Texas A&M baseball is faced with one of its most challenging tasks of the season this weekend, as the Aggies welcome the No. 8 Auburn Tigers to Bryan-College Station on Saturday.
In just his second campaign as the Aggie skipper, Michael Earley has led his team to five-straight SEC series wins. Texas A&M holds firm control of second place in the current league standings, just 0.5 games behind the first-place Georgia Bulldogs, but that could all come crashing down if the lineup struggles against the top pitching staff in the conference.
Auburn’s rotation boasts a combined 3.29 ERA and 438 total strikeouts so far this season. Jake Marciano, whom the Aggies will face on Saturday, ranks second in the league with a 2.04 ERA through 61.2 innings pitched. The left-hander is also tied for fourth with 82 strikeouts in 2026.
While excellent pitching has been the Tigers’ speciality, the road team’s lineup is equally electric. Auburn ranks fourth in the SEC with a .300 team batting average, with infielder Eric Guevara leading the charge as one of the best hitters in the country. Guevera boasts a .380 batting average with 10 home runs thus far.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M has flashed its power at the plate by notching 17 wins, scoring 10 runs or more. The Aggies are third with a .310 team batting average, with the electrifying duo of Caden Sorrell and Gavin Grahovac leading the way in multiple hitting categories. Entering the weekend, Sorrell has recorded 20 home runs, which is good for second in the SEC.
Follow along with live coverage of Texas A&M’s series-opening double-header against the Auburn Tigers at Olsen Field:
The Aggies drop their first series since March 21 against Georgia, losing the doubleheader to Auburn by scores of 18-5 and 5-4. Texas A&M struggled in all aspects, but especially their pitching rotation. The Aggie bullpen allowed 28 total hits and 23 total runs in the two games against the Tigers. While Sims and Lyons had a much better outing compared to the Game 1 efforts, it wasn’t enough to topple a powerful and hungry Auburn lineup.
Guevara grounds into a double play to end the inning. Texas A&M has three outs to work with.
Harrison’s RBI double scores Hacopian to cut the lead down to just one run.
Hacopian draws a lead-off walk, as the Aggies aim to get things going down two runs to the Tigers.
Nothing going for the Aggies in the seventh. We head to the eighth at Blue Bell Park, with Texas A&M still trailing Auburn, 5-3.
Lyons does a nice job of stranding more runners in the seventh to keep the Tigers at bay.
Guevara reaches on a throwing error and Fralick is intentionally walked. One out and a runner in scoring position for the Tigers in the seventh.
The Aggies go down in order in the sixth frame.
Gavin Lyons enters the contest for Sims and does a nice job leaving a Tiger stranded in scoring position.
Nice job on the mound by Sims thus far. He leaves a runner stranded in the fifth. While he’s allowed seven hits and three earned runs, Sims also has four strikeouts and just one walk.
Chestnut’s two-RBI triple puts them within two with a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth.
Sorrell’s solo home run marks the first run of the contest for the Aggies.
The Tigers tack on two more runs from Terrell’s two-run home run. Auburn is dominating again in Game 2.
Carter’s RBI single in the top of the second extended Auburn’s lead in Game 2. Fralick notches his second home run of the game in the third.
Three straight pop-ups from the Aggies in the first end the inning.
Fralick’s solo homer gets Auburn on the board in the first.
The Tigers crushed the Aggies, 18-5, in seven innings in the series opener at Blue Bell Park on Saturday. Texas A&M’s pitching staff allowed 19 hits and three home runs, while walking five hitters in the loss. The Aggie lineup struggled to find success against Alvarez, who notched 11 strikeouts in a complete-game win. The second game of the doubleheader is slated to begin at 5 p.m. CT.
McCraine’s three-run homer has put this one way out of reach for Texas A&M. The Aggies trail by 13 in the home half of the seventh.
Grahovac’s second homer of the contest is a two-run shot to cut the lead down to 10.
Bingaman secures his third RBI of the day with a two-out double. Auburn leads by 12 in the fifth with two runners in scoring position.
