Texas A&M HC Michael Earley provides injury update for star infielder

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No. 23 Texas A&M (9-0) took care of business on Friday night, run-ruling Virginia Tech 10-0 inside Globe Life Field in Arlington, and will now take on No. 1 UCLA on Saturday night. Behind nine RBI and an early home run from Maryland transfer Chris Hacopian, who returned to the lineup for the first time in two weeks, the Aggies were utterly dominant from start to finish.

On the mound, Friday starter Shane Sdao lasted six innings, struck out five hitters, and allowed just four hits and one walk, staying undefeated on the year. Texas A&M's starting pitching has been nothing short of elite since the start of the year, and with just seven innings on Friday, the bullpen will be fresh for Saturday and Sunday's games vs. UCLA and Arizona State.

While Hacopian's home run was certainly a positive sign, his final at-bat of the game resulted in the junior infielder wincing after an awkward swing, as his back issue reportedly flared up mid-game, leading to Blake Binderup replacing him the rest of the way.

Similar to Caden Sorrell's hamstring issue last season, Hacopian remains day-to-day, with coach Michael Earley providing another update on his status heading into Saturday's primetime matchup.

"Obviously, we played him because we thought he was good. Hit the homer. He just kind of tightened up a little bit. It's gonna be a little bit of that, man. We're gonna have a little bit of back and forth gettingback. We'll see how tomorrow looks.

"Always day-to-day with that guy. He's really tough. We also want to be smart. When you train and you practice to get ready to play, you're taking mostly good swings. He took that awkward swing, it tightened up. He got back in there. He wanted to stay. I decided just to take him out, but yeah, he'll be day-to-day. Again, he's still progressing. Obviously, set back a little bit. We've got to get that guy. He's a different maker."

Blake Binderup is more than capable of picking up the slack after recording a hit and driving in two runs on Friday, while the rest of the lineup has continued to produce over the past three games. Taking the cautious route is the smart decision, as Hacopian's long-term health is much more important than any short-term gain.

Texas A&M will face No. 1 UCLA at 7:00 p.m.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M HC Michael Earley provides injury update for Chris Hacopian

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