It’s that time of year! The Texas Aggie baseball team is set to open up the 2022 season on Friday against Fordham at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. We're counting down the days with our 2022 Aggie Baseball Preview Series.
There are a number of question marks surrounding the 2022 Texas A&M baseball team.
That should come as no surprise.
Jim Schlossnagle's arrival in Aggieland has brought new energy and excitement which will likely create an electric atmosphere at Olsen Field on Opening Night vs. Fordham.
There's little doubt that the new skipper will take the program to new heights during his tenure, but how will Schlossnagle's first team perform on the diamond?
Nobody outside of Schlossnagle, his coaching staff or the players know.
"I think the talent level is plenty good enough to compete in the Southeastern Conference," Schlossnagle said on Jan. 28. "Whether it's good enough to win a championship remains to be seen. You would have to have a lot of 'what ifs' come true."
On the mound, the departure of Bryce Miller, Dustin Saenz and Chandler Jozwiak will be cushioned to some extent by the additions of Micah Dallas and Jacob Palisch.
Dallas, a transfer from Texas Tech, has the most starting experience of any pitcher on the roster. In three seasons of collegiate baseball, the junior has made 41 appearances, 23 starts and owns a 12-5 record with a 3.47 ERA. The Aggies need Dallas to blossom into 'Mr. Dependable' on Friday nights this spring.
Palisch is an interesting arm. The Stanford transfer earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors in 2021 after making 21 appearances for the Cardinal...all out of the bullpen. However, the lefty is expected to be part of the rotation rather than a relief role.
Sophomore Nathan Dettmer served as the Aggies' Tuesday-night starter for much of 2021 and figures to move into the weekend rotation this year. The San Antonio Johnson product has shown flashes of greatness, but how much has he progressed working under a new pitching coach this fall?
"His simulated games, his bullpens have all be vastly improved," Schlossnagle said of Dettmer. "If we're going to have any kind of positive season and get into a postseason, Dettmer has to be a huge part of it.
Then there's Will Johnston and Ryan Prager, who project as midweek options early on, while Khristian Curtis and Robert Hogan have also impressed in short stints during preseason scrimmages.
"From a bullpen standpoint, there's a lot of pieces down there, but they're super inexperienced," Schlossnagle said. "With the exception of a couple transfers and Joesph Menefee, there's a lot of freshmen and redshirt freshmen that don't have a whole lot of experience and are going to have to pitch."
It's hard to project what the starting rotation will be, let alone the staff as a whole.
"I think there's pieces. It's just a matter of putting it together," Schlossnagle said.
Offensively, the Maroon & White figure to look much different than 2021.
Sure, All-American Will Frizzell's .343 average, 19 bombs and 50 RBIs are gone. But so is an offensive mindset that produced anemic results at times.
Schlossnagle has been adamant about utilizing the bunt as a weapon when needed rather than as a stalwart of an offensive gameplan. With hitting coach Michael Earley and third base coach Nolan Cain leading the way, expect the Aggies to swing the sticks more than giving away outs.
Again, the question is: Who will be swinging the sticks?
Outfielder Dylan Rock (.320 with 18 homers and 113 RBIs in four years at UTSA) and first baseman Jack Moss (.305. with 21 runs and six homers as a freshman at Arizona State in 2021) bring accomplished bats to the lineup.
"We have a ton of guys that work," Earley told TexAgs. "They work, they work, they work. They don't really have an option to, but we don't have to tell them to."
Hawaii transfer Kole Kaler (.335 with six triples and 19 stolen bases in 67 Division I games) figures to start up the middle of the infield, while Oregon State transfer and 2021 All-Pac 12 first-team selection Troy Claunch (.290 with 10 home runs and 62 RBIs in 124 games) expects to be the Aggies' backstop.
"Our expectations are to win," Claunch said on Jan. 28. "If you think it's anything less than that, then you're not doing it right and you're not committing yourself to this program or your brothers on the field."
Sophomore Kalae Harrison's defense has his name penciled in to start at shortstop. With Earley's guidance, the sophomore's bat should be more productive than the .224 hitter we saw during his freshman campaign.
"I can't tell you how grateful I am that Kalae Harrison is an Aggie," Schlossnagle said. "You talk about a steady, winning, self-aware player. In my 31 years of college coaching to this point, he's as good as I've coached."
Logan Britt has always looked the part at 6-foot-5. But the returns in his first full season were lackluster — hitting .268 with five home runs, 30 runs scored and 26 RBIs a year ago. Still, this A&M coach staff fought hard to retain him after he entered the transfer portal. He'll slide from right to center in the A&M outfield this season.
Austin Bost is the Aggies' only returning .300 hitter (.307 in 2021). A year ago, Bost was second on the team with 10 home runs, but he missed most of the fall with a back injury. If he's healthy, then he'll be in the lineup as either the left fielder or DH.
"I think he's going to be ready for Opening Day," Schlossnagle said of Bost’s status.
Two-way player Trevor Werner's exit velocity is among the best on the team and is A&M's top option at the hot corner. Taylor Smith brings back light-tower power and is also an option to DH as well as a backup to Moss at first. Brett Minnich's elite speed should see him start in right field and possibly factor in towards the top of the lineup. Jordan Thompson brings SEC experience and depth to the outfield.
Then there are freshmen infielders Ty Hodge and Austin Stracener. Hodge could take over at second should Kaler falter, and Stracener's speed might earn him at-bats in certain situations. College Station product Chanden Scamardo enters the season as A&M’s second catcher, largely due to his advanced presence in the batter’s box, and he’ll fight for at-bats off the bench early on.
There are a number of exciting pieces that fit specific roles, but there is very little depth behind them. Staying healthy and finding the right nine will be crucial for the Aggie offense.
Those questions for Schlossnagle & Co. will start to be answered in just a week's time.
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Schlossnagle has been adamant about utilizing the bunt as a weapon when needed rather than as a stalwart of an offensive gameplan. With hitting coach Michael Earley and third base coach Nolan Cain leading the way, expect the Aggies to swing the sticks more than giving away outs.
