Texas A&M to be without key reliever for rest of season, per Michael Earley
By David Wasson
Published:
The Texas A&M baseball team will be forced to navigate the rest of the 2026 season without reliever Josh Stewart, Aggies coach Michael Earley said Thursday morning.
The 23rd-ranked Aggies (17-3 overall, 1-2 SEC) are preparing to take on visiting Georgia in a pivotal conference series this weekend. Coming off a road series loss to ninth-ranked Oklahoma last weekend, Texas A&M took care of Texas State 9-6 on Tuesday night.
Earley said that Stewart, a graduate right-hander, was injured in the series against the Sooners – the second straight season Stewart has sustained an injury that prematurely ended his campaign. Stewart relieved Juan Vargas in the bottom of the sixth but sustained an unspecified injury while warming up on the mound and was taken out without facing a batter.
Stewart transferred from Texas after the 2022 season and was a pivotal part of the Aggies’ historic run to the College World Series championship game. He made 25 appearances on the mound that season, recording 39 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings. And during the CWS run, the Georgetown, Texas, native recorded 12 strikeouts with a 3.00 ERA.
Stewart had appeared in four games in the 2026 season, recording 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. His injury will force Texas A&M to rely even more on closer Clayton Freshcorn down the stretch.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
