Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian practices Aug. 28, 2025 in College Station.
Sydney Stevenson/Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian practices Aug. 28, 2025 in College Station.
Sydney Stevenson/Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M head baseball coach Michael Earley (right) talks with a player during practice Aug. 28, 2025 in College Station.
Sydney Stevenson/Texas A&M Athletics
COLLEGE STATION — All offseason, Texas A&M baseball had to hear about what it failed to accomplish last year.
From preseason consensus No. 1 team in the country to watching its season end against the eventual national champions in the SEC Tournament, nothing went as the Aggies expected in 2025.Â
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Monday marked a new chance for the Aggies to redeem themselves. The team starts its season in about a month, Feb. 13 against Tennessee Tech.
MORE:Â Texas A&M baseball’s Caden Sorrell and Chris Hacopian named preseason All-Americans
“I think we did all that in the fall,” pitcher Josh Stewart said about rehashing last year’s struggles. “But I think today, it’s just gotta be a clean slate.”
Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley talks to players during the SEC Baseball Tournament Quarterfinals game between LSU and Texas A&M on May 23, 2025, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With 2025 in the rearview, A&M baseball ‘on a mission’ this year
The Aggies weren’t ranked in Baseball America’s preseason top 25 last week and came in at No. 25 in D1 Baseball’s poll released Monday. It’s a far cry from the team that finished 2024 just a win shy of the national title, then came into 2025 with four preseason All-Americans.
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But such a fall off is predictable after a 30-26 finish and 11-19 record in conference play. Despite the drastic change in preseason hype, head coach Michael Earley likes what he has seen from his players.
“I just think we have a group of guys that know we’re on a mission, and there’s no one that’s going to get in the way of that mission,” said Earley, who’s entering his second season as the Aggies’ skipper.
Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian practices Aug. 28, 2025 in College Station.
Sydney Stevenson/Sydney Stevenson/Texas A&M Athletics
This offseason, A&M signed the 18th-ranked portal class, which included star Maryland shortstop Chris Hacopian, who earned second-team All-American honors. With returning sluggers like Gavin Grahovac and Caden Sorrell, who also earned second-team All-American honors, the Aggies once again project to have serious power in the middle of their lineup.
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Earley cited the team’s approach in the fall as a reason he’s bullish on its chances.
“I just saw this very mature approach for the day-to-day, from top to bottom,” Earley said. “I got some really good leaders that have been through all types of different situations in this program.”
Aggies acknowledge chip on their shoulder this seasonÂ
Grahovac, who missed all but six games last season, is one of the leaders Earley mentioned. The third baseman said he has been fully healthy for a couple of months now and is eager to get back on the diamond.
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The 2024 SEC freshman of the year is clear about the message he’s conveying to the locker room after the team’s 13th-place SEC finish.
“Last year is last year,” Grahovac said. “Every year’s a new year, for any team, whether you did good or whether you did bad. So, of course, we have a chip on our shoulder, but that’s how you should play every single game.”
The 6-foot-2 Orange, Calif. native could help lift an A&M offense that finished 11th in the SEC in slugging and 13th in runs scored (395). He may also be key in replacing three-time All-American Jace LaViolette, who was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Cleveland Guardians.
Earley, 37, is also trying to fill big shoes, replacing Jim Schlossnagle, who led the team to two College World Series appearances before taking over the Longhorns in Austin. Still, with so much focus on the players and on-field performance, Earley knows the results will ultimately be his responsibility.
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“Much is made about last year, and I completely understand that,” Earley said. “But we gotta play better baseball, and it’s my job to put us in positions to play better baseball, period.”
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.