Texas Baseball 2025 - Show Me A Schloss

[Fletch 5,800]

@Hookem2147 what are your very early thoughts on our projected lineup and pitching rotation?

[Hookem2147 21,194]

9 hours ago, Fletch said:

@Hookem2147 what are your very early thoughts on our projected lineup and pitching rotation?

C-Galvan

1B- Schuessler/Stewart

2B- Mendoza

SS- Flores

3B- Borba/Rodriguez- Would give Borba the edge right now

LF- Winfield

CF- Gasparino

RF- Belyeu

DH- Rodriguez/Farmer/Polk/Stewart

Pitching is really tough to figure out because so many guys were limited in the fall due to workload or completely shut down. Whitehead is obviously still recovering from surgery and I believe Grubbs was limited all fall. 

This pitching staff has about 8 guys I could see as a weekend starter but no one I really see a clear-cut Friday night guy, so that is probably both a good and bad thing. We couldn't figure out Friday nights last year, and that dug us into way too many holes.

[Fletch 5,800]

54 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

C-Galvan

1B- Schuessler/Stewart

2B- Mendoza

SS- Flores

3B- Borba/Rodriguez- Would give Borba the edge right now

LF- Winfield

CF- Gasparino

RF- Belyeu

DH- Rodriguez/Farmer/Polk/Stewart

Pitching is really tough to figure out because so many guys were limited in the fall due to workload or completely shut down. Whitehead is obviously still recovering from surgery and I believe Grubbs was limited all fall. 

This pitching staff has about 8 guys I could see as a weekend starter but no one I really see a clear-cut Friday night guy, so that is probably both a good and bad thing. We couldn't figure out Friday nights last year, and that dug us into way too many holes.

Sounds right. Looking forward to Gaspo this year. Should take the next step. Keep forgetting Schuessler. He’ll be a beast at first. 
 

Say what you will about DP, but he brought in a good young core. Galvan, gaspo, Flores, Belyeu, borba, ace and Howard are a good core to build around. I’m feeling an Omaha team here. Gonna be a fun season. 

[HTXfan 25]

3 hours ago, Hookem2147 said:

C-Galvan

1B- Schuessler/Stewart

2B- Mendoza

SS- Flores

3B- Borba/Rodriguez- Would give Borba the edge right now

LF- Winfield

CF- Gasparino

RF- Belyeu

DH- Rodriguez/Farmer/Polk/Stewart

Pitching is really tough to figure out because so many guys were limited in the fall due to workload or completely shut down. Whitehead is obviously still recovering from surgery and I believe Grubbs was limited all fall. 

This pitching staff has about 8 guys I could see as a weekend starter but no one I really see a clear-cut Friday night guy, so that is probably both a good and bad thing. We couldn't figure out Friday nights last year, and that dug us into way too many holes.

Pitching will surprise many on the upside.  It will be a competitive staff in the SEC.

[Hookem2147 21,194]

19 minutes ago, HTXfan said:

Pitching will surprise many on the upside.  It will be a competitive staff in the SEC.

There are certainly more quality options than previous years. Just a matter of the puzzle pieces fitting together and seeing who performs when the lights turn on.

Edited November 4 by Hookem2147

[MuellerHorn 4,228]

14 hours ago, Fletch said:

Sounds right. Looking forward to Gaspo this year. Should take the next step. Keep forgetting Schuessler. He’ll be a beast at first. 
 

Say what you will about DP, but he brought in a good young core. Galvan, gaspo, Flores, Belyeu, borba, ace and Howard are a good core to build around. I’m feeling an Omaha team here. Gonna be a fun season. 

We (the fans) are going to have to learn to temper our expectations when it comes to W/L record. The SEC is going to be insane this year. This team might have a poor record by historical Texas terms, and then wind up in Omaha. Who knows. Gonna be a different type of season, that's for sure. Glad to hear we should have the pitching depth.

It'll also be fun playing in some of these smaller SEC parks. It assume the Disch plays a lot bigger (and is) than most of them.

[BurntOrange&White 39,930]

12 hours ago, Hookem2147 said:

There are certainly more quality options than previous years. Just a matter of the puzzle pieces fitting together and seeing who performs when the lights turn on.

