Texas A&M Ranked No. 5 On D1 Baseball's Preseason Standings
Texas A&M baseball outhit its coverage in 2022 under first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle. Now, the expectations in Aggieland are at an all-time high entering 2023.
The Aggies were listed as the No. 5 program in D1Baseball.com's initial 2023 rankings. Texas A&M won the SEC West and dominated its competition en route to a final-four appearance in the Men's College World Series last June.
Schlossnagle, who spent 18 seasons building a rapport and resume at TCU, will return six everyday position players from that posted a 44-20 record in what was considered to be a "rebuilding season." The Aggies will have essential bats, including first baseman Jack Moss, designated hitter Austin Bost, right fielder Brett Minnich and utility infielder Trevor Werner leading the charge near the top of the lineup.
The Aggies are also returning postseason hero Jordan Thompson, who is slated to become the full-time center fielder in 2023. Last season, Thompson came up clutch at the plate in College Station Regional and Super Regionals with a pair of home runs against Oral Roberts and Louisville to help the Aggies reach Omaha for the first time since 2017.
For the season, Thompson batted .258 with six home runs, eight extra-base hits, and 31 RBIs.
The Aggies will be anchored on the mound by Nathan Dettmer and Chris Cortez at their 1-2 combination. Last season. Dettmer served as Texas A&M's No. 1 pitcher ahead of Micah Dallas and Jacob Palish. Cortez, who finished with a 4.91 ERA, will move from the bullpen into the rotation as Dallas' replacement.
Texas A&M was one of seven SEC teams ranked in D1 Baseball's top 10. Louisiana State, led by second-year coach Jay Johnson, earned the top spot after finishing 40-22 in 2022. Tennessee (No. 2), Ole Miss (No. 4), Florida (No. 7), Arkansas (No. 8) and Vanderbilt (No. 10) joined Texas A&M in rounding out the top 10, along with Stanford (No. 3), Wake Forest (No. 6), and Oklahoma State (No. 9).
Alabama (No. 20) and South Carolina (No. 23) were also listed in the top 25 to round out the SEC. The Aggies will open the season at Blue Bell Park against Seattle on Feb. 17 for a three-game series.
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