Jim Schlossnagle explains approach to rotation for Arkansas series

Texas A&M baseball has one last series before the start of the SEC championship tournament. The Aggies will host the Arkansas Razorbacks in a three-game series starting on Thursday with major postseason applications.

The series starting on Thursday instead of the typical Friday could mean changes to the Texas A&M pitching rotation. As the Aggies gear up for their showdown against the Razorbacks, skipper Jim Schlossnagle took a moment to explain his approach for the rotation in this series.

“I mean, the weather will play a role in that. I’m not gonna bring Shane back– everybody’s gotta come back on one day’s rest– on two. So, the whole TBA thing would be the middle game,” said Schlossnagle.

“We’ll just get through the first game, see what happens, see how it looks, get a chance to see Arkansas with our own eyes. And then we’ll make a decision on the middle game and more than likely have Shane pitch the third game.”

Aggies left-handed pitcher Shane Sdao has been a nightmare for opposing batters this season. He currently has a record of 13-4 and is 4-1 as a starter following his seven-inning six-strikeout and no-earned runs performance against Ole Miss on Sunday, leading the Aggies to a 6-0 shutout victory. The win also helped Texas A&M stay in the hunt for the SEC regular-season championship.

After a performance like that, Schlossnagle is not trying to exhaust his young, talented picture arm. However, should the rain play a significant role in the Texas A&M Arkansas series, the Aggies skipper wouldn’t be opposed to Sdao getting the start later in the series.

“This weekend it is a possibility. But that would only be if we had rain, like all day Thursday [and] all day Friday,” said Schlossnagle.

As mentioned above, this weekend has significant implications for Texas A&M. The Aggies are still in the hunt for the SEC regular season championship along with SEC West foe and upcoming opponent Arkansas, along with Kentucky and Tennessee in the SEC East.

This series will also help solidify the top seeds of the upcoming SEC championship tournament. As it stands, Texas A&M has a first-round bye in the tournament. Should they struggle against Arkansas, the Aggies could find themselves playing in the opening round instead of getting an extra day of rest.