Texas A&M baseball weekly roundup: Aggies' unbeaten streak ends in Gainesville

Texas A&M baseball drops first game and first series of the year in Gainesville after hotly contested series with talented Gators

Texas A&M baseball is mortal after all. After a 17-0 start to the season for Jim Schlossnagle's squad, the Aggies knew they had a big test incoming when they traveled to play the Gators down in Gainesville; Kevin O'Sullivan always has a competitive squad down in Florida.

The series was hotly contested, but some tight games didn't end up going the Aggies' way in the first and third matchups. Pitchers struggled, including Aggie ace Ryan Prager in his Friday start, but reliever Chris Cortez showed some good stuff against a power-hitting Florida lineup.

Braden Montgomery continues to show how big of a pickup he was in the transfer portal. His clutch hitting and delivery in big moments kept the Aggies in this series, and was a big reason they won their Saturday game.

Aggie baseball takeaways after first loss of the season, dropping UF series 2-1

The improvement in the pitching staff under Max Weiner, while still real and tangible, is not quite as extreme as it appeared to be early on in the season. The Aggies got out of some real jams at times over the weekend, but they also gave up more than they had against any of their early-season opponents.

We talk a lot about how tough the SEC is, but there's nothing like experiencing the real thing to wake you right up to that reality. This is going to be a grind of a schedule, and the Aggies have to be ready. I have full confidence that they will be.

Looking ahead, the Aggies host Prairie View this Wednesday before Mississippi State rolls into town for a three-game series starting on Thursday. This four game run in four days will be a test for the Ags and for Schloss; a win in this series will go a long way for the Aggies.