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Texas A&M opens the next chapter of its quest to win its first national college baseball championship against Grambling State on Friday, 1 p.m. ET at the Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Aggies coach Jim Schlossnagle announced hours before the game he is starting Jacksonville State transfer Tanner Jones.
The Aggies (44-13, 19-11 in SEC) placed second in the SEC Western Division behind Arkansas and are looking to bounce back from two straight losses against Mississippi State and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.
Texas A&M is in for a tough task in the opener of the College Station Regional as it takes on the Tigers, who won the SWAC Tournament championship.
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Grambling State (26-26, 18-8 in SWAC) is on a four-game winning streak dating back to the conference tournament, where they defeated Alabama State in the loser's bracket, beat Florida A&M twice in the SWAC semifinals and outpointed Jackson State in the final.
On the other hand, Grambling State has yet to announce its starter, but the team is expected to put its best foot forward by putting its ace, Mason Martinez, on the mound for this crucial encounter.
Texas A&M starting pitcher Tanner Jones' stats
Tanner Jones has started for 11 games this season for Texas A&M and has a record of 3-1 in the regular season. The six-foot-two right-handed pitcher played for 43.0 innings and has recorded a 6.70 ERA and 42 strikeouts.
The Aggies have won 10 games when he is on the mound and he hopes to keep that winning record intact against Grambling State, whose pitching staff has a collective ERA of 8.30. This included 475 hits and 46 home runs allowed.
What to expect out of Grambling State's pitching staff in the College Station Baseball Regional game vs Texas A&M
Besides Mason Martinez, Grambling State's pitching crew is a mess as they have allowed a fat ERA of 8.30 per game. But their opponents have surrendered an ERA of 8.04, meaning they have scored almost a similar number of earned runs each game.
However, Texas A&M is a hitting machine, with three batters hitting at least 60 RBIs this season. The triumvirate of Jace LaViolette, Braden Montgomery and Gavin Grahovac has also combined for 75 home runs for the Aggies, which could mean big trouble for Grambling State if it starts a weak pitcher in this crucial game.
Will Grambling State beat the odds and upset Texas A&M in the College Station Regional Tournament? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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