Game 2 of Monday's College World Series action was arguably the best matchup we could ask for as No. 2 Kentucky took on No. 3 Texas A&M. Each team won their first game of the College World Series, but only narrowly. In the end, it was the Aggies sixth inning that helped them beat the Wildcats, 5-1.
Ryan Prager was lights out on Monday. Through 6.2 innings he allowed just two hits and a walk while punching out four. Kentucky now gets Florida in an elimination game tomorrow while Texas A&M get a bit of rest before they fire it up again on Wednesday.
Both teams will need to be at their best going forward if they want a chance against No. 1 Tennessee, who has already recorded their second win of the tournament, a monster 6-1 rout over No. 4 North Carolina.
Texas A&M now holds a 14-8 all-time record against Kentucky. The Aggies also won the most recent series between these schools in 2023.
No matter what happens tonight, each team is guaranteed at least one more game. The loser will go on to play Florida in an elimination game tomorrow night. The winner will be given an immediate path to the CWS semifinals. There's a lot riding on tonight's matchup.
Here's everything you need to know.
College World Series:Florida State drops Virginia to stay alive at College World Series
Josh Stewart came in and shut the door. Minus a huge blast from Ryan Nicholson in the ninth, Kentucky was left with frustrating returns at the plate.
Ryan Prager tossed a gem and now the Aggies punch their ticket to the semifinals.
Ryan Nicholson gets a hold of one and blasts one deep into right to get the Wildcats on the board. The solo shot may be too little too late with one out in the ninth.
Byers did what he needed to do and cleared the side relatively unblemished as Schott tries to stretch a single and is thrown out. It will take five large for Kentucky to keep this game going in the ninth.
Stewart stayed on the mound for the start of the eighth inning. Kentucky's Grant Smith worked the count to 2-2 before sending a soft liner back toward Stewart. Not only did Stewart snagged it on the fly, but he immediately started throwing it around the horn afterwards.
If swag could kill, Kentucky would've already lost.
Stewart was on track for an easy 1-2-3 inning. However, after an infield single from Emilien Pitre and a full count walk to Devin Burkes, Stewart found himself in a bit of a jam. Things almost got out of hand after Nick Lopez pulled a ball just foul down the right field line, but Stewart was able to get out the inning, striking out Lopez on a backdoor slider. Texas A&M's lead holds at five.
Kentucky's Evan Byers earned two quick outs before surrendering a four-pitch walk to Travis Chestnut. No damage was done though. Even after Chestnut stole second base, Byers was able to get Grahovac to ground out to second. Kentucky has six outs to get at least five runs.
Three pitches, and the threat is gone. Josh Stewart came in for Prager to shut down the Wildcats' offense. Pinch-hitter Patrick Herrera went down on strikes in three pitches.
Texas A&M starter Ryan Prager was absolutely dominant through seven innings, surrendering just two hits and one walk.
Unfortunately, after a two-out double from Nolan McCarthy put two men in scoring position, the Aggies decided to pull Prager. It was only a matter of time for Prager, who'd already tossed 95 pitches in the game, but it was clear that he really wanted to finish that frame. Coming in for Prager will be right-hander Josh Stewart.
It wasn't pretty, requiring a stolen base to be overturned, but after a five-run sixth inning for Texas A&M, surely the Wildcats are just happy to see a zero no the scoreboard.
Kentucky's Evan Byers avoids allowing any runs, but still surrendered three straight hits to lead off the inning before getting Caden Sorrell to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
After coming in to replace the injured Jace LaViolette, new Aggies' second baseman Jack Bell threw the first ball hit to him into left field attempting to start a double play.
Luckily for Texas A&M, the very next batter would hit a grounder to third. Kaeden Kent, who'd previously been at second base was able to step on the third base bag and fire across the diamond to complete the double play and and the inning.
After scoring the first run of the ballgame and limping off the field, holding his right hamstring, Aggies' Jace LaViolette would return to bat with two on and two outs. Although LaViolette would end up striking out to end the inning, it's a very good sign that LaViolette was able to come up to bat again.
LaViolette would leave the game afterwards. He was replaced by Caden Sorrell in right. Gavin Grahovac moved from third to left. Kaeden Kent moved from second to third. Jack Bell entered the game at second base.
With one out, two on in the sixth inning, Ali Camarillo launched a fly ball to right field. Kentucky right fielder James McCoy settled underneath the ball...or did he? McCoy read the flight of the ball horrendously and it wound up soaring over his head for an RBI double.
That hit was followed up with a single to left center from Kaeden Kent, scoring both Camarillo and Burton. Texas A&M is now up 5-0 in the sixth, and there's still only one out.
As LaViolette rounded second base on Appel's double, the right fielder appeared to be in pain, holding his right hamstring. LaViolette stayed in to score the game's first run, but was in noticeable discomfort as he scored and walked to the dugout.
LaViolette was later seen struggling slightly to walk to the tunnel, presumably to have his hamstring examined further.
LaViolette would come up again later in the inning. The announcers noticed that LaViolette was limping slightly as he approached home plate.
Mason Moore had done a tremendous job limiting Aggie baserunners, but led the inning off with a five-pitch walk to LaViolette. A follow-up double from Jackson Appel, his first hit of the College World Series, would put two men in scoring position with no outs.
Hayden Schott would push the very next pitch the other way, just out of the reach of shortstop Grant Smith. Both LaViolette and Appel would score and the Aggies went up 2-0.