At least we have a pitching coach and HC that can put the puzzle together instead of winging it through half the season.

[hobbes2702 13,029]

4 hours ago, MuellerHorn said:

We (the fans) are going to have to learn to temper our expectations when it comes to W/L record. The SEC is going to be insane this year. This team might have a poor record by historical Texas terms, and then wind up in Omaha. Who knows. Gonna be a different type of season, that's for sure. Glad to hear we should have the pitching depth.

It'll also be fun playing in some of these smaller SEC parks. It assume the Disch plays a lot bigger (and is) than most of them.

I think some of the Disch playing big stuff has been gone for a few years. Bringing the fences in and having wind constantly blowing across the outfield towards left (seems like it always went the other way when I was a kid) has changed my view of it. The ball seems to fly out now.

[petscii 1,189]

42 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

I think some of the Disch playing big stuff has been gone for a few years. Bringing the fences in and having wind constantly blowing across the outfield towards left (seems like it always went the other way when I was a kid) has changed my view of it. The ball seems to fly out now.

Wasn't that more about the pinball machine carpet over the concrete more than the wind?  And the bats of the day.

[hobbes2702 13,029]

33 minutes ago, petscii said:

Wasn't that more about the pinball machine carpet over the concrete more than the wind?  And the bats of the day.

The ball didn’t used to leave the ballpark with regularity like it does now. Especially not out to left and the power alley 

[petscii 1,189]

 

Cougar High comes to town the 18th of Feb

https://uhcougars.com/sports/baseball/schedule

No arizona state in 2025

https://thesundevils.com/sports/baseball/schedule

No wildcats, no TCU, no Baylor

[Fletch 5,800]

2 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

The ball didn’t used to leave the ballpark with regularity like it does now. Especially not out to left and the power alley 

Yeah bringing in the fences obviously helped. But you’re right, it just used to feel and play bigger. Hence why our bread and butter 02-09 was gap to gap dudes who can get you 8-12 homers a year. 

[.45s 28]

I think the freshman Cole Chamberlain played some first base in the Orange-White game.  Any updates on the fall practices or on some surprises by any of the old or new guys?

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

Just a heads up (I wouldn't have checked had LHF not called me) that Season Ticket renewal season is upon us.

Not seat assignments yet, (if you want to move) but the actual renewal.

[Hookem2147 21,194]

On 11/4/2024 at 11:41 AM, MuellerHorn said:

We (the fans) are going to have to learn to temper our expectations when it comes to W/L record. The SEC is going to be insane this year. This team might have a poor record by historical Texas terms, and then wind up in Omaha. Who knows. Gonna be a different type of season, that's for sure. Glad to hear we should have the pitching depth.

It'll also be fun playing in some of these smaller SEC parks. It assume the Disch plays a lot bigger (and is) than most of them.

It may not happen this year, but I don't think we are that far away from .500 in the SEC getting a hosting spot. Bama hosted at 16-14 in conference play a few years ago.

Edited November 6 by Hookem2147

[BillyGoatHill 4,312]

On 11/4/2024 at 4:05 PM, hobbes2702 said:

I think some of the Disch playing big stuff has been gone for a few years. Bringing the fences in and having wind constantly blowing across the outfield towards left (seems like it always went the other way when I was a kid) has changed my view of it. The ball seems to fly out now.

I've read more than one report over the last couple of years that the college baseballs have been stitched tighter for more length/ home runs.....not sure if true but this article touched base ( no pun) on it.

https://www.batdigest.com/blog/4-reasons-behind-the-historic-home-run-surge-in-2023-college-baseball/

20 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

Just a heads up (I wouldn't have checked had LHF not called me) that Season Ticket renewal season is upon us.

Not seat assignments yet, (if you want to move) but the actual renewal.

🤘

Yep. Monday the 18th is last day to renew. Seat Prices remained the same (for this year). Service fee up $10 (loss of one beer dammit)

Renewed mine last week.

[NBHorn7 62]

On 11/4/2024 at 12:49 PM, BurntOrange&White said:

At least we have a pitching coach and HC that can put the puzzle together instead of winging it through half the season.

