2024 MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 15, 2024

Jim Schlossnagle

Texas A&M Aggies

Postgame Press Conference

Texas A&M - 3, Florida - 2

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Happy Father's Day to everyone.

I want to apologize on behalf of Texas A&M whatever happened over in the dugout. Whoever those two guys are, they don't represent what Texas A&M is all about. And whoever they are don't come back. Let's not let those two guys back in the ballpark.

Other than that, great ball game. Very well pitched game by both sides. We had chances to stretch the lead and couldn't put a ball in play. And they had chances to score as well. Super awesome game. And I told Jace I'm super happy that he's tall.

Q. What was your view of Cade Kurland going back to the wall?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Off the bat, homer. Kind of like, I thought off the bat maybe Jace had one earlier. But this ballpark, I was here, played a 15-inning game -- I think it was 2014 against Virginia with the wind blowing in and the old baseballs. I know there's been homers hit, but you never know until you see it go over the fence because of how this place plays.

Really wasn't that much wind going, but he just hit to it the wrong spot. But Cade is a great hitter and stayed on a good pitch. We were playing no doubles so Jace was pretty far back there. But I thought it was a homer.

Q. We saw Evan be honored as the stopper of the year earlier this week. What about his performance and getting out of jams in all three innings it seemed like?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: I think Coach Jeroloman over there, he was on my staff at TCU, and the hitting coach. I thought they had a good plan. And Evan had to make really good pitches to get out of it. That's a really good team, and playing in a College World Series with your season on the line.

So we trust Evan. Even to Cags, but Wilson's been swinging the bat really well, and he made a good pitch to get him there at the end.

In that situation you're going to ride and die with Aschenbeck, especially with a day off. That was the key in tonight, that Florida and A&M wouldn't be at a disadvantage against NC State and Kentucky.

Q. Then had you the big moment in the sixth inning there, second and third with nobody out. For Cortez to get out of that without any damage, obviously that's a testament to his maturation. But what do you think has allowed him to be a guy that can handle that spot the way he did?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: I think he's grown up. He doesn't let things spiral. He just gets back to executing pitches. He puts himself in some of those situations. So he's used to it at least.

But I think the play of the game was Appel blocking the ball and still being able to throw the guy out at first base. When he blocked it I was excited, then I forgot, there's nobody at first base. He made a nice play to keep the run from scoring and to get the out. Appel, to me, that and Jace was the play of the game.

But Cortez has been special for us the entire -- that game, I wish we would have scored more runs. But pitching-wise it's exactly how we wanted to script it. Lamkin was awesome and it was certainly tempting to run him back out there, but with no Sdao we really don't have a choice. We have to try and stay in this winners' bracket the best we can.

Q. Was that, I guess, in terms of how you script it with the pitching, exactly how it was going to be the whole way or did the delay factor in not maybe letting Lamkin go a little longer?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: No. I mean, we just felt like if we let him go any longer, even if we won the game and won the next game, we're going to be creating stuff in the third game. And I know you've got to win the first one. Everybody says that. But we're trying to win -- we're trying to win the whole thing or at least give ourselves a chance without Sdao.

So we felt if we kept him under a certain number of pitches and we had a day off, and if we could somehow win the second game I think we get another day. Then maybe Lamkin can come back and help us out some.

Q. What is the recipe for keeping guys loose in a four-hour delay and keeping them ready to go when it's time to switch it on?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: No recipe. Baseball players are used to that. Happens all the time. Luckily in Rosenblatt you wouldn't have had a place to go. You would have been hanging out in the dugout or going back to the hotel or going to the bus. I remember those days. Luckily now, you have an awesome clubhouse and space and batting cages. Baseball players are used to that, and this ballpark is so great. Both teams had plenty of space to stay loose.

Q. You're going from one SEC team to another now. Just kind of your early thoughts on that Kentucky match-up and a team in your league but you haven't played yet.

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: We haven't played them yet. They haven't played us either. Just a great really well-coached team. Obviously Coach of the Year in the league. They can do everything: Hit the ball out of the ballpark; run; bunt; put a lot of pressure on you; throw strikes; play defense.

But we're not bad. You know, we'll show up. I've watched them play on television, and they have an awesome synergy about them, too; you can see that, playing with a lot of confidence, like us. I think we're playing with a lot of confidence and we have some neat character in our club, too.

Q. The margin between victory and defeat is always tight here, but why is it so different this year? It's literally inches tonight.

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: I don't know. At least in the SEC it's been that way all year. Players are really good. The players are really good. The ballpark's big -- not like, it's small enough for Tennessee, but there were different weather conditions today.

But I just think that you have eight of the best teams in college baseball from two of the best conferences, and just so thin. Just exactly what you said.

I just think the players are amazing. This is the golden age of college baseball. I've been around it 35 years. It's never been this good. It can't get worse because the draft is what it is and the players are so great.

Q. You talked before about how important those first few batters were going to be for Justin today. Could you talk about what you saw from him and what you maybe saw from those that made you think you could get exactly what you needed today?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Yeah, he had good ride to his fastball. He was up to 94, 95 maybe on Trackman, which is what he's been in short stints. He's certainly been rested because he hasn't pitched a ton. He had the cutter. He had all four pitches going: Cutter, slider, change, fastball.

He can build off that, but he will have to do it on a little bit shorter rest. But that was the key is him just really getting the first inning, just get us through the first inning and get everybody settled in in the College World Series. And he's got to face Kurland to start the game and he did an awesome job with that.

Q. Handling Caglianone today. Seemed like you guys challenged him. He had some interesting shifts, though, too, throughout the game. Just your thoughts on how your pitchers handled him tonight.

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: First at-bat, we played him with four outfielders because we figured -- we've done it before, but when Cags hits the ball in the air, it's normally only a homer. He only has, what, four or five doubles in the whole season. At one point he only had two.

But with the wind blowing in, we thought, okay, give ourselves more chances to catch one if he hits it in the air. But once the wind changed, then it was just a matter, you're trying to catch those liners he hits down the right field line.

I don't know. If anybody has a better idea, let me know. I don't know how to get him out.

Q. What's it like to see a guy like Laviolette make such a huge play in the ninth inning off the bat from Kurland and just giving that spark to your pitching staff then?

JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE: Obviously a huge play. Jace played right field for us all last year. Then with Braden going down, he had to move to right since whatever the second game the Super Regional was. He's used to being out there. I think he played there some in the summer with Team USA.

Like I said, I'm glad he's 6'5" and can reach up there. I haven't seen the replay. Was that ball going out, you think?

So, yeah, we were already deep. And so he just had to jump up there and catch it. Again, glad he's tall. I don't think Chestnut would have been probably been able to get it.