Series Preview: Texas A&M vs #1 Texas

The Longhorns welcome Texas A&M to town this weekend in their first matchup in the Southeastern Conference. This will be an even more emotional series than a typical Longhorns and Aggies matchup, as there is palpable tension related to a certain head coach in the Texas dugout. Jim Schlossnagle led Texas A&M to their best season in school history before coming up short in the College World Series finals last year. Just one day after losing to Tennessee, Schlossnagle broke the Aggies’ hearts by accepting the Texas job.

Texas A&M fans made death threats, leaked Schlossnagle’s Venmo username, and did some other things that were not very nice after he made the jump to Austin. Schlossnagle wants to win this series just as bad as Texas A&M fans and players do. There are other ties to the Aggies on the Texas roster as well. Most notably, first baseman Kimble Schuessler, who played at Texas A&M one season before Schlossnagle was hired in Aggieland, and was told he did not have a roster spot. Freshman sensation infielder Adrian Rodriguez was a Texas A&M signee who ultimately joined Schlossnagle in Austin. This will be a series with plenty of fireworks, and even those without ties to either team may want to tune in to watch some good baseball.

Texas A&M is Red Hot

Texas A&M entered the season as the unanimous preseason No. 1 and most experts’ pick to win the national title. It has been shown with their season just how much coaching matters. First-time head coach Michael Earley took some lumps early on but has his team playing extremely well now. After starting 14-15 and 1-9 in conference play, the Aggies seem to have hit a turning point.

That turning point came when then No. 1 Tennessee run-ruled and no-hit Texas A&M on April 4th. Since then, Texas A&M is 10-1 overall and 7-1 in SEC play. That includes series wins on the road at No. 1 Tennessee and (at the time) No. 2 Arkansas. The talent is clearly there for Texas A&M, and this series will be a great test for both teams.

How Will Texas Replace Ace Jared Spencer

Texas has battled the injury bug for most of the season. The latest hit came last weekend when Friday night starter Jared Spencer left his start early against Auburn after his velocity was down. The initial thought from Schloss was that it was just soreness and Spencer would be fine. The word now is that Spencer is officially out for the remainder of the season and will undergo surgery on his shoulder.

Schlossnagle announced that Sunday starter Ruger Riojas will start Friday in place of Spencer. That means Saturday’s starter will remain Luke Harrison, and Sunday’s starter will likely be Freshman Jason Flores. Flores has seen most of his innings in mid-week games, but in the last few weeks, he has seen time pitching out of the bullpen on weekends.

Can the Texas Offense Pick Up the Pitching

The Texas pitching has been the backbone of the 2025 team. Coming into the season, you would have been laughed out of the room if you suggested that pitching would outperform the bats. That is not to say that the bats have struggled, but the Texas pitching has arguably been the best in the country.

The lineup has been trying to find its rhythm since losing All-American outfielder Max Belyeu to a broken bone in his hand on March 28th against Missouri. Losing an All-American is tough for any team, but the injuries did not stop there. Adrian Rodriguez and Catcher Rylan Galvan suffered injuries against Missouri that caused them to miss time. In their absence, Jalin Flores and Will Gasparino have picked up the slack. Now, with Rodriguez and Galvan healthy, the offense should get back in their early-season rhythm. The positive news on Belyeu is that he should be back by the end of the regular season.