"It means a lot to me. I grew up a big A&M fan," Aggies pitcher Josh Stewart said after his team defeated Florida on Wednesday to advance. "It's awesome to be a part of the first team that's been to the finals. It's really cool to be a part of."
Stewart and Justin Lamkin have been two of the stars on the mound who have emerged late in the season to fuel the Aggies' run to the title series against Tennessee.
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Lamkin said this A&M team relies on much more than talent.
"I'm just proud of this group of guys. How selfless we've been playing these last few weeks. So I'm really proud of everybody," Lamkin said.
The Aggies have relied on contributions up and down their lineup and pitching staff after season-ending injuries to elite MLB prospect Braden Montgomery and starting pitcher Shane Sdao from Lake Creek High School.
Kaeden Kent, the son of former Astros star Jeff Kent, added to his electric postseason performance with an RBI double that sealed A&M's win over Florida on Wednesday. Freshmen like Gavin Grahovac and Caden Sorrell have also produced big hits, highlighted by Sorrell's two-run home run in the latest victory over the Gators.
The Aggies and Volunteers start the best-of-three championship series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. Game 2 will be broadcast Sunday at 1 p.m. on ABC13.
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