Texas A&M baseball players to watch: Aggies to know ahead of super regionals, College World Series
Texas A&M has been one of college baseball's best teams this season, and the Aggies don't lack star power as they look to reach the College World Series once again.
No. 3 Texas A&M hosts Oregon in a three-game super regionals series, sporting one of the sport's best outfields along with a solid pitching staff. The roster includes plenty of talent that will eventually hear their names called in the MLB draft.
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The Aggies are looking for their second CWS appearance in three seasons under coach Jim Schlossnagle, the former TCU skipper who took over ahead of the 2022 season after leading the Horned Frogs to five CWS appearances from 2004-21.
With Texas A&M boasting one of the most electric rosters remaining in the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament, here's the list of players to watch ahead of the super regionals:
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Texas A&M baseball players to watch
Here are the Texas A&M players to watch out for ahead of the super regionals:
Braden Montgomery, OF
Switch-hitting outfielder Braden Montgomery gets it going for the Aggies, and is projected to be one of the first players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Montgomery, a surefire All-American pick this season, is sporting a team-leading .322 batting average in 2024 along with a whopping 27 home runs and 85 RBIs. Montgomery, in his first season in College Station after transferring from Stanford, also possesses one of the best arms among all outfielders in college baseball, owning a 70 grade, per MLB Pipeline.
Montgomery's cannon of an arm is no surprise, as the 6-foot-2 junior was once considered a two-way prospect with potential as a pitcher. While he still threw two innings this season for the Aggies after spending most of last season as a reliever for the Cardinal, it appears he shift his focus solely to hitting at the next level.
Jace LaViolette, OF
The other half of Texas A&M's dynamic outfield sluggers is Jace LaViolette, who's actually flashing better numbers than Montgomery this season.
The 6-foot-6 left-handed hitter has absolutely mashed this season, with a .315 batting average along with a team-leading 28 home runs and 74 RBIs. LaViolette, not draft eligible until after next season, also leads the team in on base + slugging% (1.218) and slugging% (.767) this season.
LaViolette will likely garner loads of attention heading into next season, as he's likely to be one of the top available prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft, just like Montgomery, his current teammate.
Ryan Prager, LHP
Texas A&M's ace Ryan Prager has been nails this season, and will likely be selected in the top three rounds of the upcoming draft.
The left-handed Prager, who is expected to get the ball for game one of the Aggies' super regionals series against Oregon, has an 8-1 record this season with a 2.53 earned-runs average and 113 strikeouts in 85.1 innings.
MLB's No. 59-ranked draft prospect this season doesn't possess an overpowering fastball, however, keeps hitters off-balance with solid control and a pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider and changeup.
Prager was solid in the Aggies' regional contest against Texas, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts across 6.1 innings, earning the win.
Gavin Grahovac, 3B
LaViolette held Texas A&M's freshman record for home runs in a single season for all of one season until Gavin Grahovac entered campus.
Grahovac, a freshman, broke LaViolette's record from 2023 (21 home runs) by hitting his 22nd home run in the College Station Regional.
Altogether, Grahovac has put together a fantastic debut season, holding a .308 batting average with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs and emerging as one of the Aggies' top hitters, alongside Montgomery and LaViolette.
Chris Cortez, RHP
Right-handed pitcher Chris Cortez opened the season as a starter before settling into a multi-inning relief role, wher he has found immense success.
Cortez ranks fourth on the team in innings pitched this season (51.2), sporting a 3.14 ERA with a hefty 79 strikeouts in his 21 appearances. He was also outstanding in his lone appearance of the College Station Regional, allowing no hits and striking out six batters in 2.2 innings of work against Louisiana.
Cortez, MLB's No. 100-ranked draft prospect, gives the Aggies invaluable flexibility in a postseason format, with his ability to start if needed while also shutting the door in key situations.
The 6-foot-1 junior has an electric arsenal, with a fastball that sits 96-98 miles per hour but can reach 100, with a good slider offering.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M baseball players to watch ahead of super regionals, College World Series