Kaeden Kent Withdraws Name From Transfer Portal, Announces Return to Texas A&M

Kaeden Kent is the latest member of last season's Texas A&M Aggies squad to announce his return under new coach Michael Earley, paving the way for them to continue building on their momentum next year.

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 are welcoming back another key piece of their postseason roster.

Kaeden Kent, as announced Wednesday, is withdrawing his name from the transfer portal, and returning to College Station under new coach Michael Earley.

A rising junior with the Aggies, Kent spent a majority of the season out of the lineup, pleading for a spot from then-coach Jim Schlossnagle. He didn't get it, however, until Braden Montgomery exited Game 1 of Texas A&M's super regional matchup against the Oregon Ducks with an ankle injury.

For a brief period of time, Montgomery's injury seemed like a nail in the coffin for the Aggies. Without their best hitter, finding a groove on offense was going to be difficult, not to mention he had just come out the slump he was in.

Kent solved that issue.

Behind him, the Aggies were able to overcome Oregon in two games and advance to the College World Series, where he began with a batting average higher than .500 through 18 plate appearances. He ultimately didn't provide the spark that his squad needed to beat the Tennessee Volunteers, but his performance all around made him one of the top returning prospects.

And then Schlossnagle left. Kent, like many other Aggies, put his name into the transfer portal and it seemed as if Texas A&M would have to start from scratch. That's no longer the case.

“Like I said, nobody better,” Kent wrote on Instagram before adding a "Gig 'Em" hashtag.

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A post shared by Kaeden Kent (@kaeden_kent)

The junior's return means that the Aggies will be keeping their core intact. Jace LaViolette, Gavin Grahovac, Hayden Schott and Ali Camarillo all joined Kent in returning to Texas A&M, and a few more — namely Jackson Appel and Evan Aschenbeck — have yet to decide, but have been rumored to want to return as well.

Kent might be the latest to put his faith in Earley's system in College Station, but he's certainly not the only. Next season's Aggies now have a chance to keep their momentum going in pursuit of another College World Series appearance.

It seems that things are back on track.

And Earley couldn't be happier.

"In the age we live with the portal and NIL, some of these guys are making business decisions. That's just what it is," Earley said. "I wish we had them all. I don't think that's going to be the case, but if we can get the core nucleus, awesome. ... I fully embrace where we're at."