Two wins separate Texas A&M from a national championship heading into the 2024 Men’s College World Series final vs. Tennessee on Saturday.
Knowing that this is the final series of his career, Aggies outfielder Hayden Schott took a moment to reflect what brought him to College Station after opting to enter the transfer portal last offseason after his senior season at Columbia.
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“I actually went to boarding school for high school,” Schott explained. “It’s all based on tradition and excellence and stuff like that. When I met the coaching staff and learned more about A&M as a whole, the student body and the people surrounding Texas A&M, that group of people is so powerful and they’re so supportive. And I think that initially drew me in. It’s been nothing short of amazing during my tenure here.
“And then obviously you have the best coaching staff in the country, which helped out a little bit. So I think the mix of the people at A&M and this coaching staff, that was the initial draw. And then now having this group of guys that I’ve got to come play for a championship with is pretty unbelievable.”
Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnage was able to scoop up the two-time All-Ivy League standout and get the most out of him this season.
Schott heads into the CWS final batting a team-high .333 including a .923 OPS across 65 starts during the 2024 season. In 249 at-bats, Schott has logged 83 hits, 61 RBIs, 43 runs, 24 extra base hits, eight home runs while also getting walked 34 times over the course of the season.
However, Schott is dealing with a torn meniscus heading into the championship series. However, Schott explained that multiple Aggies players are dealing with nagging injuries and that he’s “fine,” heading into the series against the Vols.
Obviously, Schott isn’t one to make excuses. Then again, the public may not learn how much the injury is actually affecting Schott until the CWS is over. In Texas A&M’s win over Florida on Wednesday, Schott failed to record a hit in his two at-bats.
However, in the Aggies’ previous win, Schott recorded three hits and two RBIs. Texas A&M will need Schott’s batting prowess if it wants to upset the No. 1 overall seeded Vols.
The two teams only met once this season and it was in the SEC Tournament. Tennessee emerged victorious with a 7-4 win. In the loss, Schott went 0-2 from the batter’s box. He cannot allow history to repeat itself.
The first pitch between Texas A&M and Tennessee is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN.
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