What can really make a difference is a pitching coach that can get his pitchers to attack the strike zone more and believe in their stuff. Walks hurt even the best Texas pitchers the past few years, see LBJ. The walks, hbp's, and even all the deep counts mounted the pitch count and lessened innings pitched and effectiveness.  Strike one is still the best pitch in baseball and sets the tone in the pitcher's favor for the at bat. How many times did Texas pitchers fall behind in the count and have to just groove a pitch to try to get back in the count that was hit hard, too many.

The other thing is a pitching coach that can help a pitcher when he loses his mechanics and loses command. This is the kind of pitching coach that develops trust in that coach and pitchers will listen to him. I don't think the last few pitching coaches, especially Pierce had this ability. Too many Texas pitchers just never developed and got better the last few years or some that should have been on the mound sooner weren't used or used enough, others digressed. Hopefully the depth of the staff under Weiner will be such, that once a closer is decided on and proves to be effective, he doesn't get overused like Boehm was. I think Weiner understands this and it won't be the case, another big plus from the past.

The other thing that I believe Weiner/Schlossnagle will do is know when it's time to remove a pitcher, this also cost Texas many times under the last pitching/head coach. Hoping a pitcher can get out of an inning instead of knowing it's time for his removal, and the inning gets out of hand and the game lost.

Hopefully the new regime will get better pitchers out of the portal, a few that might have been effective were injured, but some were really just cast offs from teams because they weren't that effective there. The recruiting of talented pitching can already be seen and most likely that will also apply to the portal. The reputations of Weiner and Schlossnagle are the reason for this.

All these things should help put more numbers in the win column and in SEC Baseball that really does "Just Mean More."

 

[MuellerHorn 4,228]

18 hours ago, NBHorn7 said:

What can really make a difference is a pitching coach that can get his pitchers to attack the strike zone more and believe in their stuff. Walks hurt even the best Texas pitchers the past few years, see LBJ. The walks, hbp's, and even all the deep counts mounted the pitch count and lessened innings pitched and effectiveness.  Strike one is still the best pitch in baseball and sets the tone in the pitcher's favor for the at bat. How many times did Texas pitchers fall behind in the count and have to just groove a pitch to try to get back in the count that was hit hard, too many.

The other thing is a pitching coach that can help a pitcher when he loses his mechanics and loses command. This is the kind of pitching coach that develops trust in that coach and pitchers will listen to him. I don't think the last few pitching coaches, especially Pierce had this ability. Too many Texas pitchers just never developed and got better the last few years or some that should have been on the mound sooner weren't used or used enough, others digressed. Hopefully the depth of the staff under Weiner will be such, that once a closer is decided on and proves to be effective, he doesn't get overused like Boehm was. I think Weiner understands this and it won't be the case, another big plus from the past.

The other thing that I believe Weiner/Schlossnagle will do is know when it's time to remove a pitcher, this also cost Texas many times under the last pitching/head coach. Hoping a pitcher can get out of an inning instead of knowing it's time for his removal, and the inning gets out of hand and the game lost.

Hopefully the new regime will get better pitchers out of the portal, a few that might have been effective were injured, but some were really just cast offs from teams because they weren't that effective there. The recruiting of talented pitching can already be seen and most likely that will also apply to the portal. The reputations of Weiner and Schlossnagle are the reason for this.

All these things should help put more numbers in the win column and in SEC Baseball that really does "Just Mean More."

 

This was a really good post. I wish I could pos rep it more. I'll get you elsewhere.

Increased, as well as more skilled, pitching depth, a shorter leash so pitchers don't crater and start sliding in confidence (depth will help here too), and a different approach from a younger and more attuned pitching coach leads me to believe Texas will have fewer pitchers that look like this on the mound this season:

At least that's my hope.

 

Edited November 7 by MuellerHorn

[EZ$ 2,102]

I’d just like to see pitchers who aren’t constantly down 2-0 and hitters who aren’t constantly down 0-2. 

[BurntOrange&White 39,930]

1 hour ago, EZ$ said:

I’d just like to see pitchers who aren’t constantly down 2-0 and hitters who aren’t constantly down 0-2. 

