The Aggies’ Friday starter will open the 2026 season against Tennessee Tech. Sdao is pitching for the first time since June 6, 2024; he had surgery in September that year to repair a ligament in his throwing arm.
Despite the injury-plagued year-and-a-half, Sdao is still considered one of A&M’s best players. He was tabbed as D1 Baseball’s top college prospect entering the season.
Three Aggies were named preseason All-SEC selections: infielder Gavin Grahovac (first team), outfielder Caden Sorrell (first team), and pitcher Clayton Freshcorn (second team). They also added former Maryland star Chris Hacopian, a preseason All-American selected by the National College Baseball Writers Association, and Baylor transfer Wesley Jordan, who hit 10 home runs and 18 doubles last season.
Tennessee Tech placed third in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2025 and comes to College Station after a 37-20 season. The Golden Eagles were solid on the road last year, finishing 14-11. They slashed .277/.392/.442 as a team, with 68 home runs.
With a good mix of returning players and potentially high-impact signees, A&M aims to improve on its 30-26 record from 2025, which kept it out of the postseason.
Stay tuned for updates throughout the action:
With thirty pitches into his outing, Sdao gave up his first hit. From there, the Golden Eagles added another hit with no outs. After a strikeout and a groundout, Lee blasted a three-run shot to right field, cutting the Aggies’ lead to just one.
Kiel II led off the inning with a 100 mph double to left field; from there, freshman Kellner ripped a double to left field to drive him in. Sorrell added a single, driving Kellner before Hacopian drove him in, pushing the Aggies’ lead to 4-0 after two innings.
Another quality inning for Sdao, who struck out two and forced a lineout to third, again facing the minimum.
Grahovac led off the action with a stand-up double down the third-base line. From there, Hacopian ripped a single through the middle to drive in the game’s first run. The Aggies loaded the bases, but a Partida hard-hit double play ended the threat.
In his first inning in almost two years, Sdao retired the batters in order with two flyouts and a lazy groundout to second. He threw 13 pitches.
Where: Blue Bell Park, College Station
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.