Jun 17, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies designated hitter Hayden Schott (5) celebrates as he scores a run against the Kentucky Wildcats during the sixth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Texas A&M Head Coach Michael Earley 'Oversold' Tennessee Crowd

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 7:07 PM ET

The Texas A&M Aggies secured their redemption for the 2024 College World Series at the beginning of this month against the Tennessee Volunteers, winning their first SEC series of the 2025 season against Tony Vitello's then-top-ranked Volunteers.

This included a monumental 17-6 run-ruling of the Volunteers by the Aggies, a shocking event considering the Aggies themselves were victims of a run-ruling by Tennessee not 24 hours beforehand.

It was clear that something had awoken inside Texas A&M during their successful trip to Knoxville, and head coach Michael Earley might have had something to do with it.

Or, according to him, a little too much to do with it.

In an interview with TexAgs, Earley admitted that he had oversold the atmosphere of the Tennessee crowd, leading his players to believe that they were in for a high-energy weekend.

"Yeah, I think when we went into Tennessee, I completely oversold their environment," said Earley in his interview. "No disrespect to them, it's just that I wanted them to be prepared."

And oddly enough, his players agreed that his depiction of the Volunteer fanbase was a little much during the weekend.

"Going into Arkansas I said, 'raise your hand if you think I oversold Tennessee,' and they all rose their hands. I'm not shying away from it, like I tell them what it's going to be and, you know, the whole goal was just to keep the place silent," Earley said. "I mean, when you're winning and you're in the lead, there's nothing better than hearing 14,000 people actually not saying anything."

Earley's antics seemed to work in Knoxville, and the Aggies also took two of three games against the No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend.

But with a trip to Austin against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns on the horizon, the crowd at Disch-Falk Field in the Texas capital should be anything but quiet as the first all-SEC Lone Star Showdown on the diamond commences this weekend.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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