News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
OMAHA – The No. 3 Texas A&M pitching staff combined on a four-hitter to lead the team to a 6-0 victory over the Florida Gators at Charles Schwab Field Wednesday night, earning a spot in the program’s first-ever College World Series Final.
The Aggies (52-13) have now won three games in the College World Series for the first time in school annals and are 8-0 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Justin Lamkin, Chris Cortez, Josh Stewart and Evan Aschenbeck toed the rubber for the Maroon & White’s nation-leading 12th shutout of the season, which matches the 1990 squad for the most in school history.
Lamkin (3-2) stymied the Gators (36-30) with 5.0 scoreless innings in the start, scattering three hits and one walk while striking out a Texas A&M all-time College World Series record nine batters. After a leadoff double in the second, he struck out the next three batters and he worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third inning. The victory marked the first for the lefty since March 23 against Mississippi State.
Stewart worked two scoreless frames and punched out four in relief. The righty entered in the sixth with two on and no outs and proceeded to retire the next three Florida batters to end the threat. Aschenbeck worked the final two frames to nail down the win and shutout.
The Aggies (52-13) pounced on the Gators for two runs in the top of the first inning without logging a hit. Gavin Grahovac worked an eight-pitch walk and Jace LaViolette drew a four-pitch base on balls to lead off the game. With one out, Hayden Schott and Ted Burton also earned free passes to put the Maroon & White on the board. Caden Sorrell knocked in LaViolette with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make it 2-0.
Texas A&M tacked on a run in the fifth as Kaeden Kent, who led off the frame with a double, came around to score on a one-out ground-rule RBI double by Grahovac.
The Aggies added two key insurance runs in the sixth with Sorrell blasting a one-out, two-run home run to right-center, plating Schott who drew a leadoff walk. The freshman’s 11th homer of the season traveled 402 feet and left the bat at 108 mph.
Florida menaced one last time in the eighth inning. Jac Caglianone beat the shift by bouncing a leadoff single up the middle and Cade Kurland worked a 12-pitch walk, fouling off six 2-2 pitches before seeing a pair of balls. But Aschenbeck hunkered down to induce fly balls from the Gators’ No. 3 and 4 hitters before catching Luke Heyman looking at a 1-2 pitch for an inning-ending strikeout.
The Maroon & White wrapped up the scoring in the ninth inning with a leadoff triple by Ali Camarillo and an RBI single by Kent.
Inside the Box Score
The Aggies registered six hits and drew five walks in the win.
Grahovac batted 2-for-4 with one double, one run and one RBI, for his 22nd multi-hit game of the season.
Kent batted 2-for-4 with one double, one run and one RBI, improving to 10-of-22 (.455) for the NCAA Tournament.
Schott drew a game-high tying two walks in the victory.
The Texas A&M pitching staff struck out 14 Gators and finished the game with 680 strikeouts, a new program record.
Stewart struck out four of the seven batters he faced.
Game Notes
With 52 wins, the Aggies have their highest win total since the 1999 campaign when they went 52-18. The win tally is tied for third in school annals.
Texas A&M claimed three wins in a College World Series for the first time in program history.
In College World Series play, Texas A&M is now 7-14 all-time.
Under head coach Jim Schlossnagle, Texas A&M is now 17-4 in postseason play and 5-2 in College World Series games.
The Aggies improved to 18-14 all-time against Florida.
Aggie pitchers held Florida to 1-of-12 (.083) with runners in scoring position and 2-of-14 (.143) with runners on base. For the College World Series, opponents are 2-of-29 (.069) with RISP and 6-for-39 (.154) with runners on base.
LaViolette stretched his school-record season walk total to 61.
LaViolette has now reached base safely in 23 straight games, the longest stretch of his career.
Aschenbeck worked his 26th multi-inning performance of the year.
In his two College World Series outings, Lamkin has worked 8.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out 15.
In his two College World Series outings, Stewart has worked 4.1 innings, yielding one run on three hits and one walk while striking out seven.
Up Next
The Aggies battle the Tennessee Volunteers in the best-of-three College World Series Final starting Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. from Charles Schwab Field.