Well after the Texas A&M home baseball games end, shortstop Kaeden Kent can sometimes be found talking with his family in an empty parking lot.
In the Kent family group chat this week, Kaeden’s sister sent an all-caps text message back asking what she was supposed to watch on Tuesday night when their mother told the bunch that the Aggies’ midweek game at Houston had been canceled due to bad weather.
“It’s funny and it means a lot and it helps me perform,” Kent said. “The support I have from my family, the fans and my coaches, from my teammates, it helps me a lot.”
A&M head coach Michael Earley said Kent is as dedicated of a player as he’s ever had and has seen the late-night parking lot conversations with family members, too. Earley said he knows Kent’s results on the field, whether good or bad, are not due to a lack of preparation. Earley added he was thinking about Kent on Wednesday ahead of the Aggies’ final home series this weekend against Missouri. Earley said he likes tough players, and that’s who Kent is.
“He’s extremely tough and he walks that edge when he plays,” Earley said. “Sometimes it spills over and that’s OK. He’s everything you can ask for in a player, similar to what I said about [Caden] Sorrell, just that mentality, that killer instinct. He’s going up there with bad intentions. Those bad intentions sometimes get him in trouble, but he’s done a really good job this year of dialing it back when he needs to dial it back and growing up as a player. But what a luxury for us to have that type of not only player, but competitor in your lineup. Just so thankful to be able to coach him every single day and the mentality he brings is something I love.”
Texas A&M’s Kaeden Kent throws to first in Game 2 of the series against Alabama on March 15 at Blue Bell Park.
Kent is one of three players who have started in all 47 games for A&M this season alongside centerfielder Jace LaViolette and third baseman Wyatt Henseler. Kent holds a .283 average, is second on the team in RBIs (42), tied for second in home runs (10) and is third in hits (49).
Yet, Kent had to be patient and grind for the opportunity to be the Aggies’ everyday shortstop as a junior. As a freshman, Kent played in 28 games and started in 21, but did not play much of the second half of the season. As a sophomore, Kent made 51 appearances, but only 24 starts. He held the hot bat in the postseason when he stepped up after Braden Montgomery was lost for the season with a broken leg. Earley said Kent could have left after either of his first two years, but decided to stay at A&M.
“I’m not against the transfer portal or transferring, but I do favor that type of story and that type of outcome,” Earley said. “For him to grind and wait his time, so to speak, just shows a lot about him and his character.”
Most of Kent’s college action had come at second base prior to this season. He had never made a start at shortstop as an Aggie, but has started there in every game this season. Kent said there was not too much adjustment and added he had prepared to be A&M’s shortstop every day for the last three years.
“I think I’ve always had that,” Kent said of his defense. “I’ve always been good defensively and now I’ve gotten the groundballs to show everybody that I am.”
As much confidence Kent exudes externally, he said there is an ongoing battle in his head. Having perseverance and resilience is hard, he added.
“To go in the cage at midnight when you’re 0 for your last 10 or 0 for your last 20, or whatever it is, it’s not easy,” Kent said. “Nobody wants to go in the cage at midnight, 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock trying to beat their head trying to figure it out. Nobody wants to do that, but the preparation comes in, and the support that I get comes in and it all helps build my mind up and have confidence in myself.”
Kent will be draft-eligible this summer, which means this weekend could be his last time playing at Olsen Field since the Aggies are on the outside looking in to host a regional.
“It’s super special and the 12th Man and our fanbase and all the people that have supported not just me, but our team, it’s super special and it’s going to be something I never forget for the rest of my life,” Kent said. “There will definitely be some moments where you try to find a break in the game and just take it all in and appreciate what’s going on around you.”
Amid a sentimental weekend as A&M honors its seniors and has draft-eligible underclassmen like Kent taking things in for possibly the last time, the Aggies are not overlooking a struggling Missouri team that is 0-24 in SEC play.
“We’re going to have to go out and have the same mentality we had against Arkansas, Texas, LSU,” Earley said. “We’ve had some success over this last month just because we’re not worrying about the opponent. We’re trying to play really good baseball and we’re going to try and keep doing that this weekend.”
