Texas A&M’s 2026 season ended at the hands of USC in the College Station Regional less than two weeks ago, and while second-year coach Michael Earely deserves credit for leading the Aggies back to the NCAA Tournament after missing the postseason during his first year at the helm, but after firing pitching coach Jason Kelley, it’s clear that the Aggies are in need of better coaching and talent on the mound.
Despite his struggles, junior LHP Shane Sdao could easily depart for the 2026 MLB Draft, while elite closer Clayton Freshcorn will also have a tough decision to make regarding his future, knowing that his stock has steadily risen after ending the season with an impressive 2.82 ERA with 56 strikeouts.
Another name to watch is incoming senior Weston Moss, who also struggled early in the year but settled in late, capping his season off with a record performance against Texas State. Pairing with sophomore ace Aiden Sims, the right pitching coach hire should help Moss, Sdao, and several other pitchers, including Gavin Lyons, improve significantly next season.
This week, it was revealed that the Aggies are in the mix for Texas State pitcher Wade Cooper, as On3 insider Pete Nakos confirmed that Texas A&M is now the leading favorite to land the standout freshman, who recorded five saves and 73 strikeouts last season.
“Cooper just finished his freshman season at Texas State with a 4.72 ERA, five saves in 66.2 innings pitched and 73 strikeouts. Sources tell On3 that Texas A&M is trending to land Cooper, and barring something unforeseen, he’s expected to land in College Station.”
Adding Wade Cooper would be the first step towards filling out the 2027 pitching rotation, but given the likely departure of Texas A&M’s top three hitters, Michael Earley and his staff have plenty of work ahead of them to rebuild the roster.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M is ‘expected to land’ Texas State transfer P Wade Cooper
