Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle was likely thinking his squad would get away with a Game 1 in the College World Series without having to turn to Evan Aschenbeck. But the Aggies needed their star closer to slam the door on Tennessee in their 9-5 win.
A two-run homer from Kaeden Kent gave Texas A&M a seven-run lead in the top of the seventh.
But Tennessee went back-to-back with home runs in the bottom of the seventh, each to different pitchers. That’s all it took for Schlossnagle to head out to the mound and signal for the Aggies’ relief ace.
There’s a reason Aschenbeck won the national stopper of the year award. The southpaw struck out the first two batters he faced, then carved up the eighth inning. The Volunteers showed some life in the bottom of the ninth, but Aschenbeck shut down the rally attempt secure the win for the Aggies.
It was clear early in Saturday’s game the Aggies would not be intimidated against No. 1 Tennessee. Gavin Grahovac launched the third pitch of the game to right for a solo homer to lead off the top of the first, and the Aggies tacked on another later in the frame to push the advantage to 2-0.
The Volunteers picked up a run in the bottom of the second, but the Aggies exploded in the top of the third, scoring five runs on four hits, a walk and an error. Kent’s two-run homer in the top of the seventh felt like the finishing touches on a blowout win for the Aggies.
But there’s more than a few reasons Tennessee is the No. 1 team in the country. Dylan Dreiling ripped a two-run homer to right to end the evening of Texas A&M pitcher Josh Stewart, then Hunter Ensley greeted Brad Rudis with a homer on his second pitch, ending his night early.
Enter Aschenbeck, who entered the game with a 1.54 ERA. He immediately struck out Kavares Tears and Dean Curley to get out of the seventh inning, then proceeded to pitch a 1-2-3 eighth.
The Volunteers picked up a pair of hits in the bottom of the ninth to threaten the Aggies, but Aschenbeck struck out Ensley and Tears to strand runners on the corners to end the game. Aschenbeck struck out seven in 2.2 innings.
The Aggies will be the home team in the second game of the College World Series finals, and they need to win just one more game to clinch the first national championship in program history.
The Sporting News tracked live updates from Saturday's contest between the Aggies and Volunteers, the first game of the College World Series final.
MORE: Watch the College World Series live with Fubo (free trial)
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee baseball score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | F | |
| Texas A&M | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Tennessee | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee live updates, highlights from College World Series final
(All times Eastern)
11:36 p.m.: Tears strikes out swinging at a slider as the Aggies win Game 1.
11:33 p.m.: Two away as Ensley can't hold up on a slider for a strikeout.
11:31 p.m.: Make it a four-hit night for Dreiling as he ropes a single into the right-center gap. Amick moves up to third, and Tennessee has runners on the corners.
11:29 p.m.: Amick gives the Vols a bit of life in the bottom of the ninth, lining a single into left.
11:28 p.m.: Burke watches a frontdoor slider fall into the zone for a strikeout looking to end a nine-pitch at-bat.
11:22 p.m. End top ninth: Kent flies out to center to end the top half of the inning. Heart of the Volunteer lineup due up to face Aschenbeck with Game 1 on the line.
11:20 p.m.: Make it back-to-back strikeouts for Loy as he gets Camarillo to chase a filthy slider that dives down below the zone for a third strikeout.
11:17 p.m.: Sorrell is set down on three pitches, chasing a slider to start the ninth.
11:13 p.m. End of eighth: Aschenbeck makes it look easy as Stark flies out to right on the first pitch he sees, then the southpaw sets Moore down on three pitches, ending it with a swinging strikeout on a high fastball.
11:11 p.m.: Another strikeout for Aschenbeck as Bargo swings and misses at a slider down and away.
11:07 p.m. End top eighth: Burton rolls the first pitch he sees to third for the inning-ending groundout. Volunteers will swing again hoping to continue to fight back down by four.
11:06 p.m.: Schott fans on the slider away for a strikeout.
11:03 p.m.: Dylan Loy enters the game for Tennessee, and immediately is met with some drama. Appel hits a fly to right that appeared to confuse Bargo, but he adjusts and makes the backhanded, falling grab for the first out.
10:59 p.m. End of seventh: Curley swings through the down-and-away fastball for the inning-ending strikeout.
10:57 p.m.: That's why they brought in the Stopper of the Year. Aschenbeck carves up Tears on three pitches, ending the at-bat with a filthy slider that Tears flails at for a swinging strikeout.
