![Texas A&M pitcher Shane Sdao (38) pitches during an NCAA baseball game at Condron Family Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field in Gainesville, FL on Friday, April 24, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_340,w_2013,h_1132/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/273/01kqngn6atmbwmk8accr.jpg "Texas A&M pitcher Shane Sdao (38) pitches during an NCAA baseball game at Condron Family Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field in Gainesville, FL on Friday, April 24, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Texas A&M baseball is shooting for a big series win against the Auburn Tigers this weekend, a team that comes into the series high up in the rankings. However, the first game of the day's double-header was an emphatic and demoralizing loss for the Aggies, as the Tigers triumphed, 18-5.
Final: Texas A&M - 5, Auburn - 18
— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) May 2, 2026
Things were immediately in a bad way on the pitching front in this one. Shane Sdao has had a rough year overall, but the problem extends beyond just him, even though he had to be taken out in the second inning of this game.
Ever since the coaching change, the pitching has left a lot to be desired. Texas A&M seemed to have made a big time coup when they stole away Washington's head coach, Jason Kelly, to be their pitching coach; however, the quality of the outings by the Aggie arms has steadily decreased under his watch— to the point that this may be the thing that keeps them back from championship contention.
Texas A&M's championship dreams could be scuttled by poor pitching
The Aggies have a College World Series-level lineup, no doubt about it. They have been on a complete tear lately, with hardly any team able to stop the offensive barrage that Michael Earley has the privilege of putting on the diamond. To Earley's credit in particular, as he has had a lot more of a hand in the hitting coaching this season, this is a lot of his work.
However, if the pitching doesn't work, then the whole thing crashes and burns. Texas A&M needs to squeak by as it is, with really only one big time arm in Aiden Sims (though Lyons and Freshcorn are great as relievers and Weston Moss is really promising at times), so it was not exactly a strength for this team at any point this year, but things keep deteriorating.
There have to be some hard questions asked at the end of this season. Earley's job seems safe for now (barring a complete collapse down the stretch, which is sadly not completely out of the question), but he may need to make some improvements at the pitching coach spot in particular going forward.
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