Mark Wasikowski Offers Honest Thoughts on Texas Coach Jim Schlossnagle

The Oregon Ducks baseball squad (43-16 overall and 20-10 Big Ten) is in the NCAA Super Regional after a 4-1 Eugene Regional game six victory over their in-state rivals, the Oregon State Beavers. Now, the Ducks gear up to take on the No. 6 nationally-ranked Texas Longhorns as the away team for a shot at the first program visit to Omaha for the College Baseball World Series since 1954.

Not only do the Longhorns boast a dominant performance in their regional going into this showdown, but the coaching staff in Texas is familiar with Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski and a few of the veteran players for the Ducks.

Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski leaves the field after the win over Washington State on day two of the NCAA Eugene Regional Tournament at PK Park n Eugene May 30, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mark Wasikowski Has a Link to Texas' Coaching Staff

In a recent media availability, Wasikowski spoke about his perspective on Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle, whom the Ducks lost to twice in their last Super Regional appearance in 2024 when Schlossnagle coached the Texas A&M Aggies.

That defeat of Wasikowski sent Schlossnagle to his sixth career College World Series, with a loss to Tennessee in game three, ending the Aggies' postseason dreams. The storyline didn't stop there for Schlossnagle, however, as the coach garnered quite a bit of criticism after a fiery outburst when asked about departing Texas A&M, and then doing exactly that a day after that College World Series loss to head up the Texas program.

Now, he's the highest-paid coach in college baseball for a team that Wasikowski called "balanced" while putting up "video game numbers."

Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle during the NCAA college baseball game against Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 8, 2026. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mark Wasikowski Analyzes Jim Schlossnagle Ahead of Super Regional

Wasikowski didn't shy away from commenting on Schlossnagle's controversial exit from the last time the two met each other on the diamond, while also heaping on the praise for the over 30-year coaching veteran, with Schlossnagle's leadership of a team starting in 1994 as a co-head coach for Tulane.

"They're really good," Wasikowski said. "When [Schlossnagle] was at TCU, they were very good. Jim's a winner. There's a reason why he's the highest-paid coach in college baseball. There's a reason why Texas A&M fans can't stand the guy; it's because he left Texas A&M for the University of Texas. He probably got paid a lot more money to do it."

"Whatever his reasons were ... When you've reached a level of success that Jim's reached, it's because you're a good coach and you've got good coaches and you've got great teams and you've played really, really well, and you've been to the College World Series, and done a lot of things," Wasikowski continued.

"So that's why the guy's getting paid money, and that's why his teams are really, really good. And what you learn is that every time you play against Jim's teams, you're going to have to play well to beat them," Wasikowski added.

The Oregon Duck baseball team stands for the Star Spangled Banner before their game against Oregon State on day three at the NCAA Eugene Regional Tournament at PK Park in Eugene May 31, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks Are Battle Tested

The Ducks enter this best-out-of-three matchup against Texas with several big games marking their resume outside of their regional hosting victory. In April, Oregon clinched a 2-1 series victory over the then No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers at home, followed by another regular season win on the road against the then No. 6 Oregon State Beavers, a rare 9-6 Saturday win against the then No. 1 UCLA Bruins on the road, and capped off the regular season with a 2-1 series win over the No. 17 USC Trojans, the only other Big Ten team to make it past the regional stage of the post season.

There are several Duck veterans on Wasikowski's team who remember the two-and-out series against the Aggies, including infield Maddox Molony, who shared his thoughts with goducks.com.

"Looking back on that, in the moment, it felt a little bigger than just another game. But looking back on it years later, you realize it is just another game, and you still play nine innings, 27 outs, and that's all it really is, no matter where it's played … I think me being able to take that approach into it is gonna make this a more successful run," Molony said.

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