Texas Baseball Coach Jim Schlossnagle Pays Oregon Ducks Interesting Compliment

Texas Longhorns baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle paid an unusual compliment to the Oregon Ducks baseball team ahead of the Austin Super Regional. The Ducks are flying south to SEC territory, where UFCU Disch-Falk Field will be rocking with Texas faithful and the sticky weather could include some early thunderstorms.

Schlossnagle and Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski are no strangers. In their last Super Regional appearance in 2024, the Ducks lost to twice to Schlossnagle, when he coached the Texas A&M Aggies.

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

Schlossnagle has lead seven teams (TCU: 5, Texas A&M: 2) to the College World Series in Omaha. He is widely respected in the sport and has a unique perspective on the best in college baseball, which is what makes his comments on Oregon so notable. He's got the pedigree, and the Ducks have rising star energy.

Texas Baseball Coach Jim Schlossnagle On Oregon

As a head coach, Wasikowski is looking to lead his first team to the CWS. As an assistant, he helped the Arizona Wildcats reach Omaha. As a player, he captained the 1992 Pepperdine team to a National Championship.

The good news is, this Ducks team boasts the most postseason experience of any of the 16 teams left playing - as one of three teams who have advanced to the Supers in three of the last four seasons. This Oregon team looks different, and the Longhorns are noticing.

"We have tremendous respect for their team and their pitching staff. At the same time, we also playing the best league in the country and no disrespect to Oregon... We're going to see really good pitching this weekend, but I don't think it's going to be significantly better than any pitcher we've seen this year. And that's not a disrespect to Oregon, that's just a fact," Schlossnagle said.

"The physicality of their team looks like an SEC team, the speed of their team, the power of their team, the pitching on their team is all very, very similar to what we see in our conference. So it's going to be tough," he continued.

Oregon’s Naulivou Lauaki Jr. right, celebrates his ninth-inning home run against Washington State with teammate Drew Smith during 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

The SEC comparison says a lot when it comes to Oregon's size, speed, power and physicality. However, there is a "west coast" influence on Wasikowki's team that also makes the Ducks dangerous.

"It looks like an SEC team, but they'll play whatever brand of baseball they need to play to win the game. So you see that West Coast influence on their lineup and how they play with the bunt game or the running or maybe a trick play here or there," Schlossnagle said.

Oregon did play one SEC team this year, beating the Vanderbilt Commodores, 6-4, back on March 1. Vanderbilt was not one of the 12 SEC teams that were selected to the NCAA Tournament... the most of any conference. The Big Ten sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament and Oregon and the USC Trojans are the last two standing in Supers.

Wasikowski didn't hold back on how his team trains.

“These other guys are just absolute animals when it comes to their training, so it's no surprise that they're having postseason success," Wasikowski said during the Eugene Regional.

Oregon’s Angel Laya celebrates a triple against Yale in the fourth inning of the NCAA Eugene Regional Baseball Tournament game at PK Park n Eugene May 29, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks' coach also clearly respects what Schlossnagle has built in his 30-year baseball career.

"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."

Schlossnagle has a point about the Ducks roster - Oregon can win in a variety of ways and isn't built around just one superstar.

Entering Saturday night's game, the Ducks pitching staff is trending up. Over the last nine games, The Ducks staff has combined for a 1.81 ERA with a .191 batting average. Also notable,Oregon's three starting pitchers have been even better with a 1.47 ERA allowing just nine runs in 49 innings.

Pitcher Cal Scolari is scheduled to start Game one on Saturday.

When it comes to power, Oregon has hit 104 home runs this season, which is second-most in program history, and ranks top-20 nationally in home runs and home runs per game.

How to Watch Oregon vs. Texas / Austin Super Regional Schedule

Oregon head baseball coach Mark Wasikowski gives a thumbs up to the stands after the Ducks defeated 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

The two teams have never met on the diamond and will face off with a chance to end the other's season in prime time.

Saturday, June 6: 5:00 p.m. PT, ESPN
Sunday, June 7: 6:00 p.m. PT, ESPN
Monday, June 8: TBD - if necessary

Fans can also tune into the Ducks' radio broadcast to listen to the series on the Oregon Sports Network.

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