Predicted inclement weather in Hoover, Ala., tomorrow morning caused schedule changes for Day 3 of the SEC Tournament, including Texas A&M’s quarterfinal matchup against Auburn.
The Tigers defeated LSU, 3-1, in the second round of the tournament Wednesday night to advance to a showdown against the Aggies, who received a double bye. To begin Day 2 at the Hoover Met, Mississippi State defeated Missouri in a run-rule fashion, setting up a matchup against Georgia to kick things off on Thursday morning. The weather had different plans, however. Now, the battle of the Bulldogs is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT, followed by the second game of the day between Florida and Alabama approximately 30 minutes later.
This could mean changes for Game 11 between Texas and Arkansas, as well as Texas A&M’s contest against Auburn to cap off the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
The Aggies enter the week with a 39-13 overall record and 18-11 mark in SEC play, which was good for third in the conference standings. This year’s successful campaign is one year removed from Texas A&M missing the postseason, after being the unanimous preseason No. 1 team in college baseball. Georgia head coach Wes Johnson won the SEC Head Coach of the Year award, but flowers must be given to Michael Earley for the outstanding turnaround in just his second season as the skipper in Bryan-College Station.
Texas A&M’s powerful lineup has played a massive role in that success this season, recording a .305 team batting average and 114 total home runs, which rank third and second in the league, respectively. Junior outfielder Caden Sorrell and infielder Gavin Grahovac have combined for 42 of those homers, while ranking second and third in the SEC in total RBIs.
The team’s weakness resides on the mound, as Texas A&M’s 5.09 ERA sits at the bottom half of the conference. According to Earley, right-handed pitcher Aiden Sims will not pitch in Hoover this week due to his recovery from some tightness, which kept him from starting in last weekend’s series win against Mississippi State. Without Sims in the rotation, Ethan Darden, Weston Moss and Shane Sdao are in the running to receive the start for the matchup against the Tigers. Regardless of whose name is called, the Aggies must get a clean and consistent start against one of the best-hitting clubs in the SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Weather causes delay, potential impact for Texas A&M vs. Auburn
Reporting by Dylan Flippo, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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