I liked the plate discipline A&M had...hopefully Schloss can translate that here.

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

4 hours ago, EZ$ said:

I’d just like to see pitchers who aren’t constantly down 2-0 and hitters who aren’t constantly down 0-2. 

I want to see batters that aren’t trying out for UT’s golf team all the time. 

[cochamps 1,879]

22 hours ago, NBHorn7 said:

What can really make a difference is a pitching coach that can get his pitchers to attack the strike zone more and believe in their stuff. Walks hurt even the best Texas pitchers the past few years, see LBJ. The walks, hbp's, and even all the deep counts mounted the pitch count and lessened innings pitched and effectiveness.  Strike one is still the best pitch in baseball and sets the tone in the pitcher's favor for the at bat. How many times did Texas pitchers fall behind in the count and have to just groove a pitch to try to get back in the count that was hit hard, too many.

The other thing is a pitching coach that can help a pitcher when he loses his mechanics and loses command. This is the kind of pitching coach that develops trust in that coach and pitchers will listen to him. I don't think the last few pitching coaches, especially Pierce had this ability. Too many Texas pitchers just never developed and got better the last few years or some that should have been on the mound sooner weren't used or used enough, others digressed. Hopefully the depth of the staff under Weiner will be such, that once a closer is decided on and proves to be effective, he doesn't get overused like Boehm was. I think Weiner understands this and it won't be the case, another big plus from the past.

The other thing that I believe Weiner/Schlossnagle will do is know when it's time to remove a pitcher, this also cost Texas many times under the last pitching/head coach. Hoping a pitcher can get out of an inning instead of knowing it's time for his removal, and the inning gets out of hand and the game lost.

Hopefully the new regime will get better pitchers out of the portal, a few that might have been effective were injured, but some were really just cast offs from teams because they weren't that effective there. The recruiting of talented pitching can already be seen and most likely that will also apply to the portal. The reputations of Weiner and Schlossnagle are the reason for this.

All these things should help put more numbers in the win column and in SEC Baseball that really does "Just Mean More."

 

As Mueller said, really good post.  

[Balcones 317]

On 11/3/2024 at 8:26 PM, Hookem2147 said:

C-Galvan

1B- Schuessler/Stewart

2B- Mendoza

SS- Flores

3B- Borba/Rodriguez- Would give Borba the edge right now

LF- Winfield

CF- Gasparino

RF- Belyeu

DH- Rodriguez/Farmer/Polk/Stewart

Pitching is really tough to figure out because so many guys were limited in the fall due to workload or completely shut down. Whitehead is obviously still recovering from surgery and I believe Grubbs was limited all fall. 

This pitching staff has about 8 guys I could see as a weekend starter but no one I really see a clear-cut Friday night guy, so that is probably both a good and bad thing. We couldn't figure out Friday nights last year, and that dug us into way too many holes.

Wow. 7 starters and 2 weekend pitchers from Pierce’s team last year. I thought Schloss would have brought in better roster than what Pierce could.

[Hookem2147 21,194]

31 minutes ago, Balcones said:

Wow. 7 starters and 2 weekend pitchers from Pierce’s team last year. I thought Schloss would have brought in better roster than what Pierce could.

It's funny you should say that because several of those players would have been leaving the program if Pierce had returned. 

[Balcones 317]

3 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

It's funny you should say that because several of those players would have been leaving the program if Pierce had returned. 

Might be true. But the comments/consensus I seem to remember was Pierce couldn’t recruit or work the portal. Odd that the majority of team is his talent.

[Derka 6,154]

 

[petscii 1,189]

33 minutes ago, Derka said:

 

To be fair, mine was the 2025 schedule thread that got merged...

[Fletch 5,800]

8 hours ago, Balcones said:

Might be true. But the comments/consensus I seem to remember was Pierce couldn’t recruit or work the portal. Odd that the majority of team is his talent.

He was a solid to good recruiter and developer of talent. Schloss is going to get so much more out of Flores, Gaspo, Galvan, all those dudes. It’s a great young core

[BurntOrange&White 39,930]

12 hours ago, Balcones said:

Might be true. But the comments/consensus I seem to remember was Pierce couldn’t recruit or work the portal. Odd that the majority of team is his talent.

