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Posted (edited)

Alright. Spencer and Belyeu will be picked in the first two rounds. Ruger was mentioned recently as round 6-8 guy. We lose Kimble. What about Galvan?

Does Flores come back, or does his AA season in 2024 do enough to preserve a nice bonus?

Who’s the transfer OTF was referring to; Gasparino, Whitehead?

We have some nice young talent, but we’re going to potentially need to hit the portal hard for starting pitchers, a C, a SS, and an outfielder.

Also, will we see a staff shakeup at hitting coach?

Let all the speculation begin. 

Edited by MuellerHorn
Posted
39 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

Alright. Spencer and Belyeu will be picked in the first two rounds. Ruger was mentioned recently as round 5 (or so) guy. We lose Kimble. What about Galvan?

Does Flores come back, or does his AA season in 2024 do enough to preserve a nice bonus?

Who’s the transfer OTF was referring to; Gasparino, Whitehead?

We have some nice young talent, but we’re going to potentially need to hit the portal hard for starting pitchers, a C, a SS, and an outfielder.

Also, will we see a staff shakeup at hitting coach?

Let all the speculation begin. 

Ruger is a round 5 or so guy?

Posted (edited)

February 13-15

Quote
For what it’s worth, Schlossnagle won’t have full control over Texas’ 2026 non-conference schedule either. The Longhorns are already set to open that season with a three-game series at the University of San Diego, the winner of two of the last three West Coast Conference Tournaments. The series is part of a home-and-home agreement that brought the Toreros to Disch-Falk Field to start the 2024 season.
 
Schlossnagle also confirmed that Texas will participate in next year’s six-team Astros Foundation College Classic at Daikin Park, an event expected to take place during the third weekend of the season. The Longhorns first pitch against Louisville is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT from Globe Life Field.

There is a chance that the already scheduled San Deigo trip could be canceled/adjusted.

February 27-March 1

Quote
Astros Foundation College Classic: The three-day, six-team tournament held at Daikin Park in Houston, TX, the home of the Houston Astros, is in need of one team to fill the 2026 tournament field. We do offer a competitive guarantee for the weekend. For more information, please contact tournament scheduling coordinator Steve Grande at sgrande@astros.com. (posted 2/9)

 

Edited by petscii
Posted (edited)
26 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

Ruger is a round 5 or so guy?

I’ll have to find it. There was a scouting conversation with D1. Granted, this was prior to his shitty stretch to end the season.

Edit: I misremembered. It was 6-8. I updated the OP. Here’s the full text:

Spoiler

Director of College Scouting for D1baseball had some draft notes and thoughts on some of our guys from the Arkansas series:

  Hide contents

The Longhorns were previously featured in Week Two of the Scouting Trail, but it’s a long season and things change. They’ve ascended to No. 1 in the team rankings with less big-time prospects for the 2025 draft than anyone and their top two have been in/out of the medical tent. Friday night ace lefthander Jared Spencer will remain on the sidelines for the remainder of the season after recent shoulder surgery. Prior to, he had shown the stuff (FB up to 98 with a wipeout sweeper) and performance (4-1, 3.27 ERA, 66 SO, 52.1 IP) to be selected during day one. He was steadily rising towards the first 40 overall picks. Five-tool outfielder Max Belyeu is in the same situation as a day one talent who is now sidelined by injury. Health-wise he’s had a rough 2025 to date as he recovered from mono early in the season and is now out with a hand injury. Good news is that he could return for postseason play. Regardless, he still projects to be selected with the top 35 overall picks.

Shortstop Jalin Flores looked improved at the plate in comparison to opening weekend at Globe Life Field. He squared up the baseball with multiple exit velocities greater than 100 mph, but finished the three-game set 2-for-13. Entering the series he had struggled to consistently hit the fastball. Veteran scouts use the terms “slider bat speed” and “has to cheat to get to the fastball” to describe his swing. It’s more strength and leverage-based than whistling the pole through the zone with bat speed. To date this season he has destroyed the slider at a .400 clip and a .956 SLG%, but has chased breakers too often leading his greatest weakness of a 21.5% strikeout rate. However, during this series the fastball data (.228 batting average against this season) didn’t tell the whole story. Flores squared up a 92 mph sinking fastball from Zach Root for a 103.9 mph EV groundout in game one. He smoked another groundout, this one 105.5 mph EV off an Aiden Jimenez 94 mph sinker in game two. Flores then lined out (100.5 mph EV) against a 95 mph fastball from Dylan Carter and homered 361’ (96 mph EV) against a 98 mph heater off Christian Foutch in game three. All in all, his bat can be a mixed bag, but offers enticing upside if the potential is tapped and turned into greater consistent contact. Defensively, Flores has made strides to the point where many believe he will be able to remain at shortstop at the pro level. He’s a confident defender with plenty of arm strength (plus) to make the throw on any ball that his range allows. Flores projects to become a late pick on day one in the third round or early on day two.

