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News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
DALLAS – Five members of the No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team have been named to the 2024 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America Team, as announced by the organization Wednesday morning.
The Aggies five selections are the most in the nation and the most NCBWA honors in program history. With the five selections, Texas A&M’s All-American total now sits at 84.
Catcher Jackson Appel, outfielders Braden Montgomery and Jace LaViolette and relief pitcher Evan Aschenbeck garnered first team honors, while starter Ryan Prager earned a spot on the second team.
Appel has been a stalwart behind the plate this season for the Maroon & White as the senior has started 53 of the 59 games he has appeared in and is batting .330 with 10 homers and 40 RBI. The switch hitter has also registered 14 doubles and a triple to go along with 15 stolen bases. In his first season with the Aggies, Appel has helped guide the pitching staff to the sixth best ERA in the country with a 3.94.
Aschenbeck has been brilliant in 28 relief appearances this season for the Maroon & White and enters the College World Series as the nation’s leader in ERA (1.66) and WHIP (0.80). The senior holds a 6-1 record on the year and has totaled an SEC-best nine saves. The lefty is limiting opponents to a .185 batting average and has totaled 72 strikeouts to only eight walks in 65 innings of work.
Nationally, Aschenbeck also ranks fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.0) and walks allowed per nine (0.80). Of his 28 appearances, 24 have been for multiple innings and 18 have been scoreless outings.
LaViolette is in the midst of a monster sophomore campaign that has seen him belt 28 homers and drive in 77 RBI, while batting .314. The Aggie center fielder’s 28 long balls are the second most in program history and upped his career total to 49, which is third all-time in the Texas A&M record books. Nationally, LaViolette ranks sixth in homers, seventh in runs (83), 10th in homers per game (0.45), 12th in runs per game (1.34), 12th total bases (181) and 13th in RBI.
In 62 games, the sophomore has registered 22 multi-hit, 20 multi-RBI and six multi-homer performances. The lefty slugger also enters the College World Series riding a 20-game on-base streak.
Montgomery has started 61 games for the Aggies and is batting .322 to go along with 27 homers and an SEC-best 85 RBI. Among the nation, Montgomery ranks fifth in RBI, 10th in homers, 13th in RBI per game (1.39), 14th in homers per game (0.44) and 18th in total bases (173). The junior also leads the Texas A&M with 25 multi-hit and 25 multi-RBI performances.
In 17 starts this season for the Maroon & White, Prager has compiled an 8-1 record to go along with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. In 87 innings of work, the lefty has punched out 114 batters and is holding opponents to a .225 batting average. The redshirt sophomore has also tossed eight quality starts this season and logged six scoreless outings.
The Aggies are headed to the College World Series for the eighth time in program history and will face Florida Saturday at 6 p.m. from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association’s official Web site, www.ncbwa.com.