Starting lineups

For Lamar:

Position	Player	2026 stats
LF	Tab Tracy	.366, 2 HR, 36 RBI; 20-22 stolen bases
DH	Beau Durbin	.294/5/42
SS	A.J. Taylor	.297/7/32
C	Jake Wagoner	.347/1/16
3B	Hector Rodriguez	.310/2/27
1B	Braden Benton	.235/1/21
RF	Balin Valentine	.245/1/14
LF	Brayden Evans	.223/4/28
2B	Kevin Duran	.284/5/27
P	Chris Olivier	7-4, 2.66 ERA

For Texas A&M:

Position	Player	2026 Stats
1B	Gavin Grahovac	.344, 19 HR, 71 RBI
2B	Caden Sorrell	.341/23/74
DH	Chris Hacopian	.307/9/33
LF	Jake Duer	.295/6/47
3B	Nico Partida	.317/12/41
C	Bear Harrison	.301/11/33
RF	Jorian Wilson	.292/12/32
2B	Ben Royo	.483/3/7
SS	Boston Kellner	.243/5/29
P	Shane Sdao	4-4, 6.75 ERA

Stat Category	Lamar	A&M
Team batting average	.273 (185th nationally)	.301 (39th)
Team home runs	38 (234th)	114 (6th)
Scoring	5.6 runs per game (251st)	9 (7th)
Walks	63 (277th)	305 (26th)
Slugging percentage	.383 (258th)	.567 (4th)
Team ERA	4.47 (35th)	5.13 (79th)
Strikeouts per nine innings	8.6 (95th)	9.3 (58th)
Walks allowed per nine innings	4.78 (172nd)	2.95 (2nd)
WHIP	1.38 (43rd)	1.4 (47th)
Fielding percentage	.978 (T-31st)	.978 (T-31st)

By the numbers, the Aggies have a huge advantage in the hitting and power department, but the Cardinals have won on pitching and defense all year. The Aggies will draw Lamar’s ace in Olivier, the Southland Conference’s Pitcher of the Year.

Top of the 1st: Not an auspicious start. Ben Royo throws away a grounder and Tracy advances to second. Taylor drives him home with a single up the middle with one out.

Wagoner strikes out for the second out. Sdao has the heat, but everything is up.

The third out comes on a fly ball to the right field wall.

Lamar 1, Texas A&M 0

Bottom of the 1st: Grahovac walks on a full count pitch. He should have been walked a pitch earlier as the ump blew a check swing call.

Sorrell pops out to left center.

Hacopian pops out to right.

Duer hits a chopper through the right side for a base hit; Grahovac to third.

Partida hits one to the track in dead center for the final out. The wind definitely helped push that ball, so that may be an issue all afternoon.

End 1: Lamar 1, Texas A&M 0

Top of the 2nd:

Sdao gets Benton to line out to right for the first out.

Valentine flies out to center for out number two.

Sdao K’s Evans on three pitches. He’s retired five straight.

Bottom of the 2nd:

Bear Harrison gets hit AGAIN. That’s the 19th time this season.

Wilson hits a grounder to second. Harrison is out at second, but Wilson beats the throw at first. One out, still a runner on first.

Royo goes after the first pitch and flies out to moderately deep center field. Two outs.

Kellner flies out down the right field and that’s it for the second.

End 2: Lamar 1, Texas A&M 0

Top 3:

After Sdao gets the first two batters, Dubin singles up the middle, then Taylor doubles off the left field wall to score him.

Sdao is having the same problems he has all year. Lack of command, leaving pitches up over the plate to get smoked.

Wagoner then singles Taylor home.

Lamar 3, Texas A&M 0

Bottom 3:

Sorrell doubles to right center, Duer walks, but with two outs Partida strikes out.

END 3: Lamar 3, Texas A&M 0

Top 4:

Benton hits a bomb to left to make it 4-0 and Sdao is done. Gavin Lyons comes in. That’s exactly what A&M did not need. Sdao’s performance this season has been frustrating, to say the least.

