Weather could be a factor in this weekend's top-20 series at Blue Bell Park as No. 1 Texas A&M hosts No. 20 Georgia in Aggieland. On Thursday morning, head coach Jim Schlossnagle joined TexAgs Radio to preview another marquee three-game set in the SEC.
Key notes from Jim Schlossnagle interview
- First thing on Tuesday, we’re trying to get these young pitchers opportunities. We all know the reality of college athletics today. All young players want to play. They hear the noise, but they’re so used to playing. They’re looking for opportunities, and I give them opportunities. Jason Bodin and Brett Antolick showed flashes. Jett Johnson got two quick outs. I just wanted to say that because we still believe in our young pitchers, but developing a young pitcher in our conference is rare. Weston Moss has done that. It’s rare.
- This week is going to be a beatdown. Georgia has a lot of power, which is very similar to us. They have star power around Charlie Condon. They don’t steal or bunt much, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. With the rain coming it could crunch everybody’s pitching. Be prepared and hold onto your seat.
- On Tuesday, we weren’t auditioning Justin Lamkin to pitch out of the bullpen. We want to remind him that every inning is a one-inning save. Sometimes, when you put a guy into a starting mode, he eases into it. Moss brings his best stuff out of the gate. We just wanted to do that to remind Lamkin to bring his best stuff. He was throwing harder on Tuesday. Now we’ll have to see how he reacts and how he feels. That was a move to remind Justin just how good he is, and I think we’ll benefit from it long-term. We had to try something different to get him going.
- The SEC doesn’t like us to make any weather decisions until Friday morning. The possibility of playing a doubleheader changes a lot for both teams. A guy like Evan Aschenbeck is getting asked to pitch in back-to-back days instead of having an off day during game two. When we played the doubleheader against Alabama, I asked Jackson Appel if he was feeling OK, and he looked at me like I offended him. In the Ivy League, all he has ever known is doubleheaders. This weekend could end up being 27 innings in less than 24 hours.
- I’m a fan too. I can tell you, as a coach, that my livelihood is dependent on wins and losses, and it’s awesome to have Braden Montgomery and Jace LaViolette on our team. It’s a special group of dudes. You try to win every game, and as a coach, you’re always thinking of the next game, so you never truly enjoy it. Those are very rare players to have in a program and get to college baseball. I’m a fan too. Knowing you have the star power to change a game in one swing, it’s fun to watch.
- This weekend, you have to throw strikes and know you’re going to give up some runs with the wind blowing out. Free bases are never good in a game. Free bases with the wind blowing out could be catastrophic. Our ballpark plays super tiny in these conditions. You need to limit free bases and never get comfortable with a lead.
- Look what Clemson did on Tuesday night, they intentionally walked Condon when they were up a run. They put the winning run on. It’s an option, and you have to play the odds. I’ve only done it one time when it comes to intentionally walking C.J. Cron with the bases loaded. The guy behind him already hit two homers that day, but we decided that under no circumstances would we let Cron beat us. You could say that about Condon. He’s a great hitter, but he’s human too. It’s definitely an option. It depends on the odds, and we’ll try to play the odds the best we can.
- Appel is not a really verbal guy. He’s just super consistent. If you study the metrics, he’s one of the best catchers in the country at framing pitches. You haven’t seen too many balls go to the backstop. His at-bats are so competitive, and he uses the whole field to hit. He has played hurt at Penn, and he has some things he’s dealing with this year. Still, he’s out there every day.
- Georgia has two lefties that pitch for them, and one of them is their version of Aschenbeck. He pitched a couple of innings the other night. He’s a big part of the staff. They have a bulk of right-handers who do a lot of different things. They have power arms. Wes Johnson is the head coach there, and I’ve known him since his days at DBU. Georgia has always been a place that’s good at baseball, and Johnson is an awesome pitching coach. He’s getting the most out of them.
- It's awesome to watch. Caden Sorrell is super talented, and he’s only going to get stronger. He wants to do damage, but he’s learning how to control the strike zone. Houston threw some great arms at us, and I was so proud of Sorrell in that game. He’s growing up right in front of our eyes. You have to keep him healthy and continue his development.
- The 12th Man is awesome. They’ve already surpassed my expectations with how people show up to the midweek games. The walk-up and general admission numbers are so high. It’s awesome to see people out there, and every nook and cranny in the ballpark is full with a human being. They’re active, in the game and loud. We are going to need them to ride with us this weekend if there are delays or a doubleheader and plans change. It’s a tough ticket to get. I have family in town, and I can’t even get enough tickets for them.