The emergence of Ruger Riojas and Rylan Galvan has been two primary reasons for the Longhorns’ success. Galvan put Texas on the board for the first time in the series during the fourth inning of game two with a home run. He turned around a 96 mph Gage Wood heater 366 feet to left field for a solo shot. He has consistently squared up heaters all spring (.406 average / .986 SLG%), but like Flores, Galvan’s strikeout rate of 24% is concerning. Unlike Flores, Galvan’s swing/miss is more in the zone than chase, which isn’t ideal. His all pitch in-zone swing/miss (Z-Whiff) is 24.5% which places it in the 21st percentile. It’s impacted the most by a 2nd percentile rate of 45.8% vs changeups. Despite the swing/miss shortcomings, catchers are given the greatest latitude in the batter’s box, especially ones with above average arm strength, a clean transfer and solid receiving skills. These defensive skills, combined with his big-time makeup and leadership of the Longhorns’ pitching staff provide a 5th-to-6th round floor. However, he’s likely to go taller since college catchers have draft day helium year in and year out of the draft.

Without the slightest blip, Riojas moved from the back end of the bullpen to now fill Spencer’s spot as the ace of the weekend rotation. Riojas was lights out against LSU during week six as the Sunday starter, sitting 93-94 and up 96, while striking out six in 5.2 innings. He wasn’t that guy against the Razorbacks, outside of the first inning when he retired the side in order. He surrendered eight batted balls of 100+ mph or better in 3.2 innings (four alone in the second inning). His velocity was down, topping at 94. Much may have been due to the short rest between innings as Zach Root was quickly chewing through the Longhorn lineup with 11-pitch innings. When it was time for his exit, Riojas allowed nine runs on seven hits and one walk. Some pitchers are max effort, but Riojas is max feel. His pitch assortment and arm angle variance is amazing. In addition to his fastball, Riojas controls a cutter, slider, curve and will also drop slot for a sweeper. If that isn’t enough, he also entertains with a 53-56 mph Eephus. His most effective pitches have been his fastball that has averaged 93 mph this season with a 98th percentile chase rate of 31.7% and his cutter that boast similar chase rates. Not only is Riojas a talented pitcher with a high level of performance throughout his college career, he’s now a 6th-to-8th round prospect for this summer’s draft.

One final Texas arm that caught my attention was reliever Cody Howard. The junior righthander has only pitched 11 innings this spring, but he ran his fastball into the 93-96 mph range with an 89 mph cutter in relief of Riojas. Howard allowed just one hit in 3.1 innings with three strikeouts on 53 total pitches

 

Edited by MuellerHorn
  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
9 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

My number one takeaway offensively is that we struggled to advance runners. I don’t know if that was due to talent or coaching. Too many strikeouts and popups with runners on base.

When your entire offense is homerun or bust that is what you get IMO.

Posted
20 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

My number one takeaway offensively is that we struggled to advance runners. I don’t know if that was due to talent or coaching. Too many strikeouts and popups with runners on base.

Bill James said his biggest baseball regret was making people believe that driving in runs wasn’t a skill, because as more years worth of data came in he realized that wasn’t necessarily true. 

Posted

I fully expect to load up the best the portal has to offer. It’s why we hired schloss, to go out and get the best of the best and make regular deep runs. This year I wasn’t expecting much especially after injuries got us and we played over our head to only sputter across the finish line as the 2 seed. I didn’t think we would lose at home in a regional though, just thought we would be a 2 seed at another regional. Anyways. Looking forward to 2026!

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted
7 minutes ago, Rockethorn1978 said:

I fully expect to load up the best the portal has to offer. It’s why we hired schloss, to go out and get the best of the best and make regular deep runs. This year I wasn’t expecting much especially after injuries got us and we played over our head to only sputter across the finish line as the 2 seed. I didn’t think we would lose at home in a regional though, just thought we would be a 2 seed at another regional. Anyways. Looking forward to 2026!

