Jim Schlossnagle reflects on beating top SEC seeds to advancing into championship

Jim Schlossnagle and the Texas A&M Aggies are on a memorable run at the moment, and could cap it off with an SEC Baseball Tournament title.

Schlossnagle’s bunch is on to the SEC Baseball Tournament Championship Game after defeating the two of the top three seeds in the event. On Friday, the Aggies defeated the No. 3 seeded LSU Tigers by a score of 5-4, and mimicked that score on Saturday in their victory over the No. 2 seeded Arkansas Razorbacks.

Now with a date against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the title game looming large, Schlossnagle will have his team ready, but he took a moment to reflect on his team’s run before turning his attention to the next task.

“I’m feeling pretty good. I’m tired. I don’t have to play, but yeah, it’s been a while since we left College Station. But we’ve been here this long, so we might as well hang out for one more day,” Schlossnagle said, following the Aggies’ Semifinals victory over the Razorbacks. “I think throughout the course of the season, I’ve only been in the league two years, but I think this league has proven that on any given day if you don’t play well, you’re going to get beat, and it doesn’t — the depth of the conference is absolutely amazing.

“We have a weekend in Arkansas where they’re down two players, all the pitchers they’ve lost, and I remember walking — coming into Fayetteville, like if there was ever a year for us to win a game or two in Fayetteville it would be then, and we get swept. Then you think it’s the end of the world, and you’ve got Florida coming in, and they’re as great a program, as immensely talented, and if we get one more ball to fall in on Friday night, we sweep Florida.”

Schlossnagle continued, believing the SEC to be the best of the best when it comes to baseball, labeling the parity you see within the league on a weekly basis “utter insanity.”

“It’s utter insanity, this conference. Every single game is a street fight. It’s not even a boxing match; it’s a street fight until the very last out is made,” added Schlossnagle. “Every now and then there’s one game that’ll get out of hand, but the level of play, the talent, the coaches.

“I’ve talked many times about what I think of Coach [Dave] Van Horn. Again, like I said yesterday, I think all the other SEC coaches say the preparation that it gives you for whatever is beyond this week is better than anywhere else.”

While the SEC has been fantastic throughout the season, Jim Schlossnagle’s ten-seeded Texas A&M Aggies have a chance to be the kings of the conference. Time will tell if they capture it, or let it slip.