COLLEGE STATION -- The game time temperature at Olsen Field Friday night was generously listed at 38 degrees. Ryan Prager made sure visiting Cal Poly's bats stayed chilly.
Prager threw five shutout innings for a second consecutive starter and picked up his first win of 2025 as No. 1 Texas A&M (4-0) handled the Mustangs 6-1.
So far this season, Prager has allowed five hits in 10 innings of work, walking four and striking out 10. His outing Friday was efficient, as he walked two and only struck out a pair, but threw 60 of his 84 pitches for strikes.
Prager only had one clean inning of work, but only seemed in danger of giving up a run in the second inning, when the Mustangs (1-4) moved runners to second and third with two out. Prager promptly got second baseman Ryan Fenn to foul out to catcher Jacob Galloway, ending the threat.
The Aggies jumped on the board quickly, manufacturing a run in the bottom of the first. Centerfielder Jace LaViolette walked with one out, then advanced to third on a single by second baseman Wyatt Henseler. Designated Hitter Hayden Schott got him home with a groundout to first.
A&M provided Prager some insurance in the fifth, after his last inning of work. Third baseman Gavin Grahovac started the inning with a long home run to left, his second of the season. LaViolette was walked again and was followed by another single by Henseler, who moved up to second on a throw to third in an unsuccessful effort to gun down LaViolette. Schott singled both of them home, giving him three RBI on the night.
LaViolette picked up an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Grahovac after he was hit by a pitch with one out. Galloway completed A&M's scoring in the bottom of the seventh after right field Terrence Kiel II was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Galloway lashed a double to right, scoring Kiel.
Cal Poly scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh off of reliever Weston Moss. Left fielder Dante Vachini started the inning with a base hit, then advanced to second on a passed ball. Moss booted a ground ball by Fenn to put runners on the corners with nobody out, but the A&M reliever then induced a double play to minimize the damage.
Senior Brad Rudis worked the final two innings for the Aggies, hitting two batters but not giving up a hit while striking out one.
