***2023 Fightin Texas Aggie Baseball Thread***

Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!
We're born again, there's new grass on the field.
A-roundin' third, and headed for home, it's a brown-eyed handsome man;
Anyone can understand the way I feel.

Part 1 - 2022 Recap & Offseason

It's that time again, boys and girls. Baseball is right around the corner. This thread is going to have a very different vibe to it than 2022.
Quick Recap for those living under a rock.

1. Everyone knew we were going to suck preseason. The question was could we do enough just to sneak into a regional.
2. Jim Schlossnagle said "frick yo expectations!"

Won the West


Hosted a Regional


Exercised some Demons


Achieved a Goal


Destroyed some Dreams



Ultimately Fell Short


I am not mad at a #3 finish. It's our highest final ranking since 1993 when BA put us at #2 and our most wins in Omaha.


Offseason:


We did lose some key pieces, but none were projected too highly at the next level. For reference, in 2021 it we lost our 3 top pitchers and best bat.



While they were undrafted, we had some additional losses.
-Troy Claunch - The Captain behind the dish
-Jake Polish - Turned into arguably our best pitcher
-Kale Kaler - Starting SS, but not exactly a key bat.
-Logan Britt - Solid OF contributor

Overall, I have to say we returned some big parts of the '22 team. Minnich, Bost, Werner, & Thompson all staying for their SR season is a huge plus. Between those 4 and Moss & Targac we should have 3rd, 2nd, 1st, CF, a corner OF spot, & DH locked up. That leaves SS, C, & a corner OF spot to the newcomers.

Our incoming freshman class was very solid. #7 per Collegiate Baseball & #12 per D1 Baseball. Jace LaViolette is the guy to watch from that class. He should come in and start right away and bat in the top 5. Justin Lamkin is another. He could be in the weekend rotation. We also have a bit of baseball royalty. Jeff Kent's son, Kaeden Kent is on the team. He'll compete for a starting job at short or maybe DH.

Similarly, our incoming transfer class was very solid too. #9 per D1 Baseball. The #1 needs from this class were pitching depth, a starting catcher, and options at SS. I think Schloss filled those. He added Joe Powell from Cincy behind the dish but he retired... so it's up to 1 of the 2 JUCO transfers in JD Gregson and Hank Bard. I believe Gregson has the edge. Troy Wansing from Purdue will compete for a weekend spot. Then we have Matt Dillard from Sam, Brandyn Garcia from Quinnipiac, & Carson Lambert from USC all bolstering the bullpen. Finally, we snagged a high-end glove from ASU in Hunter Haas. He was a freshman AA at third, but will likely be our starting SS.

BASEBALL SEASON! LETS GO!!!

Great work! Looking forward to watching y'all

High of 75 in Aggieland today.

I know good players can put up gaudy numbers in high school, but it's still impressive.

Justin Lamkin
11 GP
11-0
61.2 IP (~5.2 per game)
0.79 ERA
0.51 WHIP
139 K or 20.3 K/9

My guess is the kid starts on Tuesday and eventually moves into the rotation.

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I’m trying to temper my expectations for this team but it’s hard given how successful they were last year

Ag_16 - the SEC West is incredibly tough. I am tempering my expectations because LSU will be incredibly talented, and Tennessee will be great as well. Ole Miss will be talented but inconsistent. MSU, I have zero idea. Same goes for Arkansas.

That is always the case with CWS appearance. Especially with the baseball improvements Schloss is seeking and his extraordinary first year results

If you need a fix, here is a pod with Schloss and his most recent media availability.

LINK

LINK

50% of the SEC is in the top 11. It’s a murder’s row. But we’re a top 5 squad won series @ Lsu and OM last year.