Gators bite back as Texas A&M is held scoreless in SEC semifinals, 9-0

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Game #55: #7 Florida 9, #2 Texas A&M 0 (SEC Tournament, semifinal)
Records: Texas A&M (37-18, 19-11), Florida (39-21, 15-15)
WP: Timmy Manning (1-0)
LP: Ryan Prager (1-3)
Save: Fisher Jameson (1)
Box Score

Every now and then, a dud can be found in a package of dynamite.

That was the case on Saturday night as No. 5 Texas A&M’s explosive offense seemed to have a wet fuse.

The Aggies (37-18) had scored at least eight runs in 11 of their previous 13 games. But they were shut out for the first time this season in a 9-0 loss to Florida (39-21) in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

The loss eliminated A&M from the SEC Tournament. The Aggies still figure to be among the top-eight national seeds when the NCAA Tournament field of 64 is announced on Monday.

Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ryan Prager suffered the loss, allowing four runs in 3.2 innings. The freshman left-hander allowed three walks and three hits.

“It’s not like we’re going to go home and sit around,” Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “We have work to do. We have to get better.”

Improvement is needed just about everywhere.

A&M pitchers Ryan Prager (1-3), Robert Hogan, Jack Hamilton and Brad Rudis combined to give up nine hits, six walks and a hit batter while striking out just three.

Florida’s lead-off hitter reached in seven of nine innings, three times via bases on balls.

The defense committed two costly errors. On other occasions, innings were extended because the Aggies failed to execute makable plays.

An errant relay throw denied the Aggies a double play. A pop fly into short left field fell in for a double. Third baseman Trevor Werner was unable to make a backhanded stab on a hard liner which drove in two runs in the fourth inning.

Not that it mattered.

A&M’s electrifying offense suffered a power outage. The Aggies kept waiting for a rally which never came.

Indeed, only once did A&M get a runner as far as third base. Dylan Rock and Austin Bost executed a double steal with two out in the first. Alas, Ryan Targac grounded out to end the threat.

That A&M’s bats went silent was strange enough. That the Aggies managed just six hits against pitchers Timmy Manning (1-0) and Fisher Jameson was almost mind-boggling.

Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jud Fabian’s second-inning homer gave the Gators an early lead they never relinquished.

Manning previously had not pitched since April 5, when he gave up three hits and three runs in one inning against Florida A&M.

Manning had not pitched more than 4.1 innings this season. Yet, he scattered five hits and struck out six in five innings.

Jameson gave up two runs and two hits while facing just four batters in a 10-0 loss to A&M on Thursday. This time, he retired the first 11 batters he faced in four innings of brilliant relief.

“We’re not the greatest team, and we’re not the worst team,” Schlossnagle said. “Tonight, we played like the worst team. The other day against Florida, we played like a great team.

“It’s going to come down to how we play.”

As their lofty national ranking would attest, the Aggies play well much more often than not.

So, visions of Omaha shouldn’t necessarily be replaced by voices of “oh my gosh.”

But the stunning loss serves as a brutal reminder that A&M has issues to overcome in order to get there.

“You’ve got to have good starting pitching,” Schlossnagle said. You’ve got to play defense. And you’ve got to have timely hits. That’s the bottom line.”