10:52 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: Ensley has a rude welcome for Rudis as he blasts the second pitch of the game 386 feet to the left-field seats to make it a four-run game. Just like that, Rudis is out and Texas A&M is forced to turn to relief ace Evan Aschenbeck. Texas A&M 9, Tennessee 5
10:49 p.m.: That will end the night for Stewart, who is replaced on the hill by Brad Rudis.
10:48 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: Dreiling's hot day continues as hit No. 3 is a two-run homer to right that makes it a five-run game. Texas A&M 9, Tennessee 4
10:46 p.m.: Stewart misses with a pitch down-and-away to walk Amick. There is action in the Texas A&M bullpen as Stewart prepares to throw pitch No. 54.
10:43 p.m.: Stewart sets Burke down swinging on a filthy breaking ball down and in for the first out.
10:39 p.m. End top seventh: LaViolette grounds out to first to end the top half of the seventh.
10:36 p.m.: Grahovac just checks his swing on a 2-2 pitch just outside the zone, then comes up empty on a changeup away for the second out.
10:35 p.m.: Chestnut hits a high popup that's caught at short for the first out.
10:32 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: That's one way to make dad smile — well, still not quite. Kent blasts a two-run homer into the right-field bullpen to push the Aggie lead up to seven runs. Texas A&M 9, Tennessee 2
10:28 p.m.: Camarillo draws a five-pitch walk to lead off the top of the seventh.
10:22 p.m. End of sixth: On a 1-2 pitch, Moore roped a 107 mph liner down the right-field line, but it hooks foul. Four pitches later, Moore hits a grounder to short to end the sixth inning. Texas A&M will take a five-run lead to the final third of the game.
10:20 p.m.: A couple of good takes by Stark, and he reaches on a walk after falling behind 0-2 to Stewart to start the plate appearance.
10:17 p.m.: Dalton Bargo pinch hits for Chapman and strikes out swinging at a 93 mph fastball.
10:16 p.m.: Curley lifts a short looper to shallow left, but Sorrell comes in to make the grab for the first out.
10:11 p.m. End top sixth: Burton hits a slow roller to third, and though Behnke gets to it, he doesn't even attempt a throw. But on the next pitch, Sorrell ropes a liner right to Chapman in right for the third out.
10:09 p.m..: Perfect slider from Behnke gets a swing and miss from Schott for a strikeout. Now Burton will try to add to the Aggie lead.
10:06 p.m.: Phillips misses with the first pitch to Schott, and after the steal gives the Aggies a runner in scoring position, Tony Vitello goes to the bullpen to bring in lefty Andrew Behnke to face the left-handed Schott.
10:04 p.m.: Phillips battles back from a 3-0 count, but just misses the outside part of the zone with a 3-2 fastball to walk Appel. The catcher then immediately swipes second, notching his 17th steal of the season.
10:02 p.m.: LaViolette sends a 3-2 fastball from Phillips to left for a flyout.
9:57 p.m. End of fifth: Kent fields the slow grounder from Tears and throws it to Burton at first, who got back to the bag just in time to nab Tears for the inning-ending groundout. The Volunteers are only 4-for-14 with runners on base, and they've left seven runners on.
9:56 p.m.: Stewart just missed the corner with a slider, then he puts a fastball right down the middle to strike Ensley out looking.
9:54 p.m.: Dreiling fouls off three straight, then is caught looking at a backdoor slider by Stewart.
9:50 p.m.: Amick lays off a 3-2 fastball down and away to draw the walk. Dreiling, who is 2-for-2, is coming up with runners on first and second with no one out.
9:46 p.m.: Prager's night is done. Josh Stewart is coming in to pitch for Texas A&M. He has a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings this season with 34 strikeouts, six walks and 28 hits. Prager leaves having allowed two runs (both earned) over four innings on eight hits with six strikeouts. He's responsible for the runner on second.
9:44 p.m.: Burke gives Tennessee some life to start the bottom of the fifth by sending the 2-2 pitch from Prager off the left-field wall for a double.
9:40 p.m. End top fifth: Phillips gets the Volunteers out of danger as he blazes a 98 mph heater past Grahovac for the swinging strikeout.
9:35 p.m.: With the right-handed Grahovac due up, Marcus Phillips is coming in to replace Connell.
