Texas A&M baseball is facing a tough decision on the mound, and the clock is ticking. The No. 7 Aggies entered the weekend riding high after a 9-7 midweek win over Tarleton State, ready to host No. 8 Auburn in a Saturday doubleheader after weather wiped out Friday's opener. But the momentum came to a screeching halt in Game 1, as junior left-hander Shane Sdao turned in another shaky start that left the coaching staff with a glaring question: who should be the team's Game 1 guy going forward?
Sdao's story is one of resilience. After missing all of the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery, he returned looking like a future MLB starter, armed with the talent and control to anchor the Aggies' rotation. But the reality on the field has been far less kind. In Saturday's first game against Auburn, Sdao lasted just one inning, surrendering six earned runs before being pulled. That outing dropped his record to 3-4 on the season and ballooned his ERA to 6.55—one of the highest among SEC starting pitchers. For context, the Aggies' team ERA of 4.54 ranks tied for 10th in the conference, and Sdao's struggles have been a recurring theme. He was shelled in a disastrous start against Vanderbilt and allowed seven earned runs against Missouri, even in a series sweep.
Meanwhile, the Aggies' offense is a juggernaut. Ranked third in the SEC with a .310 batting average, they've piled up 429 hits, 90 home runs, and are averaging nearly 10 runs per game. The formula is clear: the bats will carry this team, but the pitching staff needs to keep games close enough for the offense to do its thing. That hasn't happened with Sdao on the mound.
Head coach Michael Earley and pitching coach Jason Kelley have a decision to make. After Sdao's latest meltdown, they opted to conserve arms for the second game of the doubleheader, but the writing is on the wall. The most logical move? Slide junior Weston Moss into the Game 1 role. Moss has settled into the Game 3 spot and looks like the best candidate to replace Sdao, giving the struggling lefty more time to work through his issues without the pressure of opening weekend series. For a team with College World Series aspirations, every inning matters—and the Aggies can't afford to keep guessing on the mound.