
News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette and left-hander Ryan Prager have been named Preseason First Team All-Americans by Baseball America, as announced by the publication Tuesday morning.
This is the third Preseason First Team All-America selection for both LaViolette and Prager as the duo also earned the nod from D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
LaViolette, Baseball America’s Preseason National Player of the Year, 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 program history. 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.
Baseball America on LaViolette:
LaViolette is the top-ranked college player in the class and boasts a special blend of size, tools and performance in the rugged SEC. He’s a career .297/.433/.683 hitter with 50 home runs in two seasons with Texas A&M, is the focal point of college baseball’s best team and a preseason favorite to be the first pick in the draft. He can hit the ball as hard as most, and he moves far better than a 6-foot-6, 230-pound human should.
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 Angles before deciding to return to Aggieland for another year. During his outstanding 2024 season, Prager tossed nine quality starts and seven scoreless outings.
Baseball America excerpt on Prager:
Prager returns to Texas A&M after not signing as the Angels’ 2024 third-round pick. He’s as established a starter as you’ll find in the class and pitches above his stuff with a cut-ride fastball that sits 90-92 mph, great command and deception in his delivery. In 2024 he posted a 2.95 ERA over 19 starts and 97.2 innings with a 31.2% strikeout rate and 5.0% walk rate.
The Aggies open their 2025 season Friday, Feb. 14 at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park as they welcome Elon for a three-game set.