9:33 p.m.: Camarillo tries to catch Connell napping, but the southpaw steps off and makes a perfect throw to third to nab the baserunner. The next pitch, Chestnut drops a single into right. Chapman has some issues fielding it, allowing both runners to move up. Runners now on second and third with two out.
9:31 p.m.: Kent's now got a pair of hits as he lines a single in front of Chapman in right. The 6-8 hitters in the A&M lineup are now 5-9.
9:29 p.m.: Camarillo rips a line drive single up the middle for his first hit of the evening.
9:27 p.m.: Sorrell grounds out to third to lead off the fifth.
9:26 p.m.: Tennessee is bringing in southpaw Kirby Connell to pitch, replacing Causey.
9:23 p.m. End bottom fourth: Prager beats the race to the first-base bag against Moore on an infield grounder. Tennessee is challenging the ruling, but it appears the pitcher did get that toe on the base. And the ruling is confirmed.
9:19 p.m.: Stark goes down swinging, and he expresses some frustration at the home-plate umpire. The Volunteers have been vocal about their unhappiness toward the strike zone in today's game.
9:17 p.m.: Chapman tries to bunt down the left-field line to beat the shifted infield, but Prager jumps on it quickly to make the throw at first. Curley moves up to second on the sacrifice.
9:15: Curley hits a high chopper to first that just gets above a leaping attempt from Burton for an opposite-field base hit. The freshman is the third Volunteer to be 2-for-2 so far today.
9:12 p.m. End top fourth: Tears has been flashing some impressive defense all postseason, and he continues it again in the top of the fourth, laying out to rob Burton of an RBI double to the left-center gap to end the inning.
9:10 p.m.: Schott stings a changeup left over the middle of the plate into the right-center gap for a two-out double.
9:08 p.m.: Appel hits a comebacker to Causey, who picks the hard grounder and makes the throw to first for the second out.
9:06 p.m.: LaViolette again has a long battle with the pitcher, but this time, Causey is the winner, getting LaViolette to swing and miss at a two-seamer for the eight-pitch strikeout.
9:01 p.m. End of third: Prager picks up his fifth strikeout as Tears comes up empty swinging at a changeup.
8:58 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: Some life for the Volunteers as Ensley rips a base hit into left that scores Burke. The Volunteers get one closer. Texas A&M 7, Tennessee 2
8:56 p.m.: Amick comes up empty for a strikeout, but Dreiling picks up his second hit of the game, grounding a single up the middle to set up runners on first and second with two outs.
8:54 p.m.: Burke rips a base hit over the middle to give the Volunteers a one-out baserunner.
8:53 p.m.: Moore strikes out swinging at a changeup for the first out.
8:49 p.m. End top third: A sacrifice bunt and groundout end the top of the third, but not before the Aggies move up to a six-run lead.
8:46 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: Huge mistake by Amick, who throws a grounder off the bat of Camarillo away over to first. Burton scores, and Camarillo gets up to second. Kent follows that up with a two-RBI single to score Sorrell and Camarillo, and this game is reaching blowout territory. Texas A&M 7, Tennessee 1
8:44 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: The freshman has two RBI already, roping another single to score Schott and give the Aggies another run. Texas A&M 4, Tennessee 1
8:40 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: Schott ropes a base hit up the middle that scores LaViolette to push the Aggies' lead back up to two runs. Burton tries to bunt Appel in from third, but Burke makes a nice play, throwing it to the plate to nab the runner trying to score. Still only one out as Texas A&M challenges the out call at home, but the call is confirmed. Texas A&M 3, Tennessee 1
8:37 p.m.: Another comebacker to the mound, this one bouncing in front of the mound then again on the hill that sends it straight up in the air. There's no play available for the Volunteers as they now deal with Aggies at first and second with no one out.
8:35 p.m.: Eight-pitch battle between Causey and LaViolette ends with a walk.
8:29 p.m. End of second: Stark hits the 2-1 offering on a line, but it's right at Burton at first for the third out.
8:27 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: This is why the Volunteers are so dangerous: there's no easy outs in this lineup. Curley ropes a fastball to center to score Dreiling. Chapman flies out two pitches later as Texas A&M moves an out away from stranding a pair. Texas A&M 2, Tennessee 1
8:24 p.m.: Ensley cranks a base hit into the left-center gap, moving Dreiling up to third. The next pitch, Tears pops out to third in foul territory, a huge out for the Aggies.
