STATION, Texas – Matt Kent offered up his second phenomenal start in four days to propel the No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies to a regional championship-clinching 3-1 win over the California Golden Bears Monday night on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Kent (9-1), named the College Station Regional Most Outstanding Player, battled through 7.0 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out five. He ended the tournament, allowing just one run on 11 hits and three walks while striking out 14 in 14.0 innings of work.
Kyle Simonds, who earned his only other save of the season on opening day, retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings to pick up his second.
Texas A&M’s pitching staff put up spectacular stats in the tournament, posting a 1.20 ERA and allowed only seven extra-base hits while striking out 52 in 52.1 innings of work.
The Aggies broke the scoring seal in the bottom of the second. With one out, Hunter Melton hit a ball off the glove of a diving third baseman for a single. Jonathan Moroney followed with a five-pitch walk and Logan Nottebrok punched a single through the right side of the infield to load the bases. Michael Barash drove a 1-0 offering to centerfield to plate Melton for with the sacrifice fly.
After being limited to just two hits in the first six innings, California (36-21) briefly cracked the Kent code. Chris Paul started the inning by launching an 0-1 pitch over the leftfield fence for the equalizer.
Texas A&M (49-12) offered up an immediate response in the bottom of the seventh. Moroney worked a four-pitch walk and Nottebrok followed by drawing a five-pitch walk. Barash moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Blake Allemand plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
The Maroon and White would push across an insurance run in the eighth. Mitchell Nau started the frame by reaching on an error when pitcher Erik Martinez was unable to handle a toss at the bag from the first baseman. Logan Taylor followed with a single to rightfield and a fielders choice groundout to second to put runners at the corners. Melton staked the Aggies to a 3-1 lead when he bounced a single up the middle to drive in Nau.
With the win, the Aggies advanced through the Losers’ Bracket to win a regional for the third time, the most for any school. The Maroon and White also improved to 6-3 all-time in winners-take-all Regional Game Sevens, also the most for any program.
The Aggies’ 49 wins are the most for the program since the 1999 squad went 52-18 in a College World Series campaign.
In addition to Matt Kent, the Aggies also had Nick Banks, Ryne Birk, Mitchell Nau, Logan Nottebrok and Logan Taylor named to the All-Tournament Team.
Texas A&M will play TCU next weekend in Fort Worth. Game dates and times are to be determined and will be announced at the earliest convenience.