Texas A&M falls to Rice 9-5 in first fall scrimmage, newcomer shines
· Yahoo Sports
Texas A&M's 2027 baseball season is tough to predict this early in the preseason, as coach Michael Earley enters his third season at the helm with plenty of pressure after the Aggies' early exit in the NCAA Tournament, primarily due to the program's pitching issues that directly led to USC winning the College Station Regional.
However, Earley made several key changes to his staff, hiring former MLB pitching coach Barry Enright, who helped land six pitchers from the transfer portal, while star closer Clayton Freshcorn opted to return for a final season after his impressive string of performances in 2026, serving as the program's most reliable arm outside of sophomore Aiden Sims.
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After eight players were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, including star hitters Gavin Grahovac, Caden Sorrell, and one-year rental Chris Hacopian, Earley and his staff went to work in the transfer portal, landing former Clemson catcher Nate Savoie, former Texas A&M and TCU infield Jack Bell, Oklahoma transfer outfielder Alec Blair, and former Western Kentucky IN/OF Lane Arroyos.
On Friday, Texas A&M faced Rice at Blue Bell Park for its first preseason scrimmage and fell 9-5 after multiple errors and early struggles at the plate, which limited Clayton Freshcorn's four-strikeout performance. However, Nate Savoie looked the part, registering an RBI double in his preseason debut, while the Aggie bullpen, especially Texas State transfer Wade Cooper, looked vastly improved and could be a strength for Barry Enright this coming season.
Texas A&M will face off against McNeese next Friday, October 16, at 7 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M falls to Rice 9-5 in first fall scrimmage, newcomer shines