J.B. Moss remains 'proud' of where 2024 Aggies sit with two weeks left

Now ranked No. 3 in the nation, Texas A&M baseball has already reached the 40-win plateau with two weeks in the regular season remaining. On Tuesday morning, former outfielder J.B. Moss joined TexAgs Radio to explain why the 2024 Aggies have been so impressive.

Key notes from J.B. Moss interview

• I didn’t get to watch a lot of the series at LSU because I had a busy weekend, but I kept up with the box scores. I understand Jim Schlossnagle being disappointed in their performances. There is something about the Aggies and LSU. We don’t like each other. This is 30 games of the ultimate grind in the SEC. You’re not going to win every series, and you’ll take your lumps. What’s more important is how you respond to adversity, and I’m excited to see them get back on track this week in Oxford.
   
• You’re safe putting your money on Braden Montgomery performing well later today. I heard that he’s 0 for his last 18. They call it a batting average for a reason. You’ll go through ups and downs. It’s a game of failure, and Montgomery is a hard worker who is extremely talented. He’s the least of my worries.
   
•  You try to forget your hitless streaks. I’m sure I’ve had some 0-for-18s in there, especially in professional baseball. I might have even had some 0-for-20s.
   
• I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little concerned about pitching. Schlossnagle says that you’re only as good as your next day’s starting pitcher. All three guys need to be more consistent. Ryan Prager has had an exceptional season with an impressive stat line. The other two have been inconsistent. You just cannot count on outscoring other talented clubs. What has separated Prager from the other two pitchers has been his ability to limit free bases. I’d like to see Tanner Jones and Justin Lamkin be more competitive in the strike zone. If they keep the ball in the zone and in the ballpark, I like A&M’s chances.
   
• Chris Cortez, Shane Sdao and Brad Rudis all did a phenomenal job. Do we have enough arms? I think our arms are good enough, but I was hesitant as to whether or not we had enough to get through tournament play. If you have six or seven guys in the bullpen, that is enough, especially if you can rely on your starting pitching.
   
• Kaeden Kent is making a case for more playing time. Schlossnagle and the staff see these guys compete every single day. They see it all. They know what they’re doing. They have proven that. Kent is like every other player. He has his strengths and weaknesses. The grand slam was pulled. We’re seeing more extra-base hits from him. That’s something we wanted to see. He puts the ball on the ground a lot. If you put the ball on the ground, you’ll typically be out because of how advanced the fielders are. The credit goes to him. He seems bought in. He’d be starting on a lot of other teams.
   
• I heard Schlossnagle’s interview on Monday. You’re battling whether or not this is a great season. Fans tend to look at what happens at the end. If you look at 2022 with Ole Miss, they won the national title, but that wasn’t anywhere close to their best team. The 2024 Aggies are a phenomenal club in a phenomenal program. To have 40 wins already is incredible. I’m proud of where these guys are at.
   
• To be undefeated in non-conference is very hard to do, especially when SEC play starts. SEC series are emotionally, physically and mentally draining. The maturity of the staff and players in taking care of business on Tuesday nights is impressive. They’re taking pride in it. Teams highlight and circle the game against A&M on their schedules, so I’m super impressed with how the Aggies have played in the midweeks.
   
• Winning on the road in this league is hard to do. It’s amplified at the end of the season because you’re playing for something. A&M and Arkansas are playing for the division and the conference. Ole Miss is fighting to get into the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. Everybody is putting more effort in to get a W. Ole Miss is going to give you their best shot. I like that A&M is on the road in back-to-back weeks. I hope they can take what they’ve learned at Alex Box Stadium and apply it in Oxford.