Schlossnagle analyzes Maroon & White's series sweep of Mississippi State

Oops, they did it again. Jim Schlossnagle and the Aggies won their sixth-consecutive SEC series over the weekend at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park by sweeping the defending national champions, and the A&M head coach joined TexAgs Radio on Monday to recap it.

Key notes from Jim Schlossnagle interview

• It was good to get that sweep. Every single win matters, but in my own mind, we needed to prove to ourselves that we could win three games in a weekend because a regional takes at least three wins to win it. We hadn't done that since the first weekend of the season, so it was good to get it done yesterday.
   
• I thought Wyatt Tucker was solid and gave us a chance. Mississippi State can really hit. They return six of nine from their national championship team. They seem to always be a threat. Tucker did fine, and we'll see how he does if he gets an opportunity again.
   
• Ryan Prager took a big, big step forward. The velocity still isn't where it needs to be, and he could really use a summer in the weight room. Chris Cortez's breaking ball was good, and the threat of the breaking ball keeps hitters off-balance.
   
• Will Johnston could pitch for a long time in this sport. Anytime you're a lefty in the mid-90s with two legit breaking balls, there will always be an opportunity for you. Johnston is starting to have real confidence now. Fake tough guys don't win, and you have to truly be confident. Johnston was getting righties out as well as lefties.
   
• I thought Nathan Dettmer was sharp in his first two innings. He has had a blister issue before this season, and we'll have to change his cleats or something. It affects how he lands and affects all his pitches. When you're coaching, you try to use past experiences that you've had or you’ve seen. I brought up Curt Schilling, and Nathan looked like I was talking Japanese. He had never heard of him. My story about the 2004 Red Sox and the bloody sock went out the window.
   
• We're going this weekend to play a team that is really, really physical. Ole Miss can bang the ball as well as anybody. They're playing well, and they're playing for their life. If you want an accurate gauge of where our pitching is at, you're going to get it.
   
• Trevor Werner is getting more and more comfortable. He hit two homers, and the opposite-field single was the best ball he hit all weekend. He draws walks, and he's getting better at third base. He made a nice play to end the games on Saturday and Sunday. It's a great sign for us because I truly think he's an elite player that will be able to do whatever he wants to in this game.
   
• Kole Kaler has had a long season. He's not the most physical guy, so keeping him healthy and in shape has been a challenge. You can't look at his batting average. You have to look at his on-base percentage and the depth he provides you. Kalae Harrison is as good of a shortstop I've coached in college baseball, and having Kaler on our team is a luxury that has shown up all season.
   
• If you're going to live by the home run, you're going to die by it. You have to use the whole field to hit. Ryan Targac had a couple of hits up the middle this weekend. He has played a really good second base, and for his young career and development, you'd like to see him cut down on his strikeouts over the course of this year and next year to become a really good pro prospect, which I think he can be. We've got him out in centerfield in case it ever comes to that. I call him "BTU" because he's my utility guy.
   
• Guys are completely off today. The regular players will hit lightly in the cages tomorrow. They won't get on the field at all. We'll get a workout on Wednesday evening at Ole Miss to get familiar with the ballpark. Tomorrow is for the other players, and at the SEC Tournament, you can expand the roster from 27 to 30. We're going to have to take extra pitching to have a chance to win it and keep guys healthy.
   
• I'm not sure I would have believed we'd be in first place, especially if you told me that Micah Dallas and Khristian Curtis weren't going to be a big part of it. You have to credit the players, and our assistant coaches have done an awesome job. The training staff and the strength staff have kept the guys healthy too. These kids are super competitive. This is a special group of kids, and I knew that before we went to LSU. I knew we'd look back on this group.