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Texas A&M takes early lead to secure victory over Tennessee in Game 1 of College World Series finals
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    Texas A&M takes early lead to secure victory over Tennessee in Game 1 of College World Series finals

    OMAHA, Neb. — Gavin Grahovac homered to begin the game, Texas A&M broke it open with a five-run third inning and the Aggies beat Tennessee 9-5 in the College World Series finals opener Saturday night.

    Evan Aschenbeck pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief to turn back a Tennessee offence that was starting to get cranked up in the seventh inning. The Aggies (53-13) are a win from their first national title.

    Tennessee (58-13), trying to become the first No. 1 national seed since 1999 to win the championship, will go into Sunday’s Game 2 having lost consecutive games just once this season and not since March 16-17 at Alabama.

    The No. 3 Aggies capitalized on a couple errors that led to two runs — Tennessee has committed eight in four CWS games — and on the inability of pitchers Chris Stamos (3-1) and AJ Causey to consistently hit their spots.

    Grahovac drove Stamos’ 0-2 fastball out to right for the first leadoff homer in a CWS finals since Sam Fuld did it for Stanford against Rice in Game 2 in 2003.

    Causey walked Jace LaViolette leading off the third, Jackson Appel’s comebacker deflected off Causey’s foot for a base hit and Hayden Schott followed with an RBI single to start the Aggies’ five-run outburst.

    Kaeden Kent, son of ex-major leaguer Jeff Kent, made it a seven-run game in the seventh with his homer into the right-field bullpen. Kent, who entered the starting lineup two weeks ago after star Braden Montgomery broke his ankle in the super regionals, finished with three hits and four RBIs.

    The Vols, the nation’s most prolific home-run-hitting team in three decades, used the long ball to create some anxiety for the Aggies in the bottom of the seventh.

    Dylan Dreiling’s two-run shot to right ended the night for reliever Josh Stewart (2-2), and Hunter Ensley’s high fly over the left-field fence off Brad Rudis made it 9-5. The Vols have 180 homers this season, eight behind LSU’s NCAA record set in 1997.

    Ensley was the only batter Rudis faced. Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle brought in Aschenbeck, and the left-hander retired six in a row before back-to-back singles put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth. The National Stopper of the Year struck out Ensley and Kavares Tears to end the game. Aschenbeck has allowed just one earned run in his last nine appearances, spanning 25 2/3 innings.

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    In a thrilling matchup between two powerhouse teams, Texas A&M took an early lead to secure a victory over Tennessee in Game 1 of the College World Series finals. The Aggies came out swinging, scoring runs in the first and second innings to put pressure on the Volunteers from the start.

    Texas A&M’s offense was firing on all cylinders, with key hits from standout players like outfielder Alex Toral and infielder Will Frizzell. Their aggressive base running and smart decision-making on the base paths helped them extend their lead and keep Tennessee on their toes throughout the game.

    On the defensive side, the Aggies’ pitching staff was dominant, shutting down Tennessee’s potent lineup and keeping them off balance with a mix of fastballs, breaking balls, and off-speed pitches. Starting pitcher Bryce Miller was particularly impressive, throwing seven strong innings and striking out eight batters while only allowing two runs.

    Despite a late rally from Tennessee in the eighth inning, Texas A&M’s bullpen held strong and closed out the game to secure a 5-3 victory in Game 1 of the series. The win gives the Aggies a crucial advantage as they look to capture their first College World Series title in program history.

    With momentum on their side, Texas A&M will look to carry their strong performance into Game 2 and continue their quest for championship glory. Tennessee, on the other hand, will need to regroup and come out swinging in order to even the series and force a decisive Game 3.

    Overall, Game 1 of the College World Series finals was a thrilling display of talent and determination from both teams, but it was Texas A&M who ultimately emerged victorious. Fans can expect more excitement and drama in the upcoming games as these two powerhouse programs battle it out for college baseball supremacy.