It's been a couple of gems tonight as Prager and Moore are dealing. Prager has four strikeouts on the night to Moore's three. Neither team can seem to get anything going offensively as we head to the sixth scoreless.
Kaden Kent gets some momentum going as he hits a ground ball to a diving Smith who can't come up with it. With Kent on first, Chestnut pops a bunt out to Moore. Neither team can seem to get anyone past first base as the teams remain scoreless.
Prager continues the stalemate. He gets Burkes to ground out to short and punches out Lopez on four pitches. He then takes another four pitches to strike out Daly.
Score: Kentucky 0, Texas A&M 0
Moore gives up a rare free pass and walks Burton to give the Aggies an opportunity in the fourth. But the Wildcats immediately induce a 6-4-3 double play to end the Aggies brief threat.
Grant Smith led off the bottom of the third for Kentucky and smacked a ground ball toward the 56 hole. Luckily for Texas A&M, third baseman Gavin Grahovac was there flashing the leather to prevent the leadoff man from reaching base.
Ryan Prager got through the next two hitters without any issues.
Mason Moore got through both Gavin Grahovac and Travis Chestnut in just four pitches. It looked like Moore was on pace for a very fast inning. Unfortunately for him, the Aggies' Jace LaViolette worked a full count against Moore before smacking a single to center. Then, Jackson Appel also worked a full count before striking out.
All in all, Moore has been stellar through three, but his pitch count could've been much cozier if he could've put LaViolette away.
Texas A&M's made some costly errors to start the bottom of the second. A throwing error from shortstop Ali Camarillo put Nick Lopez on. Then, despite getting to a 1-1 count against Mitchell Daly, Texas A&M's Ryan Prager was hit by a pitch, putting two on with no one out.
A sac fly to left would put runners on the corners, and then Kentucky nearly got on board with a bunt from Nolan McCarthy down the third base line that just rolled foul before the bag. McCarthy would end up striking out. Prager was just one out away from escaping with zero damage done.
The very next pitch, Kentucky's James McCoy tried to bunt for a base hit. A stellar play from Texas A&M catcher Jackson Appel got McCoy by the smallest margin possible. The play even went to review, where it was eventually confirmed that McCoy was out.
Somehow, the score after two innings is still 0-0.
It didn't take long for us to see a web gem out of this contest as in the very first frame, Kentucky's Mason Moore snagged a comebacker from Aggies third baseman Gavin Grahovac for the very first out of the game.
Moore would go on to throw a 1-2-3 first inning for a very solid opening frame.
The Aggies' starting pitcher will be southpaw Ryan Prager, who boasts an impressive 8-1 record and 3.10 ERA through 17 games this year.
Kentucky will put junior Mason Moore on the bump. Moore has recorded a 9-3 record and 4.93 ERA across 17 games started this season.
Kentucky entered the Regionals as the nation's No. 2 seed. They hosted a regional and made quick work of Western Michigan (10-8), Illinois (6-1), and Indiana State (5-0) to advance to the Super Regionals. Despite being matched up against a very tough Oregon State team in the Super Regionals, Kentucky made short work of the Beavers, winning both games by a combined 11 runs.
That brought the Wildcats to Omaha, where their first matchup was against NC State. Kentucky may have needed extra innings to defeat the Wolfpack, but they got the job done. Now, they head into tonight's matchup against Texas A&M without elimination on the line. Still, an immediate path to the CWS semifinals is more than enough motivation to push Kentucky to a win.
The Texas A&M Aggies, much like Kentucky, have yet to lose since the Regionals. A&M hosted a regional and were only ever really given trouble from Texas, who A&M managed to beat 4-2 in 11 innings, thanks to a Ted Burton RBI single. Since then though, the Aggies have been nearly untouchable, outscoring their next three opponents 34-19, including two wins over Oregon.
Texas A&M's pitching has been a little suspect as of late. However, the Aggies may have figured something out between the Super Regionals and the College World Series. In their first game in Omaha, against Florida, the Aggies surrendered only two runs, and while their offense was unable to get going, they didn't need much to secure the win.
Elimination games will be denoted with an asterisk (*). Away teams listed first. All times Eastern.
Times TBD.
Best-of-three series between Bracket 1 winner and Bracket 2 winner.
The Texas A&M Aggies are favored to win Monday's game, according to the BetMGM college baseball odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering 2024 sports betting promos.
Odds listed as of Monday afternoon.
Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal: Texas A&M 5, Kentucky 3
Black writes, "The Wildcats have kept finding ways to win since the NCAA Tournament started. But the Aggies will be their toughest test to date. By a considerable margin. Texas A&M owns a top-10 offense and top-10 defense, per numerous statistical categories. And if the Aggies get the ball in the hands of superstar reliever Evan Aschenbeck, it's game over."
Sascha Paruk, Sports Betting Dime: Aggies to win
Paruk writes, "The Aggies have scored considerably more runs this year, with 543 in 63 games (8.7 RPG), compared to UK at 476 in 60 games (7.9 RPG). Prager’s abominable start last week will be a big concern for the Aggie faithful, but he’s had ample time to rest and recuperate and I expect a much higher quality outing from the 59th-ranked prospect in the 2024 MLB draft."
Collin Wilson, Action Network: Under 9.5 runs
Wilson writes, "This game's main avenue for runs is defensive errors. Both the Aggies and Wildcats rank top-35 nationally in fielding percentage, and with an ace on the mound in Prager, this should be one of the lower-scoring games in Omaha."
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