Texas A&M's 'body of work' should result in top-eight national seed

No. 9 Texas A&M (39-14, 18-11 SEC) entered the week on a high note after winning two of three vs. visiting Mississippi State, finishing third in the SEC standings, and the 3-seed in the SEC Tournament with a double-bye.

However, after nearly a week-long break, the Aggies were set to face one of the hottest teams in the country, Auburn, on Friday night. Similar to nearly every series opener, the Aggies looked lifeless as Clemson transfer Ethan Darden took the mound, lasting just two innings after spotting Auburn five runs, while A&M's offense mustered just two hits in nine innings, and after two more runs, the Tigers shut out second-year coach Michael Earely's squad 7-0 and will now face Arkansas in the semifinals on Saturday. Entering Friday, the red-hot Florida Gators have potentially played their way into earning a top 9 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, which could hurt the Aggies, who were recently projected as the 8-seed in D1Baseball's tournament predictions.

However, after winning two of three vs. Florida in Gainesville, Michael Earley stated after the loss that Texas A&M 's "body of work" speaks for itself ahead of Selection Monday. With 18 wins in conference play, the Aggies finished the regular season with six conference wins, but finished 4-6, including consecutive series losses to Auburn and Ole Miss.

It's clear that the Aggies' biggest issue is a thin and shaky pitching rotation in dire need of sophomore Aiden Sims' return, while star juniors Caden Sorrell and Gavin Grahovac are currently in a slump at the worst time. Whatever happens on Monday, Earley is correct in stating that his team has done enough to earn a national seed, but a Florida loss on Saturday will be a part of the Aggies' rooting guide. Following an “out of character” offensive performance in a 7-0 loss, Michael Earley had this to say about Texas A&M’s case to be a top-eight national seed: “Our body of work speaks for itself.