Texas A&M baseball run-rules #3 Arkansas in poetic ending to take weekend series

Targac's pinch-hit single seals run-rule win for Texas A&M baseball; A&M closes out series against #3 Arkansas in style

Texas A&M baseball just wrapped up their biggest series win of the year—and with it, their regular season home slate. Hoover awaits the Aggies, who have clinched a first-round bye, and from there, doubtless a national seed.

How they got there, though, is a story that should be told. I wrote previously about the impressive 1-0 extra-innings win to start off the series, with the Aggies breaking the Hogs' season-long streak of undefeated Hagen Smith starts, but they faltered yesterday, with the Razorbacks triumphing 6-3.

That set up today's deciding game. It was back-and-forth for quite some time: the Aggies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Arkansas was quick to answer with one of their own in the next frame. A&M scored another two in the second, but the Hogs again responded with a three-run homer in the third. The next run the Aggies scored, in the bottom of that same frame, put them up for good.

The score of 5-4 held for the next two and a half innings, but it was the bottom of the 6th where the Aggies blew things open. The Aggies scored six runs against what has usually been an excellent Hog bullpen, plating baserunner after baserunner. The Hogs began losing their composure, with several wild pitches getting away from them.

The Ags continued their relentless approach at the plate into the next frame, eventually going up 13-4, with the chance to put the game away if one more run scored. It was at this point when Schloss made the perfect move.

Ryan Targac has had a tough year. The senior, before the season, was given the #12 jersey as a sign of honor for all the work he's put into this program, but—no two ways about it—he has not performed like most had hoped he would this season.

So when #12 was called in on this senior day by Schloss to pinch hit for Ted Burton, who already had 3 RBIs on the day, it was a touching moment. The Olsen crowd rose to their feet in applause for Targac as he took the batter's box. Then, some Olsen magic:

What a moment for the senior. What a perfect sendoff to the regular season—another shining moment in a year that's been full of them for this team.

Targac himself seemed to be in pretty good spirits after the fact.

With this series win, the Aggies re-take the top spot in RPI. Now, it's time to get on to Hoover, and, after that, regionals. Texas A&M baseball has yet to lose a series at home this year, and only has three total losses at Blue Bell. If they keep that up, they will be in Omaha.