Texas A&M Baseball Ready For Strong Season As Spring Practice Opens

After a trip to the College World Series in 2022, the Aggies are looking to win it all in 2023.

Nathan Dettmer said that during his three seasons at Texas A&M, the baseball program has never garnered any preseason hype from the national perspective. 

Amazing what a trip to the College World Series does to a team's morale. 

Dettmer is set to return for his junior season as the top pitcher for the No. 5 Aggies in 2023. Practice was officially underway Friday afternoon as the team began preparing for a three-game series at Blue Bell Park against Seattle University. 

"Excitement level is at an all-time high," Dettmer said Friday at the first official media session of the season. "We've all been itching to get out here and be together for team practice. Team chemistry is also at an all-time high." 

The expectation for Texas A&M in the national spotlight is now Omaha or bust. That's the same feeling inside the clubhouse. The Aggies won't be learning on the fly like last season. Most of the key contributors that helped the program win the SEC West regular-season title are slated to return. 

So is second-year manager Jim Schlossnagle, who perhaps was the driving force to Texas A&M's success in 2022. After 18 years at the helm as TCU's skipper, Schlossnagle was ready for a new challenge with a different school. A year into his tenure with the Aggies, he ended a five-year CWS hiatus, helping the program pick up wins over Texas and Notre Dame. 

"The goal for when you come to a place like Texas A&M is that you run towards expectations, not run away from it," Schlossnagle said. "That's what great players do." 

The Aggies' daily lineup is still being finalized. So is the weekend rotation between about six or seven pitchers vying for three spots. 

Dettmer should be one of the three pitchers after serving as the team's ace on Friday nights last spring. He finished the year on a positive note, leading the Aggies to a 5-1 win over Notre Dame in the elimination round at the CWS. 

Dettmer posted a 6-3 record and posted a 4.99 ERA in 19 starts last spring. He allowed 51 earned runs and walked 25 in 92 innings. Velocity and control were two areas Dettmer said he worked on improving in the offseason. During fall camp, his fastball hovered in the low 90-mph range. 

After the first practice, Dettmer said his best pitch his pushing in the upper half of the 90s and could be even faster with time and reps.  

"I know I'ma sinker ball guy. The sinker [and] slider are my go-to's," Dettmer said. "The emphasis in the fall was working on those two pitches and the command of them. Starting early spring/winter ball, I've been really confident with those pitches." 

Texas A&M might have Dettmer returning as its leading man, but the other two spots in the rotation will need to be filled as well. Sophomore right-hander Chirs Cortez is one name who has caught Dettmer's eye in practice. Purdue transfer Troy Wansing is another. 

As a freshman, Cortez often saw most of his work come from the bullpen. In 25 appearances, the Las Vegas native posted a 6-3 record with a 4.91 ERA and recorded 32 strikeouts. 

Schlossnagle said that Cortez had upped the speed on his fastball in the offseason, but must continue to work on his command. 

"If he’s going to be a starting pitcher, which we would like for him to be and I know he would like to be, is you’ve got to be able to throw offspeed pitches for strikes," Schlossnagle said. "So far, he’s on a really good track that way.”

Wansing, a sophomore from Kansas City, Mo., already comes with starter experience. Last season with the Boilermakers, he recorded 12 starts and posted a 5.11 ERA in 51.1 innings pitched. Wansing allowed 31 earned runs off 51 hits while striking out 61 in the process. 

"He's been killing it," Dettmer said of Wansing. "He's been awesome. I think he has a good shot to [make the rotation]." 

Schlossnagle also said freshman Justin Lamkin and junior Wyatt Tucker were candidates vying for a starting role. Tucker, who mainly served as the Aggies' setup man, posted a 4.79 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched and struck out 26 batters last season. Lamkin, a native of Corpus Christi, could have the upper hand as a left-handed pitcher. 

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