Texas A&M Aggies left fielder Caden Sorrell (13) hits a RBI single against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Texas A&M Adds New Coach to Baseball Staff

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Jan 12, 2026 6:46 PM ET

As the Texas A&M baseball team gears up to start their 2026 season just over a month away, head coach Michael Earley has added another element to the team in hopes of preventing a repeat of the horrendous 2025 campaign.

Monday afternoon, it was announced by Texas A&M that they had officially hired Nate Friedman as the team's new strength and conditioning coach.

Friedman comes over to College Station after seven years with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as a strength and conditioning coach in the minor leagues.

Texas A&M Baseball Lands New Strength and Conditioning Coach

The hire comes just hours after assistant coach Caleb Longley announced his resignation from the team due to a personal matter, and a month before Earley's make-or-break year as the Texas A&M head coach.

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Friedman joins a coaching staff that also includes former MLB player Cliff Pennington, who played three years with the Diamondbacks shortly before Friedman arrived, and associate head coach/pitching coach Jason Kelly.

After coming just one game short of clinching their first baseball national title in 2024, the Aggies saw quite the slump in 2025, finishing 30-26 with an 11-19 conference record, which included losing their first six SEC games, not even giving them a spot in the NCAA Tournament, even after starting the year as D1Baseball.com's preseason No. 1 team and consensus favorite to win the College World Series in Omaha.

Despite the disappointing season, there were still plenty of highlights for the team that included defeating the No. 1-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville despite getting run-ruled the first game and also turning around 24 hours later and run-ruling the Vols themselves as a part of a doubleheader win.

The team would also defeat No. 2 LSU, the eventual College World Series champions, as well as the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville, and they also rallied from a 12-7 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning and smashed two grand slams to defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks.

And though the team will be without stars of the past such as Jace LaViolette and Ryan Prager after their respective drafting to the MLB, the retainment of many star players, such as outfielder Caden Sorrell and third baseman Gavin Grahovac, as well as the addition of players such as Maryland shortstop Chris Hacopian should still have the 12th Man on the edge of their seats during the spring season.

Texas A&M opens the 2026 season against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles on Friday, February 13, at Blue Bell Park in College Station.