Texas A&M completes Opening Weekend sweep, defeats Tennessee Tech 7-1

No. 25 Texas A&M (3-0) swept Tennessee Tech on opening weekend, outscoring the visitors 7-1 behind sophomore starter Aiden Sims making his first start of the year and star outfielder Kaden Sorrell having four hits, including his 10th RBI of the season.

Sims, the biggest question mark of the weekend, looked calm and in control no matter the situation, with back-to-back strikeouts early giving him a boost of confidence heading into the latter inning.

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In a game that lasted six innings, Sims struck out seven and allowed just one hit and one run on 84 pitches. Much to his relief, Clayton Freshcorn had a memorable performance in the SEC Championship Game against eventual national champion LSU, coming out in the long-awaited game, striking out four, allowing two hits and zero runs in a 7-1 victory.

At the plate, Maryland transfer Chris Hacopian was ruled out with an unspecified illness, but that didn’t slow down the Texas A&M offense. The Aggies allowed 12 hits but struck out just five in Sorrell’s four hits, and Baylor transfer Wesley Jordan kept contact on nearly every pitch, adding an RBI single in the first and a double in the sixth that built a 6-1 lead at home.

Jordan leads the Aggies with an impressive 2.780 OPS, and previous injury issues may be the only reason he’s not in the minor leagues. He brings noticeable power at 6-foot-3 and over 225 pounds, but he consistently excels at DH, getting on base in nearly every at-bat.

Defensively, an early pitching error by freshman shortstop Boston Kellner, coupled with poor pitching by Aiden Sims, were the only issues, as the defense stepped up, including Kaden Sorrell’s diving catch, that we’ve become accustomed to over the years.

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Texas A&M hasn’t answered any questions yet, but so far the offense hasn’t had to rely on homers, proving that 12 hits and seven runs was another step in the right direction even without Hakopian in the lineup today on an overcast afternoon after a storm.

Texas A&M’s starting pitching rotation still has a long way to go, but with the help of coach Michael Earley and his staff, they can consistently get clean innings from Sean Stalls, Weston Moss, Aiden Sims and Clayton Fleishkorn. Veteran Josh Stewart is waiting in the wings and could be the closer once the competition heats up.

Texas A&M will host A&M Corpus Christi on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network+.