COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M baseball took the field Friday night for the second and final time this fall, playing TCU.
Last week, A&M hosted Sam Houston, where several newcomers and returnees took live reps for the first time since May. Twelve players were added to the roster through the transfer portal, while 25 have left the program either via the portal, expiring eligibility, or through the MLB draft.
Some additions made instant impacts last week and continued that trend against a Power Four opponent. TCU’s visit to College Station for a fall exhibition provided somewhat of a measuring stick for the new-look Aggies. Baseball America considers the Horned Frogs a top-10 team nationally as of October; A&M, as you may remember, was the preseason No. 1 team in 2025, only to miss the NCAA Tournament.
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Here are five takeaways from Friday’s 12-inning scrimmage at Blue Bell Park:
AUSTIN, TX – APRIL 25: Texas A&M pitcher Weston Moss (21) winds up for a pitch during the SEC college baseball game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on April 25, 2025, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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5 takeaways from Texas A&M baseball scrimmage vs TCU
Caden Sorrell set to be A&M’s power bat
Despite appearing in just 26 games last season due to injury, Caden Sorrell made a noticeable difference in the A&M lineup in 2025. Friday night was more of the same for Sorrell, who got the Aggies’ scoring started with a no-doubt home run to left-center field.
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In the third inning, Sorrell grounded out but drove in his second run, then he added a single in the fifth. Sorrell finished 2024 by slashing .337/.430/.789 for a sturdy 1.219 OPS. He recorded a triple, five doubles, 12 home runs and 32 RBIs in limited play.
“That dude is just made different than most people,” head coach Michael Earley said in May.
Now, with the program’s leader in home runs, Jace LaViolette, off to the Cleveland Guardians organization, players like Sorrell must step into the middle of A&M’s lineup and be a power bat.
Bullpen showing strong work through 2 exhibitions
It was the same pitching situation in Game 2 as the first A&M fall game. Moss pitched one inning, striking out two of the four batters he saw. From there, Clayton Freshcorn took the mound in the second, followed by Aiden Sims in the third and fourth. The pair of relievers was strong for the second game in a row, finishing the night with five strikeouts combined in the three innings.
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Newcomer Ethan Darden took the ball for the fifth and sixth innings, facing the minimum and striking out two.
Shane Sdao didn’t pitch this fall as he recovers from a ligament tear in his throwing arm that caused him to miss all last season. As a result, A&M hasn’t displayed its full roster of arms yet. But those who have taken the mound this fall, especially the middle relievers, have looked strong.
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Offense improvement from Game 1
It was a night-and-day difference for the Aggies’ bats Friday. Last week, A&M went hitless in the first four innings, going down in order in the first three with five strikeouts. On Friday, the Aggies scored five runs in the first four innings with four hits and three walks.
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Sorrell got things started with a solo shot in the first inning. A Gavin Grahovac double off the left field wall drove in one to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead. Sorrell added a second RBI by putting the ball in play in the third, followed by a two-out single from shortstop Ben Royo that drove in two runs, giving A&M a 5-0 lead after four innings.
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Chris Hacopian sits out fall, depth on display for Aggies
A&M’s notable addition in the portal was Chris Hacopian, a middle infielder from the Maryland Terrapins. He joins the Aggies as a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection and is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. However, A&M fans will have to wait until the regular season to see the slugger in action; he didn’t participate in either game this fall due to a hand fracture.
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There was speculation that he might have played in the latter of the two exhibitions, but that did not happen. Instead, the Aggies gave more playing time to players who are either competing for roles or expected to be key backups.
Third baseman Nico Partida started Friday while Royo got the start at shortstop, Hacopian’s usual position. Neither is expected to start the season opener, but both have opportunities to earn roles at other positions or work their way into the lineup. The pair combined for one hit and two RBIs, consistently hustling and itting the ball hard.
Impressive showing vs a top-10 team
Expectations for this year’s team are far below last year’s, but that doesn’t mean the squad can’t be solid in 2026.
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Granted, it’s just an exhibition game, but anytime you can pitch well and score runs against a team considered one of the best in the country, it’s worth noting. The Aggies pitched 8⅔ scoreless innings and scored five runs in the first four innings against the Horned Frogs.
A lot of work remains between now and February’s opening day, but there are some reasons for optimism.
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
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