Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle explains change in first-base coach to player Ryan Targac

It’s the time of the year where any last-minute tweaks you’re going to make to the lineup or your approach need to be made with the postseason fast approaching. Texas A&M has made one such move.

The Aggies recently replaced hitting coach Mike Earley as the first-base coach, instead going to player Ryan Targac.

“Yeah it’s something we’ll continue to move forward,” coach Jim Schlossnagle explained. “It’s something that Mike, we’ve been talking about actually for a couple years to get him in the dugout, be around the hitters. He does a good job with game-planning.

“It’s not about; you don’t coach swings during games, it’s more about approach and, ‘Hey, what’s this pitcher trying to do to you? We thought he was going to be this and oh wow he’s changed, he’s doing something different’ and just helping the guys as they get ready for their at-bats. So I think it’s a good thing.”

The move will hopefully even out the approach of Texas A&M’s hitters at the plate and provide more consistent results hitting.

For his part, Targac has been an irregular starter and contributor this season, so this move allows him to impact the game in another way. He’s a senior and knows everything needed.

While the Aggies could experiment with someone else, Targac’s knowledge base makes him the ideal candidate.

“So we’ll keep a player out there, more than likely Ryan until we need him to come into the game,” Schlossnagle said. “But I don’t like switching it up, going back and forth different games. If we’re going to do it we’re going to do it and continue moving forward.”

Is there a potential downside to having a player rather than a full-time Texas A&M staff member as the first-base coach? Schlossnagle didn’t seem to think so.

“Obviously he’s experienced, he knows the offense, he knows the signs,” Schlossnagle said of Targac. “He knows everything that we do, so he’s super intelligent and has a great feel for the game and knows where to stand, I think.

“For the most part there’s not a ton of role for the first-base coach other than helping out on the base-running side of things. Base coaches are overrated. You really only need a base coach, you really only need a first-base coach when you have runners at first and second, when the first base is playing behind you that’s when you need some help. The rest of it there’s no real coaching that goes on, you’re just making sure guys know the outs and know the signs.”