He fucking sucked, that's why he was fired. 

[hobbes2702 13,029]

9 hours ago, Fletch said:

He was a solid to good recruiter and developer of talent. Schloss is going to get so much more out of Flores, Gaspo, Galvan, all those dudes. It’s a great young core

He was a pretty average recruiter, at least in terms of building a roster. He had the ability to put some decent classes together but his teams always had pretty large holes that had to be plugged in some way throughout the season. It happened every year. Now he also had some ability to get his teams playing well at the right time and overachieve but he was fired because Texas doesn’t want to rely on overachieving just to get to Omaha. 
I had no issue retaining DP if there wasn’t a real upgrade to be made. I was vocal about that. Schloss, despite my dislike of him, is a real upgrade. He’s one of the 5 best coaches in college baseball right now.

Edited November 8 by hobbes2702

[HOOKEM4 5,036]

Look, Pearce was not our standard. I have it on good authority that kids are looking to learn under Schloss/Max if possible and were looking to dip if Pearce was still there. We are going to average 2-3 draft level kids per year coming to Texas with this coaching staff imo.

[NorthLoop 14,181]

On 11/8/2024 at 6:24 AM, BurntOrange&White said:

He fucking sucked, that's why he was fired. 

Balcones would like a word with you. 

[Herpa Derpa 6,123]

18 minutes ago, NorthLoop said:

Balcones would like a word with you. 

[WBT 20,561]

On 11/6/2024 at 6:04 PM, NBHorn7 said:

What can really make a difference is a pitching coach that can get his pitchers to attack the strike zone more and believe in their stuff. Walks hurt even the best Texas pitchers the past few years, see LBJ. The walks, hbp's, and even all the deep counts mounted the pitch count and lessened innings pitched and effectiveness.  Strike one is still the best pitch in baseball and sets the tone in the pitcher's favor for the at bat. How many times did Texas pitchers fall behind in the count and have to just groove a pitch to try to get back in the count that was hit hard, too many.

The other thing is a pitching coach that can help a pitcher when he loses his mechanics and loses command. This is the kind of pitching coach that develops trust in that coach and pitchers will listen to him. I don't think the last few pitching coaches, especially Pierce had this ability. Too many Texas pitchers just never developed and got better the last few years or some that should have been on the mound sooner weren't used or used enough, others digressed. Hopefully the depth of the staff under Weiner will be such, that once a closer is decided on and proves to be effective, he doesn't get overused like Boehm was. I think Weiner understands this and it won't be the case, another big plus from the past.

The other thing that I believe Weiner/Schlossnagle will do is know when it's time to remove a pitcher, this also cost Texas many times under the last pitching/head coach. Hoping a pitcher can get out of an inning instead of knowing it's time for his removal, and the inning gets out of hand and the game lost.

Hopefully the new regime will get better pitchers out of the portal, a few that might have been effective were injured, but some were really just cast offs from teams because they weren't that effective there. The recruiting of talented pitching can already be seen and most likely that will also apply to the portal. The reputations of Weiner and Schlossnagle are the reason for this.

All these things should help put more numbers in the win column and in SEC Baseball that really does "Just Mean More."

 

I'd be happy with a coaching staff that can figure out what they have and start the season with their 3 best pitchers in the weekend starter roles

[BurntOrange&White 39,930]

Blake Munroe

 

Today will be a busy day for many sports on the Forty Acres, especially when it comes to baseball. The Longhorns are expecting 16 kids to sign at some point throughout the day.

Don't expect many fireworks, as it should be a relatively quiet NSD. I'm being told that there aren't any surprises or decisions that they're monitoring. The staff is very excited about this class and the potential of it.

It's been the status quo for a while now, but the focus will continue to be on 2026 recruiting.

[HOOKEM4 5,036]

1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Blake Munroe

 

Today will be a busy day for many sports on the Forty Acres, especially when it comes to baseball. The Longhorns are expecting 16 kids to sign at some point throughout the day.

Don't expect many fireworks, as it should be a relatively quiet NSD. I'm being told that there aren't any surprises or decisions that they're monitoring. The staff is very excited about this class and the potential of it.