It will be nice that Schloss won't be scrambling to recruit portal, his own team to stay, moving, recruiting high school all within 6 weeks of being hired. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted

We need better play at 3B, SS, and lose C, 1B and an OF. Development of younger guys (or true freshmen coming in) could answer a couple of those spots. I do expect us to go to the portal to fill the others. I don't think it will be a "whoever is best" approach in the portal, I think we put feelers out for specific guys around the country Schloss sees as a fit. More than likely from mid major programs. 

We have lots of arms and are developing them really well, but wouldn't surprise me to bring in another proven arm in the portal either. 

I expect us to improve and thats saying a lot given our phenomenal regular season this year.

Lol at shaking up the coaching staff after finishing #2 overall, or that hitting coaching was the problem

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
6 minutes ago, texastough said:

Lol at shaking up the coaching staff after finishing #2 overall, or that hitting coaching was the problem

SEC Hitting Ranks:

11 in batting average
11 in homeruns
12 in OB%
10 in RBIs
10 in Slugging%
3 in strikeouts

  • Rage+1 1
Posted

Potential Lineups as I currently see it.

C Chamberlain

1B Stewart

2B Mendoza

3B Borba

SS Rodriguez

LF Williams

CF Gasparino

RF Farmer

 

SP: Volantis

SP: Burns

SP: Flores

 

Even if no one on the list leaves that is not a good team.  Volantis and Burns would be really good but would need Flores to take a big step forward or for someone else to.  Bullpen would have a lot of good pieces but not the dominant guys like this year.  I'm not worried about the midweek starter seeing how they used that role this year.

The lineup would have some solid players but no one great.  Stewart is a significant downgrade but should be easy to find an upgrade there in the portal or slide Borba over to first.  I don't see a great option for SS on the current roster.  I think Rodriguez will take a massive leap at the plate next year, especially since he will be healthy.

 

Portal Needs in order of importance:

Catcher

Power hitting 1B or DH

SS

SP

power hitting OF

RP

(I am not familiar with nor want to include incoming freshmen until they are on campus.)

Posted
16 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

SEC Hitting Ranks:

11 in batting average
11 in homeruns
12 in OB%
10 in RBIs
10 in Slugging%
3 in strikeouts

I consider that a great job considering the pieces they had to work with

Posted
38 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

lulz 

The Top two biggest moments for A&M this year

-When Texas lost against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

-When UTSA beat Texas in the playoffs
 

A&M being preseason #1 then promptly falling out of the top 25, getting swept by Mizzou, getting effectively eliminated from the tournament, then Mizzou finishing aggy and 27 in SEC play was pretty memorable, not gonna lie. 

Posted
14 minutes ago, txhorns said:

Potential Lineups as I currently see it.

C Chamberlain

1B Stewart

2B Mendoza

3B Borba

SS Rodriguez

LF Williams

CF Gasparino

RF Farmer

 

SP: Volantis

SP: Burns

SP: Flores

 

Even if no one on the list leaves that is not a good team.  Volantis and Burns would be really good but would need Flores to take a big step forward or for someone else to.  Bullpen would have a lot of good pieces but not the dominant guys like this year.  I'm not worried about the midweek starter seeing how they used that role this year.

The lineup would have some solid players but no one great.  Stewart is a significant downgrade but should be easy to find an upgrade there in the portal or slide Borba over to first.  I don't see a great option for SS on the current roster.  I think Rodriguez will take a massive leap at the plate next year, especially since he will be healthy.

 

Portal Needs in order of importance:

Catcher

Power hitting 1B or DH

SS

SP

power hitting OF

RP

(I am not familiar with nor want to include incoming freshmen until they are on campus.)

If Burns and Flores are your starting guys this team gets killed. Barring miracle work by Weiner with them in offseason. Neither of those dudes showed they had what it takes to carry that weight. Cannot leave Borba at 3B, watching the UTSA 3B vs him defensively last night further highlighted just how fucking limited that dude is.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
28 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

If Burns and Flores are your starting guys this team gets killed. Barring miracle work by Weiner with them in offseason. Neither of those dudes showed they had what it takes to carry that weight. Cannot leave Borba at 3B, watching the UTSA 3B vs him defensively last night further highlighted just how fucking limited that dude is.

I don’t see Burns as a starter. His best role seems to be throwing 98 out of the bullpen.

Jason Flores had a 2.78 ERA in 32.1 innings as a true freshman. Opposing hitters batted .205 against him. He ran out of gas towards the end of the year but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect him to compete for a Sunday/midweek role next year. He has the stuff.

  • Hook 'Em 7
Posted
6 minutes ago, Helobious said:

That has to be Cameron Maybin’s son right?

