Diagnosing the Disch: Will Gasparino just grows stronger

You’re lucky if you’ve never had to share a room with Will Gasparino.

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Though listed at 6-foot-6 on the team website, the media scrum did their best to compare their heights to his, coming to the conclusion that: “There’s no way this kid isn’t at least 6-foot-7.”

For someone who hasn’t followed this series of articles or the Texas baseball team at all you might be thinking that that isn’t THAT tall for a baseball player. Guys like Randy Johnson have pitched north of 6-foot-10, and the Giants currently have a 6-foot-11 pitcher. You’d be right to make the critique, but Gasparino isn’t a pitcher; he’s a five-tool center fielder.

Gasparino entered the 2024 season with immense hype. He was a top-50 recruit who was asked to replace Longhorn legend Eric Kennedy immediately in center field. The kid was tall, polished and seemed to have an innate understanding for the little parts of the game. He started off the year red hot, registering five hits in four games against teams like San Diego and Houston Christian. It seemed like David Pierce had not only found a gem of a recruit, but a superstar.

Claiming that Gasparino’s freshman year didn’t live up to that hype would be disingenuous. He started 58/60 games, was a part of the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, hitting 12 home runs and finishing with a .795 OPS. These stats were good, but it felt like there was more untapped potential to be uncovered.

Enter Jim Schlossnagle, who has told the media many times that he doesn’t like small baseball players. Thankfully for him, Texas’ tallest guy decided to stick around through the coaching change, and it seems both parties are happy with the decision.

Gasparino played last year fairly light at 210 pounds, and it somewhat showed in his overall physique. This offseason has been a big one for Schloss’s team in the weight room, and Gasparino is no stranger to that development. Texas baseball’s site has him 15 pounds heavier entering the 2025 season, with obvious changes in muscle tone and overall build.

“I think coach (Matt) Couch did a really good job this off season of getting us SEC ready and building our bodies to the max and to what we’ve always wanted it to,” Gasparino said. “I gained 15-20, pounds this off-season, and I always knew being a longer guy you had to stay strong, but Coach Couch has done a really good job of that.”

Gasparino outlined his meal plan to the media over the offseason. Lots of Chick-Fil-A nuggets, a ton of protein shakes and nearly 6,000 calories a day of eating. That’s dedication.

Gasparino is someone who may be young, but will enter this season as a leader on the ballclub. Thankfully, he has Max Belyeu next to him in the outfield to bring a true veteran presence, but Jalin Flores is the only player who started more games than Gasparino last season. His early experience will be a key to his success in 2025.

“I think having a little more experience definitely helps for sure,” Gasparino said about the difference between 2024 and 2025. “Putting on physically helps for sure. We’re lucky enough to have coach Tulo(witzki) this year, and we’ve done a lot of great things with all the hitters and cages this year, and so I think all those things will have a big impact and change.”

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Gasparino is the Longhorn most likely to make the jump from never making an all-conference team to becoming a top-three player at his position in the SEC. He’s got the look, he’s got the tools, now it’s all about putting everything together for his sophomore year in CF.