Tompkins graduate LaViolette leads Aggies to College World Series Championship Series

By Tyler Tyre, Sports Editor

Jace LaViolette and Texas A&M had a historic season this year, giving the Aggies their best season ever and, in his sophomore year, the Tompkins graduate missed the College World Series title by just two runs.

“Tennessee has really good pitchers and you have to give them a lot of credit,” LaViolette said after Game 2 of the championship series. “If we had taken a few better swings and landed a few balls differently, maybe things would have gone differently, but that’s baseball and things like that happen. You have to give them a lot of credit for that.”

A&M had the best baseball season in school history this year, and LaViolette played a big part in that. The Tompkins graduate had a .305 batting average and a .449 on-base percentage with a .72 slugging percentage. LaViolette had 79 hits, including 16 doubles, three triples and 29 home runs, scored 78 runs and scored 87 runs himself, cementing his status as one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft.

He led A&M to a 53-15 overall record and the second-best record in the SEC West with a 19-11 record in conference play. The Aggies made it to the College World Series by not losing a single game in the regional or super-regional rounds and then won three straight games in the College World Series, earning a spot in the championship series.

LaViolette went 0-for-4 (9-5) in the opening game of the championship series against Tennessee, but he came hot in the second game, hitting a solo home run in the first inning for the game’s only run and going 2-for-2 on the night, including two walks in the 4-1 loss. In the series’ final game, LaViolette went 1-for-5 with a single as A&M suffered a heartbreaking 6-5 loss.

LaViolette had a minor issue at the plate before the second game, but after talking with A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle, he was able to clear his head and get back into his rhythm.

“You have to try not to play too much on the highs and lows in this game, and I feel like I’ve been playing too much on the lows lately,” LaViolette said. “Coach talked to me about my body language and told me I’m one of the best players in the country and I need to act like it. I feel like everything changed today because I got that fixed.”

A&M will have a deep roster next year, and LaViolette seems to love College Station. He sent a message to fans and to potential transfers and new recruits after the season ends.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart @12thMan for everything you’ve done for us all year,” Laviolette posted on X (formerly Twitter). If you’re in the portal, you’re missing out if you don’t want to be part of the best university in the nation. This is where people come to do great things! Let’s do it next year!”