Yes, in the 2026 class. Not sure if the link is going to the right place but the 2025 class is what is coming in this fall.

Posted
43 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

If Burns and Flores are your starting guys this team gets killed. Barring miracle work by Weiner with them in offseason. Neither of those dudes showed they had what it takes to carry that weight. Cannot leave Borba at 3B, watching the UTSA 3B vs him defensively last night further highlighted just how fucking limited that dude is.

I'd prefer to have Burns in the Grubbs/Volantis role next year but I was going strictly based off of our current roster.  My preference is portal SP for the Saturday role.  I'd like to move Borba to 1B or DH with a portal addition in the other spot.  Rodriguez at 3B and Mendoza at 2B.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
9 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

For those who want to get familiar with the incoming class https://www.perfectgame.org/college/CollegeCommitments.aspx?college=1829

Cunningham and Fien are gone. Pack, Crossland, Cozart and McKernan will be draft sweats.

Perfect Game is pretty easy to find recruiting rankings.  But otherwise they seem tough to come by.  Any others you’re aware of that don’t have them locked down?

Posted
14 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

I don’t see Burns as a starter. His best role seems to be throwing 98 out of the bullpen.

Jason Flores had a 2.78 ERA in 32.1 innings as a true freshman. Opposing hitters batted .205 against him. He ran out of gas towards the end of the year but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect him to compete for a Sunday/midweek role next year. He has the stuff.

I can squint and see Flores but he has to build some endurance.

Texas needs starters that can at least get through the 5th inning. Seems (especially at end of year) we had guys that just couldn't get past the 3rd.

Posted

It wouldn’t happen unless we struck portal gold or a bunch of arms took a huge leap, but how nice would be if they could move Volantis into a Kevin Kopps type role. Kopps threw 89 innings in 2021 with 11 saves and the game was basically over whether he entered in the 5th inning or the 9th. He was the Swiss Army knife.

Bullpens are so fickle in college baseball. Having guys in the backend who can slam the door are a huge luxury.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
4 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

It wouldn’t happen unless we struck portal gold or a bunch of arms took a huge leap, but how nice would be if they could move Volantis into a Kevin Kopps type role. Kopps threw 89 innings in 2021 with 11 saves and the game was basically over whether he entered in the 5th inning or the 9th. He was the Swiss Army knife.

Essentially how we should’ve used him Saturday? 

Posted

We likely don’t need much portal action if you believe we develop.  
 

Flores and Rerick, per Perfect Game, are top 100 recruits.  I assume Rerick still is here.  He has to have a bigger role next year or he’s not developing.

The Texas A&M roster from 2022 to 2024 should give you some good guidance on progression.  Prager had a 5+ ERA in 2022.  K/9 is less than 1/inning.  Cortes in 2023 had a 7+ ERA with a 1k/inning.  Prager missed 23 then had that ‘24 season.  Cortes had his ‘24 breakout season.  Aschenbeck had a better ‘24 than ‘23.  This tracks Schloss, Weiner too.  And PG had Flores/Rerick considerably higher than Prager/Cortes for whatever that’s worth.

Maturity/experience matters a great deal for many pitchers.

It will be interesting to see where Volantis ends up. 

Posted
20 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

It wouldn’t happen unless we struck portal gold or a bunch of arms took a huge leap, but how nice would be if they could move Volantis into a Kevin Kopps type role. Kopps threw 89 innings in 2021 with 11 saves and the game was basically over whether he entered in the 5th inning or the 9th. He was the Swiss Army knife.

Bullpens are so fickle in college baseball. Having guys in the backend who can slam the door are a huge luxury.

Volantis would be wearing purple and gold next year if we asked him to be a career reliever. He deserves the ball on Friday nights and he’s going to get it 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted
2 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

If you can improve your team through the portal in any way at all you do it. 

In this instance I was referring to pitching.  And based specifically on what we have currently.  Presumably there’s a contributing freshman arm or two coming aboard.

Given limited roster spots, limited dollars, we should be in position to not need to chase the portal much.  Probably more under the radar guys.  And I’d think more positional players.

Also dependent on guys like Riojas, Harrison.

Posted
Just now, Had Enough said:

In this instance I was referring to pitching.  And based specifically on what we have currently.  Presumably there’s a contributing freshman arm or two coming aboard.

Given limited roster spots, limited dollars, we should be in position to not need to chase the portal much.  Probably more under the radar guys.  And I’d think more positional players.

Also dependent on guys like Riojas, Harrison.

Roster spots aren't expected to be limited any longer.

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