Lyons gets two outs, then gives up another homer to Duran. This is a team that hit 38 home runs on the season.

Lyons gets his second strikeout of the inning.

Lamar 5, Texas A&M 0

Bottom 4:

Harrison strikes out.

Wilson flies out to center.

Royo walks, then steals second.

Kellner strikes out looking. A&M has not scored in 13 innings.

Top 5:

Lyons works through a quick 1-2-3 inning.

Bottom 5:

FINALLY! Grahovac hits a bomb to straight away center and the Aggies are on the board.

Sorrell is hit on a 2-2 pitch. He has words with Lamar’s catcher and pitcher before heading down to first.

Sorrell’s frustration may have broken the dam, because Hacopian cranks one out to left and it’s now 5-3.

Duer flies out to right center.

Partida grounds out to short on a full count pitch.

Harrison pops out to second.

The Aggies put up a crooked number and make things more interesting.

END 5: Lamar 5, Texas A&M 3

Top 6:

Lyons gives up an infield single with two outs, but escapes unscathed. Lyons is pounding the zone; of his 40 pitches, 28 were strikes.

Bottom 6:

Aggies go down 1-2-3.

END 6: Lamar 5, Texas A&M 3

Top 7:

Lyons gets Lamar to go 1-2-3 again. He’s been able to stop the bleeding nicely.

Bottom 7:

Olivier is done after 6 and Lamar turns to righthander Julius Carpo (3-2, 4.01 ERA, 5 saves).

Grahovac strikes out.

Sorrell walks after an eight-pitch at-bat.

Hacopian reaches on an infield single and A&M has two on with one out.

Duer gets plunked and the Aggies have the bases loaded with one out. This is the big opportunity.

Partida walks on a 3-1 count, forcing Sorrell in and it’s 5-4. Still one out.

Harrison hits a sacrifice fly, Hacopian scores and the game is tied. A&M has runners on first and second.

Wilson flies out to right and that’s the inning, but the Aggies have erased a five run deficit.

END 7: Texas A&M 5, Lamar 5

Top 8:

Clayton Freshcorn is entering in relief of Lyons, who was really good after the second batter he faced. Final line: 4 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 4Ks.

Freshcorn gets the Cardinals 1-2-3, with with a flyout, pop out and a groundout.

Royo, Kellner and Grahovac for the Aggies in the bottom of the eighth.

Bottom 8:

Royo takes the first pitch and pulls it down the left field line for a double.

Travis Chestnut is pinch hitting for Kellner. This screams sacrifice bunt.

Chestnut lays it down on the first pitch and it’s muffed by Carpio, who then throws it away trying to get Chestnut. Royo scores and Chestnut remains at first.

Grahovac walks on a full count after a 10-pitch at-bat that lasted 6 minutes, 30 seconds and included a gatorade break for the All-American. Two on, still nobody out.

Carpio is done. His line: 2 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 HBP and 1 error committed.

Nathan Darden enters and immediately throws a wild pitch, advancing the runners to second and third. Grahovac is clearly dealing with a cramp and he’s throwing down every liquid possible at second base.

Sorrell walks and the bases are loaded. This could get out of hand for Lamar.

Hacopian gets under a high fastball and doesn’t quite get it, flying to center. But it’s enough to score Chestnut and the Aggies take a 7-5 lead.

Duer strikes out on a full count.

Partida grounds out to second. Pretty good job minimizing the damage by Darden.

END 8: Texas A&M 7, Lamar 5

Top 9:

Grahovac comes out of the game due to the cramping. Blake Binderup is in at first. Chestnut stays in at second and Royo moves to short.

Benton strikes out swinging.

Lane Sparks (.225, 5 HR, 24 RBI) pinch hits and pops up on one pitch.

Chestnut boots his first chance. E-4. Lamar brings the tying run up with two outs.

Duran grounds out 6-4. Game over.

FINAL: Texas A&M 7, Lamar 5