Jim Schlossnagle hints at new strategy ahead of SEC tournament play
As you read this, Tennessee and Alabama are likely squaring off in the second round of the SEC Tournament. The prize for the winner? A date with a newly energized Texas Longhorns team looking to win it all.
Despite rampant online discussions about rest and seeding concerns (especially on our boards), head coach Jim Schlossnagle made it clear to the media that the Longhorns came to Hoover, Alabama, to win a championship.
“I would like to get a championship,” the coach simply said when asked about his goals for the weekend.
Beyond championship aspirations, the SEC Coach of the Year is using this time to give some of his players, especially the younger ones, a chance to soak in the area. Hoover has hosted the SEC Tournament since 1990 and has been the sole host for the last 27 years—a true gem in the college baseball world. Whether the Longhorns win no games or the entire tournament, they plan to stay in Hoover for the whole weekend to enjoy the sights and sounds of the tournament and reflect on the season they’ve had so far.
On the diamond, Schlossnagle strongly hinted at a few distinct roster changes. He acknowledged that things might look different in a tournament where you don’t know when or whom you’ll play next, which directly impacts his pitching plans.
For the first time all year, Schlossnagle entertained the idea of using an “opener” over the weekend. Openers, a strategy most commonly associated with the Tampa Bay Rays in MLB, are typically relief pitchers who start the game and pitch 1–3 innings before handing the ball to a long reliever expected to carry the team through the next few rotations of the lineup.
Schlossnagle emphasized that the Longhorns, of all teams in Hoover, could not afford an injury to a starting pitcher. Beyond the strain of pitching, random risks like a line-drive comebacker or a misjudged play could sideline a key arm for the postseason.
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Based on Schlossnagle’s comments today, it seems likely that starting pitchers Ruger Riojas and Luke Harrison will see limited action this weekend. The opener strategy could involve Grayson Saunier, Andre Duplantier II, or Cody Howard starting the game and handing the ball to Kade Bing or Jason Flores after the first nine batters.
Schlossnagle also mentioned that Jonah Williams is still recovering from injury and may not be available for the weekend, though he hopes to find a way to give him some reps.
While the head coach stated that securing the No. 1 overall seed doesn’t matter to him, a win during this tournament would all but guarantee that top spot. Winning the entire tournament would be a delight for Longhorn fans, but with Texas potentially resting starters and facing unfamiliar opponents, projecting the Longhorns to go all the way is a tall task.
Texas’s game is not yet scheduled, but it will take place tomorrow, Thursday, May 22, marking the first time the Longhorns will face either the Volunteers or the Crimson Tide in 2025.
