Braden Montgomery's changed role still key to Aggies' success

OMAHA, Nebraska (KBTX) - When preseason All-American Braden Montgomery suffered a season-ending injury in the Super Regionals, it seemed like a devastating blow to Texas A&M. But the Aggies have been able to rally and are two wins away from capturing the program’s first national championship.

While Montgomery hasn’t been able to to help his team by playing on the field. He has still been an effective teammate from the dugout.

“On a scale of 1-10 if you’ve been a 10 teammate, try to be a 15,” A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “Seeing him out there with that gorgeous smile he has, he’s always positive, you hear him in the dugout. And that’s important. It’s a security blanket because he’s a big part of the team,” Schlossnagle added.

“I play my best when I have high energy and I’m connected to my joy,” explained A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery. “No one puts out their best self when they’re not happy, so I try my best to no matter what boost the guys and keep them going and keep them ready to give themselves the best chance to be successful,” Montgomery added.

As a transfer from Stanford, Montgomery has played in the College World Series before, but he’s also never been to the Finals before.

“It’s cool to actually win this time,” Montgomery exclaimed. “All trips have been unbelievable. The road to get here is tough enough and so sometimes I can lose sight of what came before the World Series when you don’t perform as well as you expect. This trip has meant a lot with how we’ve been doing and how close this group is and how we’ve been able to pull it off. I’m on cloud nine right now,” Montgomery smiled.

Montgomery will have at least two more chances to cheer on his teammates at Charles Schwab Field. Game One of the best-of-three championship series against Tennessee is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

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