A WINNING COMBINATION

More talent and better training methods have made college baseball a more attractive precursor to pro ball. Preseason No. 1 Texas A&M typifies this talent-rich new reality.

- JACOB RUDNER

Michael Earley's mind raced like a downhill truck without brakes in late June, each new thought an accelerant.

A 36-year-old who had just finished his third season as Texas A&M's hitting coach, Earley felt optimistic regarding his chances of landing the Aggies' head coaching job.

Earley was as familiar with the program as anyone, he reminded himself. He knew his players respected him and hoped that his passion for the university, which in 2022 gave him just his second coaching job, was apparent to its movers and shakers.

"Would it be enough, though?" Earley wondered.

Without any head coaching experience, he questioned whether others viewed his candidacy as strongly as he did. After all, Texas A&M was a powerhouse on the rise. It had reached the College World Series twice in a three-year stretch, including a CWS runner-up finish in 2024.

Spending money on a splash hire seemed like the obvious path, if not an inevitability.

But Earley didn't have time to ponder his odds. Any time not spent on preparing to be the head coach could have proven costly in the event he was awarded the position.

So Earley sat down and did what he always did: He studied and prepared.

The result was a list.

"Step one: player retention," his notes read. "Bring our talent back to Texas A&M. You don't ever want to be the coach who lost Jace LaViolette or Gavin Grahovac or Ryan Prager or any of our talented guys, right?

"Step two: Call every high school recruit currently committed to the Aggies and keep them that way.

"Step three: Complete the roster with the (transfer) portal.

"And step four is you start the process of competing to win a championship."

Earley was awarded the job the morning after fashioning his battle plan.