It's been the status quo for a while now, but the focus will continue to be on 2026 recruiting.

Coop "signed" this morning along side Taylor.

[BurntOrange&White 39,930]

[Scuba Saba 25]

NSD was good to the real UT. The Schloss effect is already starting to be felt. 

[MuellerHorn 4,228]

On 11/17/2024 at 3:53 PM, Scuba Saba said:

NSD was good to the real UT. The Schloss effect is already starting to be felt. 

Texas could still lose some of those signees, but it's definitely looking up.

[petscii 1,189]

March 25th we host Sam Houston

https://gobearkats.com/sports/baseball/schedule/2025

 

[Levi 2,585]

 

Edited yesterday at 05:07 PM by Levi

[Levi 2,585]

 

[jimmyjazz 45,887]

That list is bullshit, I don't see A&M's class anywhere.

[closetohumping 17,435]

6 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

That list is bullshit, I don't see A&M's class anywhere.

You’d think they’d get a bump just from stealing their rivals coach

[NorthLoop 14,181]

Maybe if they convince Laviolette to come back for his 12th year that will count as a recruiting win. 

[Hookem2147 21,194]

In-depth fall report from D1baseball

Spoiler

There’s probably no one in Austin more ready for the upcoming college baseball season than new Texas Longhorns skipper Jim Schlossnagle.

To say his offseason was interesting would be the understatement of all understatements in the history of college athletics. After leading now-rival Texas A&M to the National Championship series in Omaha last June, Schlossnagle rejoined his best friend, Chris Del Conte, as Texas in a move that sent shockwaves across the college baseball landscape.

As one might expect, there was plenty of drama surrounding that move. Aggies weren’t particularly pleased about the move, and Texas fans were ecstatic to have their new head coach. Both sides traded plenty of barbs over the past few months. Fortunately, college baseball season is on the horizon, and the two programs can soon do the talking on the field.

Schlossnagle takes over a much different situation in Austin than what he left behind in College Station. The Aggies are likely to be either the preseason No. 1 or No. 2 team in college baseball, while the Longhorns return some front-line bats but have so much to prove from a pitching standpoint. But two things are true in this situation: 1) Despite Schlossnagle clearly having the better team when these two programs met in the Regional round last season, the Longhorns still gave the Aggies all they could handle, 2) While the pitching staff — particularly the weekend rotation — is a concern, pitching coach Max Weiner proved last season he can work some wonders. Can lightning strike twice in two years for the talented young pitching coach?

Time will tell, but one thing we do know is that Texas is navigating the Wild West in the Southeastern Conference. There’s no such thing as a weak opponent in this new league, and the Longhorns must always keep their heads above water. 

“These guys around here — I have no doubt they are excited about the culture change that is taking place right now,” Schlossnagle told D1Baseball. “There are some things with this team that we had with our first team at Texas A&M in 2022. There are probably more sheer ‘prospects’ on this team than what we had at A&M in ’22, but you really have to go out there and prove it.”

The Longhorns have some depth from an offensive standpoint. Premier outfielder Max Belyeu is back in the fold, Will Gasparino should be ready to take a big step forward, Jalin Flores is back for another season, and Kimble Schuessler has plenty of at-bats to his name. The Longhorns also hit the portal for a few potential standouts, including UL Monroe outfielder transfer Easton Winfield.

On the mound, the Longhorns will have as many sheer number of solid arms as anyone in the SEC. However, the caveat with this group is that there are not many — if any — proven weekend starters. Ruger Riojas had an outstanding fall but could have more of a reliever profile, while Indiana State lefthanded pitcher transfer Jared Spencer has premier stuff and has proven himself as a big-time reliever. But can he do the same as a starting pitcher at this level? 

These questions and more remain as we take an in-depth look at Texas’ fall workouts.

Star-studded offensive lineup leads the way

The Longhorns might have some question marks from a pitching standpoint as the 2025 campaign nears, but one area that is not of concern now is the offensive lineup, which returns a few stalwarts and welcomes an impressive crop of transfers.

