Schlossnagle looking for solid start from Dettmer to dictate series

Texas A&M has faced some bumps in the road but found a way to claim its last two SEC series. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle joined TexAgs Radio to discuss how a solid outing from Nathan Dettmer can carry them through the three-game set with Missouri beginning on Thursday.

Key notes from Jim Schlossnagle interview

• We handed out a couple of Aggie Rings yesterday. It was awesome. I'm continuing to grasp and learn more about this great place. To see the look in the kids' eyes was very refreshing. 
   
• I'm feeling good about the series. I always tell our players I come to the ballpark every day envisioning the best version of themselves. I believe in them. Excited to get Nathan Dettmer on the mound. Except for not finishing that one inning, he had a good start against Auburn. I'm excited to watch him pitch. 
   
• He needs to give us a clean first inning. Give us a chance to score first. I think our offense is improving. It isn’t perfect, and it's never going to be perfect. When you score, and your pitcher can't get you back in the dugout, it's frustrating. I'd like to see him give us a clean first inning and be solid through five or six. He commanded his fastball a little better, and he had a good breaking ball.
   
• The essence of coaching is to hold them accountable for the things they need to do to be successful. They do what they're supposed to do in how hard they work and being a great teammate. It's keeping them positive through the rough times. 
   
• If Dettmer can give us a solid five or six innings, we will learn more about Missouri, and then we can make a decision on how we want to attack the rest of the weekend, pitching-wise. Whether that be starting Justin Lamkin on Saturday or giving somebody else an opportunity. 
   
• Certainly can't do as much with a Thursday series. We have individual work on Wednesday usually after a game then a harder practice on Thursday on normal weeks.
   
• It's a tale of two teams for Missouri. They started out by sweeping Tennessee, then they had some big injuries that punched them in the gut a little bit, but I think they've recovered. They won a game against Vanderbilt. They have a physical lineup and some new guys on the mound that transitioned from bullpen guys to starters that did well against Vanderbilt. Coaches say this to you all the time, it's more about how we play than who we play. 
   
• Jace LaViolette is a confident player. He has the perfect combination of humility and confidence. He's coachable not just from the coaches but the older players. You will hear his voice from the dugout encouraging guys like Jordan Thompson and Brett Minnich. He's a big part of our recruiting. He hosts recruits all the time. I'm happy he's seeing some success. He's still got some room for growth. He's heading off to the Cape Cod League this summer to get some more growth and experience. 
   
• We just have to keep stacking recruiting classes on top of each other. Nolan Cain had to be on the west coast on Tuesday night for a recruiting trip so we didn't have him here. 
   
• Ryan Targac is doing a better job of staying on the ball. He's made some physical adjustments with two strikes. Trevor Werner is making progress. He's playing an awesome third base. Over the last few weeks, he's hit a few balls hard. I still think his best baseball is ahead of him. 
   
• I'm excited for this series. We asked the SEC not to put us on a Thursday to Saturday series this weekend due to Family Weekend, but it didn't work out. Friday and Saturday night should be a really good crowd. The one consistency has been the 12th Man and the fans showing up. I don't sleep much, and it's not because I'm playing video games or watching Netflix. It's because I'm trying to figure out how to bring a national championship to this place.