News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
BIRMINGHAM – The Texas A&M baseball team has been picked to win the 2025 SEC title, while six Aggies have been named Preseason All-SEC as voted on by the league’s 16 head coaches Wednesday.
Five different schools received first place votes to win the SEC championship. Texas A&M led the way with 10 votes, while Arkansas received three and Tennessee, LSU and Florida received one. Tennessee was predicted to finish second, followed by Arkansas in third, LSU fourth and Florida fifth.
Third baseman Gavin Grahovac, outfielder Jace LaViolette, designated hitter Hayden Schott and left-hander Ryan Prager were named to the Preseason All-SEC First Team, while second baseman Wyatt Henseler and outfielder Caden Sorrell earned a spot on the second team. The six All-SEC selections were tied with Tennessee for the most in the league.
Grahovac, the 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year, started all 67 games he appeared in during his rookie campaign and slashed .298/.390/.596 to go with 23 homers. The Orange, California, native’s 23 homers were a new program freshman record, surpassing LaViolette’s previous mark of 21. The Maroon & White third baseman also registered 85 hits, scored 83 times, drove in 66 runs and doubled 16 times.
As the leadoff man for the Aggies, Grahovac totaled 23 multi-hit contests, 17 multi-RBI performances and two multi-homer games. During the preseason, the sophomore has garnered All-America honors from D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
LaViolette belted 29 homers, plated 78 runs, scored 87 times and batted .305 during an All-America campaign in 2024. The Katy, Texas, native’s 29 homers upped his career total to 50, which ranks second in school annals. LaViolette also added three triples, 16 doubles and a program-best 64 walks during his impressive 2024 season.
Nationally, the Aggie center fielder ranked inside the top 10 in homers, runs scored, total bases and walks en route to being named a First Team All-American by three different publications. In 68 games, all of which were starts, LaViolette logged 23 multi-hit, 20 multi-RBI and six multi-homer games. The junior also finished 2024 with a career-best 25-game on-base streak.
Throughout the preseason, LaViolette has earned First Team All-America honors from three different publications and has been named the Preseason National Player of the Year by Baseball America and Perfect Game.
During his first season in Aggieland, Schott started all 68 games and led the Maroon & White with a .335 average and 88 hits in 2024. The Newport Beach, Calif., native also added two triples, eight homers, 15 doubles and 63 RBI. The Aggie designated hitter totaled 25 multi-hit and 17 multi-RBI contests in his 68 appearances.
Prager emerged as one of the top pitchers in the nation during the 2024 season, logging a 9-1 record in 19 starts to go with a 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a team-high 124 strikeouts to only 20 walks. The lefty’s 124 punchouts ranked ninth all-time in program history and marked the first time since 2021 that an Aggie surpassed 100 strikeouts in a season. The Dallas, Texas, native held opponents to a .226 batting average and recorded a 6.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio that ranked second nationally.
In the offseason, Prager was selected in the third round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels before deciding to return to Aggieland for another year. During his outstanding 2024 season, Prager tossed nine quality starts and seven scoreless outings.
The redshirt junior has picked up plenty of preseason recognition, earning First Team Preseason All-America honors from three different publications to go along with Preseason SEC Pitcher of the Year honors from D1Baseball.
Henseler, a transfer from Penn, started all 49 games for the Quakers in 2024 and led the squad with a .360 average to go along with a .465 on-base percentage and a .755 slugging percentage. The senior set an Ivy League record with 22 homers and also drove in 56 runs en route to being named the unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year.
In his four-year career at Penn, the Emmaus, Penn., native set Ivy League records for homers (54), RBI (189) and total bases (560). Henseler also set program records for career hits (232), runs (181), doubles (50), total bases, homers and RBI as well as single-season marks in hits (72), homers and runs (64).
Prior to his first season in Aggieland, Henseler picked up Preseason Second Team All-America honors from D1Baseball.
During his rookie campaign, Sorrell batted .275, registered 11 homers and drove in 43 runs in 62 appearances. The Flower Mound, Texas, native became the everyday starting left fielder following the series finale against Mississippi State on March 23 and went on to earn Freshman All-America honors from Perfect Game. Sorrell also scored 44 times, stole nine bases and finished the season with a 15-game on-base streak.
The Aggies are set to open their 2025 campaign Friday, Feb. 14 at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park against Elon at 6 p.m.