COLLEGE STATION — It wasn’t just thunder this weekend; Texas A&M baseball’s bats were also booming, securing its first series win over rival Texas since 2012.
Despite a lengthy weather delay and a series finale cancellation, it was only Mother Nature that could stop an Aggies offense that tallied 20 runs en route to two key wins.
On the mound, A&M did enough to keep a strong Longhorns lineup at bay. A Texas offense that was one of the best in the SEC notched 17 hits and 12 runs over the weekend. A&M has now won three consecutive SEC series and pushed itself into second place in the conference standings.
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Texas A&M pitcher Gavin Lyons (27) celebrates a final strikeout to win the Lone Star Showdown against Texas at Blue Bell Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
“As much as I want to say there’s not (more emotion in playing Texas), there definitely is,” Caden Sorrell said after Saturday’s win. “A lot of history with them. Obviously, we’ve been rivals for a long time, and obviously, with the stuff that happened a couple of years ago, it’s a little more personal.”
Here are the takeaways from Texas A&M baseball’s impressive weekend vs Texas:
Takeaways from Texas A&M baseball’s series win vs Texas
Michael Earley showing growth as coach
Coming into arguably the biggest weekend of the season after back-to-back series wins, making a change to your weekend rotation could’ve backfired. Still, head coach Michael Earley did just that, and it worked out masterfully.
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Questions about Friday’s starter, Shane Sdao, who has allowed seven home runs in SEC play and nine total coming into the weekend, are fair despite his preseason projection as a first-round draft pick. But it was a tweak on Saturday that made the difference.
Sdao once again took the ball Friday and was solid, going four innings, allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Texas had scored 59 runs over its previous eight games, coming into the series.
But on Saturday, Earley bumped up the usual Sunday starter, Aiden Sims, in place of Weston Moss. Sims weathered a 1-hour, 38-minute delay after just the first inning to clinch the program’s first series win over Texas since 2012. He pitched 4⅔ innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
“They’re good. They’re all good players,” Earley said Saturday of his pitching staff. “They’ve all shown the ability to pitch well. They’ve also shown the ability to not pitch well. So, you can make a choice, you can do one of two things, and they’re pitching good, simple as that.”
After coming into the season with questions about his job security, Earley flashed strong decision-making in a key series.
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Texas A&M outfielder Caden Sorrell (13) celebrates a home run while running the bases during the Lone Star Showdown against Texas at Blue Bell Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
A&M’s offense proves its among nation’s best
The Aggies’ lineup has been strong all season, entering the weekend as the SEC’s third-best offense in batting average and hits. Still, they hadn’t faced a pitching staff as potent as Texas. The Longhorns entered the series first in the conference in ERA (3.07).
Twenty runs, 13 walks, and 16 hits, including 10 extra-base hits, later, it’s safe to say the Aggies’ offense is among the best in the country.
Preseason All-SEC selections shined for A&M. First baseman Gavin Grahovac finished the weekend 4-for-9 with three extra-base hits. Sorrell finished 4-for-10 with one home run.
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Heading into the weekend, no Longhorns starter had an ERA worse than 2.74. However, Friday starter Ruger Riojas allowed five runs and five hits over five innings, while Saturday, Luke Harrison lasted just ⅔ of an inning and was belted for eight runs on six hits.
Aggies have earned the right to more respect
Heading into the season, the Aggies were picked to finish 13th in the preseason poll. Given the year they had last season, when they finished 30-26, including 11-19 in the SEC, pessimism is probably understandable. But half through conference play, it’s clear A&M is a threat to any team in the country.
A&M is just two games shy of matching its conference win total from the year prior, and as of Monday, are up to 12th in the RPI rankings.
LSU, Florida, and Ole Miss are upcoming road opponents; two of those teams were ranked in D1baseball’s latest poll. Auburn and Mississippi State, each ranked in the top 15 of that same poll, will visit College Station, giving the Aggies plenty of games to establish themselves among the conference’s elite.
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But through the halfway point, the Aggies are among the better teams in the country and deserve praise right now.
Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley greets Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle ahead of game two of the Lone Star Showdown at Blue Bell Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.