2022 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 17, 2022

Jim Schlossnagle

Jordan Thompson

Trevor Werner

Texas A&M Aggies

Press Conference

Oklahoma - 13, Texas A&M - 8

THE MODERATOR: Jim, give us an overview of the game from your perspective.

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Congratulations to Oklahoma. They obviously took advantage, I think we gave up 19 free bases in the first four innings. If you would have told me we were going to score eight runs against their Friday starter, Sandlin, who has been the Saturday guy, or weekend pitcher, and then the closer, I thought we would have had a good chance. But obviously we didn't pitch well. We didn't defend. Just gave up a lot of free bases. Then they got the big hit.

You've got to credit them. The two big home runs when we set the table. So we'll just have to wear it and be ready to go on Sunday.

Q. You guys did have a little bit of success hitting. How do you build on that and get ready for this next game right away, quick turnaround?

TREVOR WERNER: We always know that the bats are going to show up, not every game, but you can just passively put together good at-bats and win pitches against good pitchers. And credit to their pitchers for filling up the strike zone all day. That's what they did. We know the bats are there and the runs will come with that.

JORDAN THOMPSON: Going off what Trevor had to say, we really have to keep putting together good at-bats, keep battling pitch after pitch. Eventually you'll get to wear them out. If not you're going to help the guy behind you. And we keep helping each other and that's the process and mindset we take into every game.

Q. Jordan, I know there was a lot of talk before the game for how big this ballpark plays. Playing in center field and hitting that home run, did it feel like it was any other ballpark you played in?

JORDAN THOMPSON: It didn't feel like any bigger ballpark. Just felt like a normal ballpark. Going in you don't think about those things. It's just another field. So you just go in there with that same mentality and good things will happen.

Q. You went out and talked to (indiscernible) right before the grand slam. Was there thought to pull him then? What was the strategy in your mind there?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Pretty bad coaching visit. Gave up a grand slam on the next pitch. That's bad coaching.

I was just trying to instill some confidence in him. There were so many negative things, I was trying to say, hey, forget everything. If I brought you in right now with the bases loaded you've been in this a thousand times, just execute pitches.

Just trying showing a little confidence in him. Definitely felt like Moo has been great for us all year. We set the table too much. You can't set the table. Moo is our best fielding pitcher, a really good fielding pitcher and made two errors.

You combine that with hit batters and the walks, and what do you think's going to happen. But I was just trying to pump him up a little bit. Didn't go our way.

Q. What's your message to the pitching staff after a game like that today to prepare for the next game?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: You're not going to make some grand change. You are who you are. So my only message will be it would be nice to see -- we've seen it. Moo didn't have a good day today; he's normally pretty gritty. But you saw our quality of our at-bats against a really good pitcher, regardless of the score, the grit.

Austin Bost had the at-bat where he's down 0-2 and he stayed in it, and he lined out to the second baseman. That exemplifies our team. It doesn't necessarily exemplify all the pitching staff, unfortunately. In order for us to play deep into this tournament, someone is going to have to give us something.

And I think Micah Dallas is capable of doing that. I know Prager is and Rudis is. There's enough guys down there for us to battle in this thing. But we can't give away free bases. Doesn't matter if the game is played in this ballpark, at Bellevue East, it doesn't matter. It's bad baseball. You play bad baseball you're going to get your tail kicked.

Q. With this format, having the day off tomorrow, facing elimination, what's your message to the guys having been here before to not dwell on it as opposed to a normal weekend, you could get back out there quicker and shake it off?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Definitely stinks not getting to play tomorrow. No doubt about it. Although, the rest is worthwhile. So the message is going to be we still have to be on a one-game win streak. We have to find a way to win one game and worry about that after the fact.

There's been all kinds of different stories in this College World Series for many, many years. And we can either cower down and put our tail between our legs and go back to College Station or we can fight.

My money is on our guys fighting. Whether that results in a win or loss, I don't know, but I guess that's what I'll tell them.

Q. I know there was a lot of curiosity about how power would play in this park, especially with how the balls have been flying out in college baseball this year. What's your read after one game?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Ball was carrying in batting practice the last two days to right field, that's for sure. I think all the balls that were hit for home runs today, they were legitimate home runs about in any park, both the two we hit and the two they hit.

The ball has definitely changed. I'm not a big conspiracy theory guy, but there's a lot of coaches out there who think the ball has changed a lot, this particular season.

I don't know enough about the science to say that's the case or not, but there's no question, whether it be older players or lack of good pitchers, the ball is flying everywhere this year.

Q. You went to Wyatt Tucker. First time he's pitched in like five weeks, and really kind of bridged the gap, kept you guys in the game. What did you think of his performance?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Yeah, he did a really nice job once he settled in and started throwing his breaking ball for strikes. Once he started throwing his breaking ball for strikes, he got his fastball down. He gave us three or four zeroes there -- yeah, three or four zeroes there in the middle innings.

When we got it to four runs, it was a long inning. Felt like I wanted to finish him with having a lot of confidence because for us to stay in this thing for a while now maybe he can come back in two or three days and really give us something. Because he did a really nice job.

Q. With Dettmer, was it just a matter of not having his secondary stuff, because seemed like he was able to get ahead with the fastball early but couldn't get that punch-out or groundout?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: He walked the leadoff hitter after getting two strikes. Then, the 0-2 pitch he left a breaking ball up that Graham hit to right field. We get out of that inning with one run, and I think all the seven runs in the second inning were scored with two outs, and two strikes a lot of times. We hit the 9-hole hitter with an 0-2 pitch. Just couldn't get off the field.

Q. With Cortez, I know he had that moment where looked like he was shaken up a little bit, and then the batter got on so you all took him out. Do you have a sense of where he's at physically?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: He said it was something with his neck, which he hasn't had any arm issues all year. Had a little hamstring issue. That's why I went out there. Thought his hamstring was bothering him. I don't know, just came out of nowhere, then he said he felt fine.

Still throwing 95 miles an hour. Was moderately throwing strikes but obviously the next pitch he almost killed Pettis. So tell Kendall we said sorry.