No. 10 Texas A&M (39-13, 18-11 SEC) finished third in the SEC standings after defeating Mississippi State 7-6 during Saturday’s rubber match, earning its sixth SEC series win, which should earn the Aggies a top 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Set to play on Friday at the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament, the Aggies look to add to their postseason reśume.
After trailing 13-2 after two innings in Game 1 on Thursday night, coach Michael Earley was confident his veteran team would respond in the final two games, knowing everything was on the line for their postseason positioning. However, after losing star LHP Aiden Sims to arm tightness, Texas A&M’s pitching rotation was a rollercoaster to say the least.
Texas A&M’s offense exploded in Game 2 with 11 runs, which was just enough to keep the Bulldogs at bay, while reliable closer Clayton Freshcorn shut down the visitors in the final innings to earn his 12th save of the season. On Sunday, Ethan Darden took the mound for the second time, lasting three innings while allowing just one run, while the Aggie bullpen came through.
Making his second straight appearance, Clayton Freshcorn did allow a Mississippi State home run, but shut out the Bulldogs in the top of the ninth, securing the series victory and his third win of the year. Despite consecutive victories, Texas A&M dropped one spot in the RPI rankings before the conference tournament, which shouldn’t hinder the Aggies’ chances of earning a top 8 national seed.
Here is where the rest of the SEC is ranked heading into next week.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M drops one spot in the RPI rankings after series win vs. MSU
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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