From a positional standpoint, the Longhorns welcome back two solid catchers in Rylan Galvan and Kimble Schuessler. Galvan is a physical 6-foot, 205-pounder, who actually receives well, and could turn into a premier backstop if his throws become a bit more accurate and timely. He also is primed to have a very solid offensive campaign yet again. Last season, Galvan hit .287 with solid power production — 14 doubles, eight home runs and 37 RBIs. As for Schuessler, an injury could force him to stick at first base for much of the 2025 campaign. But his importance to this team can’t be understated. In addition to having a plethora of experience, Schuessler is coming off a fantastic offensive campaign with a .343 average, 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBIs. Another solid option at UT’s disposal — primarily from an offensive standpoint — is California native and freshman Cole Chamberlain. Chamberlain will be needed because he’s one of few lefthanded hitters on the roster, and he has big-time upside at the plate with his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame. Chamberlain also could get some serious work at first base in the spring. 

Moving around the diamond, the Longhorns have a nice piece to replace the departed Peyton Powell. Following the same pathway as former standouts like Murphy Stehly, Powell quietly put together two outstanding overall seasons for the Longhorns. He will be replaced by either sophomore Casey Borba or freshman Adrian Rodriguez. Borba showed some upside at times last season and has power to boot, while Rodriguez, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder, made a solid impression on the coaching staff this fall. 

“He’s got some real juice, and he’s a guy who can play multiple positions for us,” Schlossnagle said about Rodriguez. “He’s definitely the best freshman position player we have. He’s not going to be Gavin Grahovac, or even a guy like Wyatt Henseler, but he’ll be a really good freshman position player. He’s especially important to us because he’s a switch hitter.”

“We really need those non-righthanded hitter types to make an impact this season,” he added. “Chamberlain … Rodriguez … probably even a guy like Jaquae Stewart as well. We need those guys right away, and all of them have some impressive potential.”

At shortstop, the Longhorns got an early Christmas present this past summer when Jalin Flores spurned overtures from the professional ranks to return to Austin for another season. Flores continues to make substantial defensive and offensive strides under the tutelage of Troy Tulowitzki. He’s expected to have another All-American type of season. Meanwhile, Arizona State transfer Ethan Mendoza is coming into his own as the fall closes and could occupy second base. Mendoza hit over .300 as a freshman at ASU last season, but Schlossnagle would like to see more overall production from a power and on-base standpoint.

The strongest aspect of this Texas position group will undoubtedly be the outfield with returning slugger Max Belyeu and heralded transfer Easton Winfield leading the charge. Belyeu is one of the premier bats in college baseball and is expected to have another solid season, while Winfield is coming off a strong fall and is expected to make his presence known in the SEC. Winfield is a 6-foot, 205-pounder, who hit .332 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs for UL Monroe last season. Winfield reminds Schlossnagle of his former outfielder at A&M in Caden Sorrell.

“He’s a different kind of body than Sorrell, but he has the ability to make the same kind of impact on the ball,” Schlossnagle said. “He’ll be a hot draft pick type of player as well. If you talk to scouts, look at a lot of the analytical models, etc, Winfield is right up there with some of the best in the business.”

Winfield also can play in the infield. Schlossnagle added that he has played some second base in the past. As for other options, watch Will Gasparino and Tommy Farmer. Gasparino, as we said last year, has the Spencer Jones starter kit, and looks to be a bit more consistent at the plate to go with his 12 home runs and 47 RBIs from last season. Meanwhile, Farmer, who impressed me with his athleticism last fall, but who only got minimal action this past season, took a step forward this fall. He showed some impressive power at times to go with his ultra-impressive athleticism and speed. 

Options abound for the Texas pitching staff

The really good news for Texas pitching coach Max Weiner is that he has a plethora of options entering the 2025 season. The bad news? The Longhorns need some front-line starting pitchers to emerge — right now, the staff is littered with proven relievers, but there is uncertainty when it comes to the weekend rotation.

The Longhorns do welcome back lefthanded pitcher Ace Whitehead and righthanded pitcher Max Grubbs in the spring. Both pitchers started several games for the Longhorns last season, and Whitehead, a 5-foot-11, 195-pounder, brings some serious funk to the SEC. Whitehead is a converted position player who will be in the mid-to-upper 80s with his fastball, and who has good feel for his secondary stuff. 

