Jim Schlossnagle stresses importance of Texas A&M's pitching depth

Texas A&M is fighting for its baseball life right now as the team currently sits with just a 28-20 record and 11-13 conference mark with just a few weeks before postseason play starts. But the Aggies picked up two big wins this past weekend against one of the best teams in the country in Florida.

Their best win came Saturday when they beat the visiting Gators, 15-2, as the game was called after seven innings of action. That performance was huge because it allowed Texas A&M to give its bullpen a rest and allow relief pitching mainstays Evan Aschenbeck and Brandyn Garcia a day break.

“We kept extra pitchers on this roster for the weekend just because we’re obviously not in a great position from a starting pitcher standpoint,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said after Saturday’s game. “It’s just kind of a matchup thing throughout the course of the game throughout the course of the day. It’s good. We score runs and Chris didn’t throw too many pitches and we didn’t have to use Aschenbeck or Garcia so those guys can be available again tomorrow.”

The Aggies pitching staff ranks ninth in the SEC in team ERA at 5.48. They have given up the third-most hits and third-most walks among conference teams.

Nathan Detmer and Troy Wansing have been the main two starting pitchers for Texas A&M this year. Both have struggled to keep runs off the board. Detmer is 1-3 in 12 starts with a 6.19 ERA. Wansing is 2-2 with a 6.05 ERA in 11 starts.

The best pitcher for Texas A&M has been Aschenbeck. The relief pitcher has the second-most innings on the team with 50.2 despite not starting any of his 18 appearances. He has a 3.55 ERA, which is the second-lowest on the team, and a 1.07 WHIP.

The two wins over the weekend will be crucial towards Texas A&M’s push to the postseason.

“Yeah, I mean, I think given where we are in our season, any win is a huge win,” Jim Schlossnagle said Sunday. “In this conference, I’ve only been in it a year and a half, but as soon as you think you have it figured out, good luck. You know, there’s so many great teams, and the difference between winning and losing is just marked so thin and an injury here, an injury there, completely changes the season or game, and that can change a whole season.”