SEC CHAMPIONS!
The Aggie baseball team beat all comers in the SEC this season, save one: the University of Florida, who swept them in Gainesville. Payback came Sunday, as the Aggies blasted the Gators 12-5 to win the SEC Tournament championship.
Nick Banks hit two homers, J.B. Moss drove in five runs and Texas A&M scored nine unanswered runs in their final two at-bats to pull away from defending champion Florida.
The Aggies scored three runs in the first three innings, including a home run by Nick Banks in the third that left the stadium and landed in the trees beyond right field. They were then silent until the seventh, when they broke out.
After a two-run double by Moss tied the game at 5, Banks came up with a man on and hit his second homer of the game, a bomb to right off of freshman Michael Byrne (0-2) to give the Aggies a 7-5 lead. They would score five more in the eighth against the conference's best pitching staff, highlighted by a bases-clearing double by Moss.
Florida starter Logan Shore was able to keep his streak of 15 consecutive decisions without a loss alive, but also gave up a run in his only inning of work before the Gators (47-13) went to the bullpen. The Aggies (45-14) got 5 1/3 innings of work out of starter Turner Larkins, who gave up 4 runs -- 2 earned -- before turning things over to the bullpen.
Senior Andrew Vinson (4-2) held the Gators in check, pitching three hitless innings and striking out five in order to keep the Aggies in striking distance. After Vinson's final strikeout, the Aggies celebrated a four-game winning streak after losing their tournament opener to Vanderbilt, their first SEC title and a possible number one national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Notes:
• Banks was named the tournament's MVP.
• Banks, shortstop Austin Homan, pitcher Brigham Hill, 2B Ryne Kirk and DH Jonathan Moroney were all named to the all-tournament team.
• The Aggies scored 18 runs combined in their final two at-bats against Ole Miss and Florida.