Aggies win SEC Tournament opener over Tennessee 3-0

HOOVER, Alabama -- Texas A&M southpaw Troy Wansing stymied Tennessee for 8.0 innings Tuesday as the Aggies beat the Volunteers, 3-0, on the first day of the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Wansing (3-3) retired 24 of the 25 batters he faced, including the first 16, with Christian Scott registering Tennessee’s only baserunner of the game with a one-out single in the sixth. His previous career-long was 6.0 innings on two separate occasions this season.

The Aggies (33-23) were leading 3-0 with one out in the top of the ninth when the game was halted due to heavy rain. Wansing’s day was done after the 2:06 rain delay. It was the longest start for an Aggie since Nathan Dettmer went 8.0 innings in a victory at Georgia on April 14, 2022.

Evan Aschenbeck closed out Tennessee (38-19) with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, including a strikeout, for his third save of the season.

It marked the Aggies’ first one-hitter since March 2019 when Texas A&M held TCU one knock in a 1-0 victory at the Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

The Aggies manufactured runs in the third and fourth innings and Jace LaViolette added a titanic home run in the sixth as the Maroon & White staked claim to a 3- 0 advantage.

LaViolette’s dinger was 19th of the campaign, tying him for fourth on the Aggies’ single-season list. It marked the third consecutive year Texas A&M had a player hit 19 home runs in a season – joining Will Frizzell (2021) and Dylan Rock (2022). He also swiped two bags, giving him 18 on the year. LaViolette is one home run and two steals away from becoming Texas A&M’s second 20-20 player – joining Mike Scanlin (1986).

Jack Moss batted 2-for-4 with a double. Austin Bost was 1-for-3 with one walk and an RBI.

TOP AGGIE PERFORMER

Troy Wansing – 8.0 IP 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (W, 3-3)

Evan Aschenbeck – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (SV 3)

Jace LaViolette – 1-for-2, HR, 2 BB

Jack Moss – 2-for-4, 1 2B

UP NEXT

The Aggies play Arkansas in the second game of Wednesday’s action at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The contest will begin after the conclusion of the game between South Carolina and LSU, which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.

GAME SUMMARY

T1 | A&M 1, TENN 0

Hunter Haas worked a one-out walk and Jack Moss singled to rightfield to put runners on the corners. Trevor Werner knocked in Haas with a sharp fielder’s choice grounder to third base.

T3 | A&M 3, TENN 0

Jordan Thompson threaded a leadoff single through the left side of the infield, stole second base and moved to third on a balk. With one out, Austin Bost plated Thompson with a single up the middle.

T6 | A&M 3, TENN 0

LaViolette blasted a 3-1 offering over the right-centerfield fence for a leadoff home run.