Texas A&M Names Starting Rotation For Season Opener vs. Seattle

The Aggies have their three-man rotation for the season-opening series against Seattle University.

The only way Year 1 of the Jim Schlossnagle era could have begun better was if Texas A&M won the College World Series. Then again, third place in Omaha, Neb., is not the worst consolation prize for a program that was expected to be in a rebuilding season. 

The No. 5 Aggies will look to finish the job in 2023 behind a veteran roster and quality pitching staff. Everything starts with setting the tone early, a feat A&M plans to accomplish this weekend in its three-game series against Seattle University. 

The starting rotation has been a subject of conversation in College Station since the departures of Micah Dallas and Ryan Prager. On Wednesday, Schlossnagle announced that Nathan Dettmer, Chris Cortez and transfer Troy Wansing would be on the hill to start off against the Redhawks.

Dettmer will get the call on Friday night, while Wansing and Cortez will close out the series on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Schlossnagle did not say who would take over as the mid-week starter for A&M's matchup against Lamar.

"Let’s get through the weekend and win them one at a time that way and see who is left over," Schlossnagle said. "And then from a lineup standpoint, we have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. You will find out Friday night.”

Dettmer returns to his natural Friday role after leading the program last season. The 6-4 right-hander posted a 6-3 record, finishing with a 4.99 ERA while holding opponents to a .265 batting average. 

Wansing, a left-handed transfer from Purdue, will follow a similar path to that of Dallas, who transferred to Aggieland from Texas Tech for his final year of eligibility. Last season with the Boilermakers, the 6-4 southpaw finished with an ERA of 5.44 in 51.1 innings. 

Wansing comes with starting experience from the Big Ten West program. In 15 games, he recorded 12 starts, striking out 61 batters while posting a 4-4 record. 

Cortez, a fastball phenom from Las Vegas, Nev., will move from the bullpen into the rotation for the first time in his career. The 6-2 right-hander appeared in 25 games for the Aggies as a freshman, finishing with a 6-3 record and a 4.91 ERA. 

Last season, Cortez reached speeds of up to 98 mph on the regular. According to A&M reliever Will Johnston, the sophomore spent the offseason working on his secondary pitches to add to his selection process. 

"Chris has got some gas in the tank when it comes to velocity," Johnston said. 

First pitch from Blue Bell Park Friday is set for 6 p.m. 

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