Will Aggies Nathan Dettmer Start In Stanford Regional Final Against No. 8 Cardinal
Jim Schlossnagle has always made right-hander Nathan Dettmer his first option when it comes to games in 2023. Now, he could be Texas A&M baseball's last resort.
With the Aggies dropping Game 1 of the Stanford Regional final 13-5 to the No. 8-seeded Cardinal, Dettmer will likely get the call Monday night in a winner-take-all showdown. Then again, the second-year manager isn't letting anyone know his decision until the last second.
“I want to check and see how everybody feels and make a decision tomorrow,” Schlossnagle said late Sunday evening.
Starting pitching was a strength for the Aggies in Hoover, Ala., for the SEC Tournament. It's been a crutch during their time in Palo Alto. In three games with three different starters, no one has lasted longer than 1.2 innings, with the trio combining for 15 total outs and four strikeouts.
It's different with Dettmer, however. Good, bad or indifferent, the junior has been the one constant throughout the regular season, often being called upon to start the series on Friday evenings. Unlike Troy Wansing, Justin Lampkin and Will Johnston, his struggles during the SEC Tournament were evident, lasting 2.1 innings while allowing three runs on three hits against Arkansas, and four runs on seven hits against Vanderbilt in the finals.
Wansing wowed fans in Hoover with his fastball-slider combination in a one-hit performance against seventh-seeded Tennessee. Lampkin hurled 95 MPH heaters in a one-hit outing against sixth-seeded South Carolina. Dettmer, who's recorded the most starts on A&M's roster this season, hasn't lasted longer than six innings in his last 11 starts. His last win came in an 8-1 victory against Northern Kentucky on March 10, a week prior to the start of conference play.
“He just needs to throw more strikes,” Schlossnagle said. “He just needs to be the Nathan Dettmer he’s capable of being. Ground-ball pitcher, normally, that keeps the ball in the ballpark and throws effective off-speed pitches. When he pitches, if he pitches, that’s what we need.”
Schlossnagle could be onto something. While Dettmer's midseason struggles were evident, he's the one pitcher on the staff that's been battled-tested in the tournament before. Last season, the 6-4 San Antonio product fought back in games against Louisiana and Louisville to help the A&M advance to its first College World Series appearance since 2017.
In Omaha, it was Dettmer who delivered seven quality innings in an elimination game against Notre Dame to advance to the CWS semifinals. He tossed seven scoreless frames, allowing three hits while striking out six.
The challenging part for Schlossnagle entering Monday is preparing the bullpen for potentially a long evening. Wansing, who started Sunday's game after closing the door on Saturday against the Cardinal, likely won't pitch after back-to-back showcases. Johnston, who started Friday against Cal State Fullerton, could be ruled out after tossing 28 pitches Sunday night.
Outside of Chris Cortez, who threw 77 pitches in 4.1 innings of work, the rest of the bullpen should be on call, including Saturday's starter Lampkin. Schlossnalge has been critical about when to use pitchers and their longevity on the mound.
“You can’t get behind in the count,” Schlossnagle said. “You can’t pin yourself in the corner as a pitcher against this lineup and expect you’re going to throw fastballs and win the game.”
Tension already are high with Monday being an elimination game, but outside fuel was dosed on the fire Sunday afternoon in Coral Gables. With Texas defeating host city Miami, the Longhorns advance to the super regionals for a third consecutive year
The winner of Monday's game will face Texas for a shot at Omaha. Should the Aggies prevail, the NCAA could have an in-state supercharged decision on its hands regarding where the best-of-three showdown will be played.
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