'No Short Rest!' Aggies Coach Jim Schlossnagle Speaks on Pitcher Mindset For SEC Tournament

With the NCAA Tournament waiting after the SEC Tournament, the Texas A&M Aggies are looking at their upcoming opponents knowing they won't be bringing any pitchers into the game on limited rest.

Jun 19, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle watches late game action against the Texas Longhorns at Charles Schwab Field. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas A&M Aggies had themselves a solid outing for their last home series against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Splitting the first two games — one of which was heavily influenced by weather — was an acceptable outcome, especially given Arkasnas' status as one of the nation's top programs. Naturally, it would have been ideal for Texas A&M to sweep the series and gain control of the SEC West, but that wasn't a top priority for coach Jim Schlossnagle and company.

Jun 19, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle in the dugout before the game against the Texas Longhorns at Charles Schwab Field. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The Aggies were watching the rest of the conference standings as the regular season wound down. Florida won one of its last games of the year over The No. 9-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, which secured a top-four position for the Aggies. That's why they felt significantly less pressure against the Razorbacks in Game 3 — and perhaps why they were able to run-rule them in seven innings.

Texas A&M might not have been able to lock up its half of the SEC, but it's certainly far from in a bad position. It's likely to claim of the top eight seeds in the nation as the NCAA Tournament fleshes out, but first has its eyes on the conference tournament, beginning Wednesday evening.

"(We are) top four in the league," Schlossnagle said, looking ahead at the SEC tournament. "I feel confident (that) will put us in good position for the NCAA Tournament, which means that his week, I'm not going to bring anybody back on short rest."

The Aggies landed the No. 4 overall seed in the tournament behind the Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats, and Razorbacks. They'll play their first game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs with a chance to advance to play the winner of the Tennessee/Vanderbilt game.

Schlossnagle's squads's ability to pitch at a consistent high level will play a large role in how far it can go, but with no short rest at play, the Aggies can only hope they can take advantage.

First pitch between the Aggies and Bulldogs is to-be-determined, but it can be expected around 8:30 p.m. CST, depending on the outcome of the game prior.