A fielding error and Fralick’s RBI single allow two more runs to cross home for Auburn. We’re entering run-rule territory if Texas A&M can’t start climbing back.
Belyeu’s RBI single plates a run for the Tigers. One out and two runners on base in the top of the fifth, as Auburn continues to add to its lead.
The Aggies go down in order in the bottom of the fourth. Alvarez has struck out eight so far.
The Tigers put up a four-spot in the fourth inning to extend their lead over the Aggies.
Fralick’s two-run homer extends Auburn’s lead over Texas A&M. It is followed by another two-run homer, this time from Bingaman. It is all Tigers in College Station.
Grahovac’s solo home run was the only run scored for the Aggies in the third. Texas A&M is down four runs entering the fourth.
Grahovac leads off with a home run to left field.
McCraine steals home for another run to end the top of the third at Blue Bell Park. The Tigers hold a commanding five-run lead over the Aggies.
Wilson’s two-run homer in the second cuts the Tigers’ lead to four runs entering the third inning in College Station. Auburn plated two more runs in the top of the second on RBI singles from Belyeu and Guevara.
Carter doubles and drives in another. Two runners are in scoring position with no outs for the Tigers.
Madrigal drives a two-RBI single into right field. It is all Tigers early.
B. McCraine’s RBI single plates the first run of the game for Auburn and gives them a 1-0 lead with the bases still jammed and no outs.
The Tigers have the bases loaded after another walk.
Rembert’s lead-off single and Bingaman’s walk have the Tigers in scoring position and looking to strike in the second.
The Aggies leave a runner stranded, as Alvarez strikes out two in the first.
Hacopian secures a two-out single to left-center field for the Aggies, after Grahovac and Sorrell struck out and grounded out.
Sdao forces Guevera to fly out in his first at-bat of the contest. He follows that by picking off McCraine at first and ending the inning with a strikeout. An incredible job by Sdao to bounce back from hitting McCraine to leave Auburn empty in the first.
McCraine is hit by a pitch from Sdao and the Tigers have a runner on first with no outs to begin the game.
Texas A&M:
- 1B, Gavin Grahovac
- CF, Caden Sorrell
- DH, Chris Hacopian
- LF, Jake Duer
- 3B, Nico Partida
- C, Bear Harrison
- RF, Jorian Wilson
- 2B, Sawyer Farr
- SS, Boston Kellner
Auburn:
- RF, Mason McCraine
- 3B, Eric Guevara
- C, Chase Fralick
- 2B, Chris Rembert
- 1B, Ethin Bingaman
- LF, Bub Terrell
- SS, Brandon McCraine
- DH, Eddie Madrigal
- CF, Bristol Carter
Game schedule
Game 1 – May 2 at 1 p.m. CT
Channel: SEC Network
Texas A&M: LHP Shane Sdao
Stats: 3-3, 5.72 ERA, 56.2 IP, 66 K, 13 BB
Auburn: RHP Andreas Alvarez
Stats: 7-2, 2.22 ERA, 52.2 IP, 69 K, 18 BB
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Game 2 – May 2 at 45 minutes following Game 1
Channel: SEC Network +
Texas A&M: RHP Aiden Sims
Stats: 8-0, 3.45 ERA, 60.0 IP, 64 K, 17 BB
Auburn: LHP Jake Marciano
Stats: 3-3, 2.04 ERA, 61.2 IP, 82 K, 9 BB
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Game 3 – May 3 at 1 p.m. CT
Streaming: SEC Network +
Texas A&M: TBD
Stats: N/A
Auburn: RHP Alex Petrovic
Stats: 7-1, 2.83 ERA, 60.1 IP, 61 K, 14 BB
Ways to follow the series
TV/Streaming: SEC Network / ESPN App
Radio: Locally Sports Radio 1150/93.7 The Zone
Social: Follow the @AggiesBaseball on X for updates
Internet: 12thMan.com / 12th Man Mobile app for live play-by-play
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