8:20 p.m.: Tennessee is into the hit column as Dreiling beats out an infield single that just got over a leaping Prager. Kent got the throw off,
8:17 p.m. End top second: Causey is handling everything as he fields the grounder off the bat of Grahovac and flips to first for the groundout. A much-needed 1-2-3 inning for Tennessee after giving up a pair in the first.
8:14 p.m.: And now Chestnut swings and misses at a slider for a strikeout. That's already four strikeouts for Causey.
8:12 p.m.: Kent swings and misses at a changeup from Causey for strike three. So far, every out for Causey has been a strikeout.
8:09 p.m. End of first: Prager goes 1-2-3 against the top of the Volunteer lineup as Amick comes up empty swinging at a slider for the punchout.
8:06 p.m.: Sorrell nearly makes an impressive diving grab on Burke, but can't quite hang on to it at the ground. The next pitch, Burke is caught looking at a perfectly placed changeup down and in on the corner for a strikeout.
8:03 p.m.: Moore gets under a breaking ball out and away and pops it up to short.
7:57 p.m. End top first: Sorrell picks the right pitch to go, stealing second without a throw as Stark couldn't catch the pitch cleanly. It doesn't wind up hurting the Vols, however, as Camarillo strikes out swinging at a changeup to end the frame.
7:55 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: Sorrell rips a base hit up the middle to score Appel and move Schott up to third. Runners on the corners for Camarillo as the Aggies look to keep adding to their advantage. Texas A&M 2, Tennessee 0
7:54 p.m.: Great start for Causey as he gets Burton to swing and miss on a sinker down and in. He's one out away from stranding runners on the corners.
7:49 p.m.: Schott hits a grounder that takes a high hop off the pitcher's mound. Curley has some issues fielding the ball at short off the second hop, and Schott reaches with Appel moving up to third. He is assessed an error, though that's a tough error call. The opener, Stamos, is done, with AJ Causey coming in to pitch. He has a 4.21 ERA in 87.2 innings this season with 120 strikeouts.
7:46 p.m.: The Aggies' offense stays off to a hot start. Appel rips a grounder past Amick at third into the left-field corner for a one-out double.
7:44 p.m.: Stamos falls behind 3-0 to LaViolette, then works his way back to get the star Aggie to fly out to shallow left.
7:41 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: How about that to start the College World Series finals? Grahovac blasts a high fastball in an 0-2 count into the right-field seats to give Texas A&M the lead right away. Texas A&M 1, Tennessee 0
7:40 p.m.: The first pitch from Stamos to Grahovac is a fastball for a strike looking.
7:30 p.m.: Who's ready for some college baseball? This game is just about to get underway.
7:20 p.m.: Closing in on the start of the game. First pitch is likely to be closer to 7:35 p.m. ET. In the meantime, Georgia's Charlie Condon has been named the 2024 Golden Spikes Award winner.
7 p.m.: Thirty minutes to go until first pitch. Here's a look at the lineups for Saturday's contest.
Texas A&M
- Gavin Grahovac, 3B
- Jace LaViolette, RF
- Jackson Appel, C
- Hayden Schott, DH
- Ted Burton, 1B
- Caden Sorrell, LF
- Ali Camarillo, SS
- Kaeden Kent, 2B
- Travis Chestnut, CF
P: Ryan Prager
Tennessee
- Christian Moore, 2B
- Blake Burke, 1B
- Billy Amick, 3B
- Dylan Dreiling, LF
- Hunter Ensley, DH
- Kavares Tears, CF
- Dean Curley, SS
- Reese Chapman, RF
- Cal Stark, C
P: Chris Stamos
6:25 p.m.: Coming off bracket sweeps, the Aggies and Volunteers have waited long enough to get this game underway. They're back at Charles Schwab Stadium for a game, starting the final series of the year in just over an hour.
How to watch Texas A&M vs. Tennessee
- Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee will be carried on ESPN. Those hoping to stream the game can find it on ESPN+ or on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
College World Series schedule
Saturday, June 22
| Game | Matchup/Result | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| CWS Finals Game 1 | Texas A&M vs. Tennessee | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
Sunday, June 23
| Game | Matchup/Result | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| CWS Finals Game 2 | Tennessee vs. Texas A&M | 2 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
Monday, June 24
| Game | Matchup/Result | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| *CWS Finals Game 3 | Texas A&M vs. Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
*If necessary