The Texas Longhorns and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte made a splash last spring when CDC traveled to College Station to poach the Aggies' head coach for the Horns' baseball program. Now, with newly-appointed HC Jim Schlossnagle at the reigns, Texas baseball is looking more promising than ever.
After signing day for prospects in the high school class of 2025, the Horns earned bragging rights to the No. 2 class in the nation, according to Baseball America – only trailing LSU.
Number 2 recruiting class in the nation for @TexasBaseball 🔥🔥
— Zachary Symm (@ZachAtTheDisch) November 13, 2024
What the staff has done in a very short time frame has been astounding. Big time talent headed to Texas! #HookEm 🤘🏻🐂⚾️ pic.twitter.com/RnYiLAOcIg
Schlossnagle immediately made a splash in Austin, clearing house from assistant coaches to staff members to bringing in players from all over the country through the transfer portal. The Longhorn baseball program will look very different than it did last year, but that should be a good thing.
The Horns fell short in the postseason, struggling against the Texas A&M Aggies (who were led by Schlossnagle) as they fought for a place in the College World Series.
As Texas rapidly approaches it's first season in the SEC, arguably the most powerful collegiate baseball conference, the Horns are going to have to hope that the changes Schlossnagle put in place are enough to keep pace with programs like LSU and Florida.
Last season, the CWS was dominated by the SEC. The final four teams were Florida State (ACC), Florida (SEC), Tennessee (SEC), and Texas A&M (SEC). Then, the final series was between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Texas A&M Aggies, with the Vols coming out on top.
Schlossnagle knows how to coach at an elite level, he did it just a year ago with the Aggies. Now, it's time to see if he can do the same with the Horns.