Jim Schlossnagle: What to know about Texas baseball coach
Four things to know about Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle
Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle compared his emotions on NCAA Tournament “Selection Monday” to what a child might feel on Christmas morning.
“I don’t ever take this day lightly,” he said.
The Longhorns (42-12) claimed the No. 2 overall seed in the bracket after winning the regular-season SEC title by two games. They’ll host UTSA (44-13), Kansas State (31-24) and Houston Christian (32-23) in this weekend’s Austin Regional.
MORE: Ho hum for Texas baseball about its NCAA regional? No way, Schloss says
So, what should Texas fans know about the gifts the NCAA Tournament selection committee left under the tree?
Here are four key points:
RPI data: Texas baseball received tough NCAA Tournament draw
Texas enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 overall seed. But it might not have received the second-easiest draw.
The trio of teams selected to travel to Austin for this weekend’s regional carries an average RPI of 51, which is tied for the fourth-most-difficult regional draw among the 16 hosts. No. 6 LSU, welcoming three teams with an average RPI of 110.3, received the easiest draw. No. 16 Southern Miss drew the toughest opponents. The Golden Eagles will host three teams with an average RPI of 38.
The No. 4 seeds drive most of the discrepancies in regional strength. Houston Christian, with an RPI of 91, is the seventh highest-rated No. 4 seed in the tournament. LSU’s first-round opponent, Little Rock, is the lowest-rated team in the field at No. 243 in the RPI.
Texas baseball is familiar with all 3 potential opponents
Two of the teams the Longhorns could face in this weekend’s regional have already visited UFCU Disch-Falk Field this season.
UTSA handed Texas an 8-7 loss in 12 innings on March 18, benefiting from a crucial seventh-inning error by Casey Borba that brought home a run. Notably, Roadrunners ace Zach Royse appeared in that midweek game, dancing around a pair of hits to complete a scoreless frame.
Houston Christian’s trip to Austin didn’t go as well. The Longhorns run-ruled the Huskies 12-2 on April 8.
That leaves Kansas State, a conference opponent for the Longhorns before they departed the Big 12 for the SEC last summer. Texas holds a 65-25-1 all-time record against the Wildcats, taking two out of three games from a series in Manhattan last season.
Texas baseball’s road to Omaha Just Means Less
The SEC, perpetually college baseball’s best conference, sent a record 13 teams to the NCAA Tournament this season.
None of them stand between the Longhorns and the College World Series.
Rules prevent Texas from matching up with any SEC teams in its regional, but Schlossnagle’s team also avoided drawing an SEC team in the super-regional round.
Should the Longhorns qualify, they’d welcome UCLA, UC Irvine, Arizona State or Fresno State to UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The Bruins earned the right to host a regional after claiming a share of the Big Ten title in their first season in that conference.
Texas baseball set to welcome back an old friend
Former Texas infielder Dee Kennedy will journey back to The Disch after transferring out of the Longhorns’ program last offseason. Kennedy started 40 games for Texas in 2024, hitting .209 with a .680 OPS and four home runs.
He’s become an everyday starter for Kansas State, and his offensive production has improved significantly. Kennedy hit .282 with a .893 OPS and 11 home runs during the regular season.
Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at deckert@gannett.com. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
