViolette tweeted his thanks to the Texas A&M faithful, and insinuated that he was set to return next season.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything y’all did for us throughout the year, if you’re in the portal you're missing out if you don’t want to be a part of the best university in the nation," LaViolette tweeted in a since-deleted post. "This is where people come to be great! Let’s go get it done next year!

Laviolette was arguably the best player on the Aggies roster in 2024, hitting 29 home runs (the sixth most in the nation), and scoring 87 runs with 78 RBI. The left-handed slugger also notched 71 walks/HBPs, 78 total hits, three triples and 16 doubles in 67 games.

He ended his 2024 campaign hitting .307 with an on-base percentage of .453, a slugging percentage of .736, and an OPS of 1.189.

As it stands, it is unclear where LaViolette will ultimately end up. That said, based on the situation with Schlossnagle, the idea that he could end up heading to the rival Longhorns should not be entirely ruled out.

Now, since LaViolette's decision, multiple other Aggies have elected to enter the portal as well, most notably freshman Gavin Grahovac, who hit .298 with 23 home runs and 66 RBI in 2024.

Also reportedly joining LaViolette and Grahovac are Hayden Schott, Kaeden Kent, Max Kaufer, James Bell III, and Jake Hembree.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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