Photo by: Hayden Carroll/Texas A&M Athletics
Aggies Announce 2023 Team Awards
Jun 16, 2023 | Baseball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M Baseball recently announced its annual list of team honors following the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, as voted on by members of the team.
MARION PUGH MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD – Hunter Haas
Haas was voted the Marion Pugh Most Valuable Player after a standout first season with the Aggies. The transfer from Arizona State immediately solidified the middle of the diamond with his high-end play at shortstop and at the top of the lineup.
He hit .323 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI while fielding at a .974 clip with only six errors in 64 games played. Haas' 61 runs and 49 walks each led the team while he was second on the club in hits (81) and third in doubles (14) and home runs (10).
Haas' exploits helped him garner other honors throughout the season, including being named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list (top shortstop in the nation) and the Golden Spikes Award watch list before being named to the ABCA All-Central Region team at the conclusion of the year.
C.E. "PAT" OLSEN OUTSTANDING PITCHER AWARD – Evan Aschenbeck
No pitcher had a bigger impact on the staff than Aschenbeck, making his debut in the seventh game of the year before going on to lead the team with 75 strikeouts in 65.0 innings of work.
The lefty from Brenham quickly became one of the most trusted arms in the SEC with all 26 of his appearances coming in relief. He finished with an 8-1 record, three saves and a 3.46 ERA while his 65.0 innings were the most of all relievers in the SEC in 2023.
WALLY MOON AWARD – Brandyn Garcia
The Wally Moon Award is given annually to the player who shows the most improvement from the fall to the end of the season with the team bestowing it upon Garcia in 2023.
A transfer from Quinnipiac where he made 13 appearances in 2022, the powerful left-handed reliever became a bullpen weapon for the Aggies as the season progressed, making a team-high 27 appearances out of the pen.
He made two appearances before a breakout 3.0-inning stint in a win at Rice on March 8 and saw his usage grow from there. He finished the season with a 3-3 record with one save, holding hitters to a .213 average and punching out 56 batters in 43.2 innings of work.
MARION PUGH SPIRIT AWARD – Jace Hutchins
The Marion Pugh Spirit Award is given to the player who is most instrumental to team unity and who provides valuable leadership both on and off the field.
This year the team voted to bestow the honor on pitcher Jace Hutchins. A College Station native, Hutchins grew up around the Maroon & White and joined the team in 2023 where he played a valuable role within the clubhouse and dugout all year.
LORAINE B. AND WILLIAM B. "BREEZY" BREAZEALE RBI AWARD – Jace LaViolette
It was a record-setting freshman season for LaViolette, leading the team in home runs (21), RBI (63), triples (2) and slugging (.632). He is the first freshman to lead the Aggies in RBI since Braden Shewmake in 2017 while his 21 home runs are a new freshman record at A&M.
LaViolette will compete for a spot on the USA Collegiate Baseball team later this month and has earned a multitude of postseason honors, including freshman All-America nods from Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game.
MARION PUGH MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD – Hunter Haas
Haas was voted the Marion Pugh Most Valuable Player after a standout first season with the Aggies. The transfer from Arizona State immediately solidified the middle of the diamond with his high-end play at shortstop and at the top of the lineup.
He hit .323 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI while fielding at a .974 clip with only six errors in 64 games played. Haas' 61 runs and 49 walks each led the team while he was second on the club in hits (81) and third in doubles (14) and home runs (10).
Haas' exploits helped him garner other honors throughout the season, including being named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list (top shortstop in the nation) and the Golden Spikes Award watch list before being named to the ABCA All-Central Region team at the conclusion of the year.
C.E. "PAT" OLSEN OUTSTANDING PITCHER AWARD – Evan Aschenbeck
No pitcher had a bigger impact on the staff than Aschenbeck, making his debut in the seventh game of the year before going on to lead the team with 75 strikeouts in 65.0 innings of work.
The lefty from Brenham quickly became one of the most trusted arms in the SEC with all 26 of his appearances coming in relief. He finished with an 8-1 record, three saves and a 3.46 ERA while his 65.0 innings were the most of all relievers in the SEC in 2023.
WALLY MOON AWARD – Brandyn Garcia
The Wally Moon Award is given annually to the player who shows the most improvement from the fall to the end of the season with the team bestowing it upon Garcia in 2023.
A transfer from Quinnipiac where he made 13 appearances in 2022, the powerful left-handed reliever became a bullpen weapon for the Aggies as the season progressed, making a team-high 27 appearances out of the pen.
He made two appearances before a breakout 3.0-inning stint in a win at Rice on March 8 and saw his usage grow from there. He finished the season with a 3-3 record with one save, holding hitters to a .213 average and punching out 56 batters in 43.2 innings of work.
MARION PUGH SPIRIT AWARD – Jace Hutchins
The Marion Pugh Spirit Award is given to the player who is most instrumental to team unity and who provides valuable leadership both on and off the field.
This year the team voted to bestow the honor on pitcher Jace Hutchins. A College Station native, Hutchins grew up around the Maroon & White and joined the team in 2023 where he played a valuable role within the clubhouse and dugout all year.
LORAINE B. AND WILLIAM B. "BREEZY" BREAZEALE RBI AWARD – Jace LaViolette
It was a record-setting freshman season for LaViolette, leading the team in home runs (21), RBI (63), triples (2) and slugging (.632). He is the first freshman to lead the Aggies in RBI since Braden Shewmake in 2017 while his 21 home runs are a new freshman record at A&M.
LaViolette will compete for a spot on the USA Collegiate Baseball team later this month and has earned a multitude of postseason honors, including freshman All-America nods from Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game.