Aggie baseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle ready for Arkansas at Olsen Field

During Thursday morning's edition of TexAgs Radio, Aggie baseball skipper Jim Schlossnagle joined to discuss bullpen plans for the weekend against No. 4 Arkansas, the lineup heating up and much, much more.

Key notes from Jim Schlossnagle interview

• Arkansas has a very complete team. We’re excited for the challenge. It’s been great to be back Friday through Sunday this week. It helps us give the guys some time off. We’ll have a light workout today. It feels like we’re pretty well rested for the first time in a few weeks. Next week is back to a Thursday start. 
   
• I thought Robert Hogan and Wyatt Tucker were great bright spots on Tuesday. Hopefully, we can get them out there and rely on them in bigger situations. On one hand, you can ask who the idiot is who hasn't used Wyatt. On the other, now it’s on Wyatt to go out there and continue to perform. It’s on me to put him in at the right time and for him to execute. That’s just the flow of a baseball season. 
   
• Hogan’s “get his feet wet” moment was Tuesday night. We hope to get him out there this weekend and get some outs. I don't think we’d use him on back-to-back days at this time. It’s all up to how he feels. We’re going to need help in the bullpen over the course of a weekend. Hopefully, we gound two more options.
   
• Joe Torre wrote a book when he finished about the ‘98 Yankees that won 100-something games. Derek Jeter was quoted in saying how desperate that team was to win every single time out. That, however, is easier said than done. It’s all about having good pitching and executing at a high level. Our opponents will have something to say about that as well.
   
• It’s been great to see Nathan Dettmer performing well. We told him it was time to go out there and perform like a Friday night starter. He has responded well. He’s pitching with his chest out a little bit more and displaying that confidence. He’s growing in that role every single time out.
   
• Dylan Rock is the guy that other teams always have to be aware of when he’s coming to the plate. He’s one that other teams — if they get him out — immediately have to start thinking about what they can change to get him out the next time. If he takes a bad swing, he flushes it and moves on to the next pitch. He truly plays the game pitch-to-pitch, which is what we try to instill in all of our guys. When he does that, his talent shines through.
   
• Jordan Thompson has done a great job. Super tough kid. Very gritty. The opportunities he got last year, he took advantage of. The issue with him is that he seems to be the opposite of Rock in that he is trying to make every pitch the one, not waiting for his. We’ve been on him to use the whole field, and I think you saw that with an opposite-field laser against Georgia. What a luxury to have in a guy like him who gets on base at the bottom of the lineup. 
   
• We might look back a few years from now at this offense and realize just how good it was. As coach Chuck Box tells me, “You can’t coach birthdays.” There are so many mature guys in this lineup, and there are no substitutions for experience.
   
• The Arkansas roster is so deep. Coach Dave Van Horn does such a great job with development in his program. They have some really talented guys on the mound. Just look at their Sunday starter. They’re rolling a guy out there who throws 100 mph, while we’re throwing some guy named “TBA.” We will get a good look at a complete team this weekend.