Jim Schlossnagle details how Texas can return to best form in NCAA Tournament

The Texas Longhorns are back in the NCAA Tournament and are set to host through the Super Regional as the two-seed. Of course, to host in the Super Regional, head coach Jim Schlossnagle needs his team to be at its best in the NCAA Regional.

Schlossnagle appeared on College Baseball Studio: The Road to Omaha following the Field of 64’s announcement. There, he detailed how he expects Texas to be able to return to its best form ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

“We haven’t been the most explosive offensive team,” Jim Schlossnagle said. “But we have thrown strikes and we have played defense. So, it’s kind of a throwback style, pitching, defense. Get that timely hit. How do we get back to that? We have to just play more sound baseball.”

In Schlossnagle’s first season coaching at Texas, he led the Longhorns to a 42-12 overall record and a 22-8 record in SEC play. However, the Longhorns struggled late in the year. They were one and done in the SEC Tournament. Before that, Texas was 3-6 in their final three SEC series in the regular season.

Throughout the year, Texas hasn’t been as strong offensively as Schlossnagle had hoped. The Longhorns finished up averaging 6.9 runs per game. That’s 120th in the country in scoring. They also have a team batting average of .274. That’s just 180th in the country. Both of those marks are places where the Longhorns know they’ll need to outperform to get to Omaha.

“Again, I do believe we can be a better offensive team,” Schlossnagle said. “To where maybe instead of scoring five or six runs and trying to hold the other team to two or three, maybe we can get that seven, eight, nine-run mark if we can run into a few balls and get the right guys in the lineup.”

Throughout the year, Texas hasn’t been as strong offensively as Schlossnagle had hoped. The Longhorns finished up averaging 6.9 runs per game. That’s 120th in the country in scoring. They also have a team batting average of .274. That’s just 180th in the country. Both of those marks are places where the Longhorns know they’ll need to outperform to get to Omaha.

“So, these guys have played to a standard, not a scoreboard, the whole year,” Schlossnagle said. “Kept their head down. We knew those times were coming. No one walks through this league — at least, no one I’ve ever seen, without getting bruised up. I think everything in life happens for you and not to you. Those times make us better.”

Texas will need to get back on track and build some momentum quickly for the Austin Regional. There, the Longhorns are preparing to take on Houston Christian on Friday, May 30th. Kansas State and UTSA then round out the Regional.