What To Watch For In the Baseball Edition of the Lonestar Showdown

One of sports' biggest rivalries will see another rendition take place at the corner of Wellborn and Olsen.

It’s Texas A&M hosting Texas in the return of Jim Schlossnagle to Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

Remember last time that the Longhorns' head coach was in the other dugout? He took his Maroon and White team to the Men’s College World Series at Charles Schwab Field, where that roster was one of the eight teams left in the bracket and the last two standing.

The skipper coached his final game with A&M in Game 3 in the loss to Tennessee. On that disappointing flight home, Schlossnagle likely knew what the next step was, and it didn’t involve anything with the program in College Station. It was with the one in Austin.

Everyone in Aggieland now gets to let the "villain" hear it this weekend after his one-of-a-kind actions with a three-game series starting Friday and wrapping up on Sunday.

Pitching and Hitting Dual

Caden Sorrell Texas A&M Aggies. — Jun 22, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies left fielder Caden Sorrell (13) singles in a run against the Tennessee Volunteers during the third inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Last season, both head coaches faced off for the first time, and all three games didn’t go the way the Aggies hoped. Everyone in the home dugout this time will be hoping for revenge for past history.

Heading into the weekend, Texas is in second place in the SEC with a 27-5 record (9-3 SEC), while A&M is tied for fourth with a 25-7 record (7-5 SEC). Texas leads the all-time series, 105-60, but lost the last time it played at Blue Bell in 11 innings.

This season is a different look for both clubs, but not in a bad way, as the Longhorns are batting well, just like the Aggies.

At the plate, Texas is batting .302 as a group, while A&M has better numbers at the plate, going .320 as a unit. In the SEC, Texas is No. 1 in pitching, and A&M is No. 3 in batting and fielding.

In the slugging, on-base, and OPS departments, A&M is also doing slightly better.

The Aggies are sitting at a 1.048 OPS, a .592 slugging percentage, and a .456 on-base percentage. As for Texas, they hold a .942 OPS, .518 slugging percentage, and .424 on-base percentage.

One of the differences is pitching: Texas has a 3.07 ERA, which is better than A&M’s 4.74 ERA. Arms might very well determine the outcome of this game and which bullpen can make better pitch selections late in the game.

It is expected that the Longhorns rotation will feature Ruger Riojas, Luke Harrison, and Dylan Volantis, while the Aggies will likely toss Shane Sdao, Weston Moss, and Aiden Sims.

Those pitchers on the mound will face very disciplined hitters, as several players have shown how dangerous they are at the plate. A&M’s star players include Gavin Grahovac, Caden Sorrell, Chris Hacopian, and Jake Duer. As for Texas, the best sluggers include Ethan Mendoza, Aiden Robbins, Carson Tinney, and Anthony Pack Jr.

This series could go either way, with it all coming down to how the cards are played between Schlossnagle and Earley.

Game 1 begins on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network, followed by Game 2 on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m. on ESPN2. The finale wraps up on Sunday, April 12, at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.