For the third time in five seasons, College Station, Texas, will be hosting a regional after Texas A&M earned the No. 12 overall national seed. Since 2000, the Aggies have been crowned regional champions in seven of the nine years they hosted the regional tournament.Texas A&M hosts Lamar, Texas State and USC in a double-elimination tournament that will determine who advances to the super regional in June. To advance to the super regional series, the Aggies will need to play at 100%, though injuries have held the team back in recent weeks.Fortunately for the Aggies, head coach Michael Earley delivered a positive update on the status of star third baseman Nico Partida at the perfect time.Nico Partida Good To Go for College Station RegionalFlorida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan talks with Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley before an NCAA baseball game at Condron Family Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field in Gainesville, FL on Friday, April 24, 2026. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesFew freshmen have contributed more to their team this season than the Aggies’ star, Partida. He was recognized on the All-SEC Freshman Team but has not started a game since May 2 due to a pulled hamstring he suffered against the Auburn Tigers.Partida sat out the SEC Tournament loss to Auburn on May 22, but Earley was clear on his status for the remainder of the postseason. “He’ll be playing.”“He could have played [against Auburn],” Earley said. “Field was wet — I wasn't playing him if it was 80 and sunny just because I'm like, if he can play today, and this is the first day we really thought he could play, then he'll 1,000% be ready in a week. So, he'll be playing.”Partida’s last start came on May 2 against Auburn, Game 2 of a series-opening doubleheader. He missed Game 3 on May 3 and did not return until May 16. He made an appearance in the regular-season finale against Mississippi State as a pinch hitter, earning a walk in a narrow 7–6 win.Texas A&M Aggies' Gavin Lyons pitches as the Auburn Tigers take on the Aggies during the SEC baseball tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala., on Friday, May 22, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesHeading into the SEC Tournament, Partida was listed as questionable. With his status cleared for Game 1 against Lamar on May 29, Texas A&M’s pursuit of a College World Series berth looks stronger.This season, Partida ranks among the top three on the team in batting average (.317), home runs (12) and total bases (96)Earley also delivered an update on pitcher Aiden Sims, who was also sidelined against Auburn. “His role will be to be determined on the weekend because every day is a process, but … he's looking good right now.”After a rough season in 2025, Earley’s first with A&M, the Aggies’ success is rewarding. Earley has emerged as a trusted head coach, and he has Texas A&M in a position to reach its fourth College World Series since 2017 and third in five years. Things are coming together at the right time, but the focus needs to stick.“Message does not change. Does not change,” Earley said. “We've played pitch-to-pitch, game-by-game, inning-to-inning, game-by-game mentality all year in preparation for this. So when you get into these situations where everything is on the line, you just revert to what you have done, so you don't change anything.”Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow