The Texas-Texas A&M Baseball Rivalry: A New Chapter in the SEC
When Texas and Texas A&M face off in baseball, it’s always a spectacle. But this time, the stakes are even higher as they meet for the first time as SEC rivals. The anticipation is palpable, and the storyline is rich with drama, intrigue, and a touch of betrayal.
First, let’s set the stage. Texas enters the series as the No. 1 team, a position they’ve earned with a stellar season. Meanwhile, Texas A&M is riding high after defeating the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country in consecutive road series, a first in their school history. But the real story here is Jim Schlossnagle, the man at the center of this brewing storm.
Last year, Schlossnagle led Texas A&M to the championship series of the Men’s College World Series. The Aggies were tantalizingly close to their first national title, just seven outs away, before Tennessee dashed their dreams with a late-game win. The timing of events that followed was nothing short of dramatic.
On June 24, as the Aggies and Vols prepared for their decisive game, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte announced a mutual decision to part ways with coach David Pierce. Hours later, Tennessee clinched a 6-5 victory, ending A&M’s dream season. The timing of Texas’s announcement raised eyebrows among Aggies fans, especially given Schlossnagle’s close ties with Del Conte from their time at TCU.
After the game, Schlossnagle was asked about his future with Texas A&M, and his response was less than diplomatic. “I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask me that question, to be honest with you,” he said. “But I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again. And that hasn’t changed in my mind.”
Yet, by June 25, Schlossnagle was announced as the new coach at Texas. Del Conte shared a colorful tale of meeting Schlossnagle in a cemetery in Snook, Texas, to finalize the deal. “I left at the crack of dawn, and I knew I could not be seen anywhere in College Station, so I went to the Snook Cemetery and waited for [Schlossnagle] to get back,” Del Conte recounted. “The Snook Cemetery will go down in history.”
The move was a shock to many. For Texas, it was a bold power play. For Texas A&M, it felt like a betrayal. Schlossnagle apologized for his earlier comments, but the damage was done. “I had an idea it would be nuclear, but I didn’t know that it would be apocalyptic,” he told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. “But that just shows you the passion of the 12th Man.”
Adding to the drama, hitting coach Michael Earley followed Schlossnagle to Texas, only to return to A&M as their new head coach shortly after. The rivalry is now more charged than ever, with ticket prices soaring and a rowdy atmosphere expected at Texas’ UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The two teams have met nearly 400 times, but they can’t even agree on when the rivalry began or the series record.
- Texas claims the first game was in 1903, leading the series 244-132-5.
- Texas A&M insists it was 1904, with a record of 240-132-5.
Schlossnagle tried to downplay the focus on him, saying, “Those kinds of series — Texas and Texas A&M — those things are way bigger than any coach or any person or player.” But make no mistake, Schlossnagle is the main character in this saga.
His coaching prowess is undeniable, and both teams have felt its impact. The Aggies started the season as the preseason No. 1, but early struggles saw them slip to a 13-14 overall record with a 1-8 mark in the SEC. Injuries to key players like Caden Sorrell and Gavin Grahovac didn’t help their cause.
Meanwhile, Texas has been dominant, losing just five games all season and holding a three-game lead in the SEC standings. In their first SEC season, the Longhorns are 16-2 in league play, tied for the second-most SEC wins at this point since the conference expanded in 1992.
But the Aggies have found their stride, going 11-2 in April with significant wins against top-ranked teams. Now, they have a chance to take down another No. 1 in Texas. The Aggies’ offense has come alive, averaging nearly 10 runs per game in April, led by All-American Jace LaViolette.
Texas’ pitching, under new coach Max Weiner, has been a strength, boasting an SEC-leading 2.94 ERA. Three Longhorns pitchers have ERAs under 3.00, making them a formidable opponent.
The Aggies are ready for the challenge, as Blake Binderup noted after their recent win over Sam Houston. “Now that the game’s over from today, I’m sure there’s a little bit of thoughts creeping into people’s minds about where we’re going, who we’re playing, who our former coach used to be,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s just baseball. It’s a business trip. We’re going to have fun, but also, the goal is to win.”
For Michael Earley, facing his former boss adds another layer of complexity. “We can’t shy away,” he said. “I know that the storyline is there. Bigger this year probably than it will ever be, and it is what it is.”
This series promises to be one of the most significant in the history of this storied rivalry, perhaps even more so than their 2022 Men’s College World Series clash. As the teams prepare to take the field, all eyes will be on Jim Schlossnagle and the drama that has unfolded around him.
Originally Written by: Dave Wilson
