Texas Baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle watches from the dugout as the Longhorns prepare to take on the Auburn Tigers. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jim Schlossnagle Reveals Key for Texas Longhorns in NCAA Tournament

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated May 26, 2025 6:07 PM ET

Jim Schlossnagle's first season as the Texas Longhorns' head coach has been a smashing success so far, as he's led the team to a 42-12 record to earn the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

In order to ensure the season truly goes down as a success, however, they must be better than they have during the regular season.

While the Longhorns have been very good throughout the season, their performance at the plate leaves something to be desired. Their 6.9 runs per game rank 120th in the country, while their .274 batting average ranks 180th.

To get to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., Schlossnagle knows his team has to be better offensively.

“We haven’t been the most explosive offensive team,” Schlossnagle said. “But we have thrown strikes and we have played defense. So, it’s kind of a throwback style, pitching, defense. Get that timely hit. How do we get back to that? We have to just play more sound baseball.

“Again, I do believe we can be a better offensive team. To where maybe instead of scoring five or six runs and trying to hold the other team to two or three, maybe we can get that seven, eight, nine-run mark if we can run into a few balls and get the right guys in the lineup.”

The offensive struggles have reared their ugly head as of late. The Longhorns lost seven of their final 10 games against SEC competition - including a sweep against Arkansas and a series loss against Florida, as well as their first game of the SEC Tournament against Tennessee. They scored just 23 runs in those seven losses, an average of 3.3 per game.

“So, these guys have played to a standard, not a scoreboard, the whole year,” Schlossnagle said. “Kept their head down. We knew those times were coming. No one walks through this league — at least, no one I’ve ever seen, without getting bruised up. I think everything in life happens for you and not to you. Those times make us better.”

The Longhorns open the NCAA Tournament against Houston Baptist on Friday at 1 p.m. CT. Kansas State and UTSA round out the Austin Regional.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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