Around Aggieland (5/21)

During Friday's edition of TexAgs Radio, the fish bowl's own Richard Zane joined to share updates from the latest in Aggie Athletics as there is plenty to run down from the diamonds, track, the tennis courts and much more.

Track & Field
On Tuesday, the Southeastern Conference announced that long-distance runner Jon Bishop had won the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

• The award is the highest honor a student-athlete can win in the SEC, and Bishop is the third Aggie and second Aggie track athlete to win the award.
• Bishop, a College Station native, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematical Sciences and is currently pursuing his master’s in Computer Science.

For her performance at the SEC Outdoor Championships, Tyra Gittens was named the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week.

• Gitten earned the Aggies 23 points and won the Commissioner’s Trophy as the highest point-getter at the conference meet.
• She won the heptathlon, finished runner-up in the high jump and finished fourth in the long jump.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Gittens and Athing Mu were named to the Bowerman Award Post-Conference Watchlist.

• The Bowerman Award is presented annually to the nation’s top men’s and women’s track & field athlete.

The Aggies will host the NCAA West Prelims at E.B. Cushing Stadium, beginning Wednesday, May 26. All four days will be streamed on the SEC Network+. Texas A&M has 48 entries into the NCAA West Prelims.

• Wednesday, May 26: Field events begin at 1:30 p.m. CT, running events begin at 6:00 p.m. CT.
• Thursday, May 27: Field events begin at 1:30 p.m. CT, running events begin at 6:00 p.m. CT.
• Friday, May 28: Field events begin at 1:00 p.m. CT, running events begin at 5:30 p.m. CT.
• Saturday, May 29: Field events begin at 1:00 p.m. CT, running events begin at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Softball (31-21, 8-17 in SEC play)
Texas A&M opens the 2021 NCAA Tournament on Friday evening as the Aggies begin play in the Norman Regional.

• Texas A&M will face Wichita State on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.
• Also playing in the Norman Regional is the top-overall seed Oklahoma and Morgan State.

Men’s Tennis (19-9, 7-5 in SEC play)
No. 8 Texas A&M took down No. 16 Mississippi State in the Sweet 16 on Monday afternoon at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. The Aggies won the match, 4-0.

• A&M took the doubles point, 2-0.
• Hady Habib won his match in straight sets (6-4, 6-1).
• Noah Schachter won his match in straight sets (6-3, 7-6).
• Raphael Perot won his match in straight sets (6-0, 6-1).
• With the win, Texas A&M advanced to NCAA Quarterfinals for just the fourth time in program history.

On Thursday night, No. 8 A&M fell to No. 1 Florida in the Elite Eight, 4-1.

• The Aggies could only win the doubles point.

With the team season wrapped up, Habib, Valentine Vacherot, Carlos Aguilar and Bjorn Thompson will play in the NCAA Individual Championships, which begin May 23 at the USTA Campus in Orlando.

• Habib, Vacherot and Aguilar will play in the singles competition.
• The pairing of Aguilar and Thompson will play in the doubles competition.

Women’s Tennis (21-8, 9-4 in SEC play)
With the team season wrapped up, Tatiana Makarova and Jayci Goldsmith will play in the NCAA Individual Championships, beginning on May 23.

• Makarova will be playing in singles action as the 25th-ranked player.
• The doubles pairing of Makarova and Goldsmith will play as the 20th-ranked pair.

Men’s Golf
No. 14 Texas A&M finished sixth at the Albuquerque Regional, missing the cut for the NCAA Championship by a single stroke.

• A&M finished the week at -11.
• Texas Tech (-26), Arizona State (-16), Oregon State (-16), Oklahoma (-13) and San Diego (-12) advanced out of the Albuquerque Regional.

Baseball (29-25, 9-19 in SEC play)
Texas A&M took the series opener from LSU on Thursday night, 2-1.

• Dustin Saenz was brilliant: 8.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
• Will Frizzell’s 19th home run of the season gave the Aggies the lead in the eighth.
• Chandler Jozwiak needed just 11 pitches in the ninth to pick up his eighth save of the year.

The Aggies are still tied with Auburn for the 12th in the standings for the final spot in the SEC Tournament following Auburn’s 15-6 win over Missouri on Thursday night.

• Texas A&M can make the SEC Tournament by sweeping LSU, eliminating LSU from Hoover.
• Texas A&M can make the SEC Tournament by winning one more game than Auburn this weekend.

The Aggies and Bayou Bengals continue this weekend series on Friday night, weather permitting.

• Friday, May 21: 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+
• Saturday, May 22: 2:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network+
• In the event of a rainout, this is the only weekend where a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series can be extended to Sunday to get as many games in as possible, per SEC rules.