Texas also expects guys like Indiana State transfer lefthander Jared Spencer, UTSA transfer righthanded pitcher Ruger Riojas and redshirt junior lefthanded pitcher Luke Harrison to be in the mix for rotation spots. Riojas is anywhere from 92-94 and up to 95 mph with his fastball, and Schlossnagle said he continues to add more strength to increase his durability. Harrison, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder, dazzled me in his first fall on campus, but missed his sophomore season because of an injury, and struggled last season with a 9.28 ERA in 13 appearances and just 10.2 innings of work. For my money, Spencer, a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder, holds the key to UT’s success on the mound. He made a whopping 59 appearances at Indiana State over the past three seasons — but of those, only 11 were starts. He started nine of those games last season, where he tallied a 4.08 ERA in 53 innings of work, along with 72 strikeouts and 33 walks. Spencer has real stuff with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s, along with a nasty slider at times.

Cody Howard is another exciting arm to watch in the rotation mix. Howard, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, caught my attention last fall with a fastball in the 91-92 mph range to go with a very promising slider. However, his numbers were unsatisfactory last season with a 10.36 ERA in 11 appearances and 24.1 innings of work. Howard took a massive jump forward during the fall. Andre Duplantier is also back for another season and has a ton of experience at this level.

“We have a lot of reliever options right now — we just need to figure out which guys we want to start,” Schlossnagle said. “For instance, do we want to spend the bullet of Ruger Riojas in a single start, or do we want him available for multiple games a week? Those are the questions I think we have right now.

“I do have faith that Max will have that figured out,” he added. “He tends to take the kid with some workable pieces, and just makes them a lot better. He has a pretty positive approach with these guys, and then they start to believe in themselves from there. Then, they maybe either reach their potential, or overachieve a bit.”

Regarding transfer arms, I’d keep an eye on Arizona State transfer righthander Thomas Burns, Ole Miss transfer Grayson Saunier, LSU transfer righthander Aiden Moffett and South Carolina righthander Connor McCreery. Burns, who served as Arizona State’s Friday night starter last season, likely will start the season in the bullpen after he was up to 95-96 mph with his fastball in shorter stints this past fall. Saunier looks the part from a delivery standpoint, but will need to miss more bats, and Moffett is a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, who I’ve seen up to 97-98 mph with his fastball during his time at LSU. During my look this fall, Moffett was more 93-94 mph with the heater, along with a sometimes solid slider at 84-85 mph. As for McCreery, he appeared in 19 games and had a 4.37 ERA in 22.2 innings for South Carolina last season. Schlossnagle said McCreery showed a unique fastball and cutter with real promise this fall. During my look, McCreery was up to 94-95 mph with the fastball and a cutter at 85-87 mph. 

The Longhorns have some highly talented freshmen to watch this spring as well. All three could have high-impact, major roles as the spring progresses. Lefthander Dylan Volantis is one of the young arms I saw during my one-day look at the ‘Horns. Volantis is a tall 6-foot-6, 200-pounder, who has a super high release height, and who was up to 91-92 mph with his fastball this fall. Drew Rerick was the most impressive freshman I saw during my look at UT. Rerick is a strapping 6-foot-5, 230-pounder, who has a hard-nosed approach and who comfortably sat 93-94 and up to 95 mph with his fastball. He can reach back and throw harder than that as well. He also showed at least some feel at times for a mid-80s slider. Righthander Jason Flores is another quality arm to watch. Flores is a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder, who has been up to 94-97 with his fastball. Command of the zone will be the key for him. Schlossnagle said Flores reminds him of former A&M reliever Chris Cortez, who once battled iffy command but turned into a premier reliever last season. 

“Volantis has some super unique qualities about him, and he throws strikes,” Schlossnagle said. “Rerick is probably our biggest prospect in this class — he throws hard, can throw strikes and there’s nothing he’s afraid of. As for Flores, the knock on him out of high school was that he pitched at literally every event, so in the spring, the stuff was down and he struggled to throw strikes. The upside there is massive, though.”