Texas A&M defeated Arkansas 14-4 in seven innings on Saturday, winning the series between two top-10-ranked conference opponents two games to one.
Chris Cortez logged the start on the mound during Saturday’s win. He kept the Razorbacks hitless and logged eight strikeouts and three walks. His pitch count forced head coach Jim Schlossnagle to turn to Shane Sdao for the next three innings before Zane Badmaev closed things out in the seventh.
All told Schlossnagle played nine total pitchers throughout the Arkansas series. Only Ryan Prager on Thursday pitched more than five innings, logging 7.0 IP during the 11-inning affair. He struck out nine batters and allowed five hits in the 1-0 win.
“In the conference tournament, we will have to piece together the first couple of games,” Schlossnagle said of his plans for his rotation for the tournament. “We are certainly not going to bring anybody back early. [Ryan] Prager could pitch on normal rest by Thursday. But for the game on Wednesday, we will have to piece it together and wait and see who we play, but I feel good.
“I think Tanner Jones is throwing well. [Justin] Lamkin was definitely at his best. [Shane] Sdao rested is better. [Chris] Cortez is in a pretty good spot. Prager needs some rest, but he is in a good spot. Our pitching is solid. We competed with Arkansas, but that is the best pitching staff we have seen all year by far.”
Jones pitched two innings during Friday’s game, while Cortez and Sdao pitched the aforementioned three innings a piece during Saturday’s regular-season finale. For Lampkin, he was the featured pitcher during Friday’s loss. While Josh Stewart started and was given the loss, Lampkin came in and pitched 3.2 innings of eight-strikeout baseball. He gave up two earned runs and three hits in what turned into a 6-3 loss, the Aggies only of the weekend.
Based on time rested and innings pitched, Evan Aschenbeck would be the most rested having made the start on Thursday’s victory. He pitched four innings during the game and logged four strikeouts.
Finishing the regular season 19-11 in conference play, Texas A&M checks in as the 4-seed in the 2024 SEC Tournament. The Aggies’ seeding allows them an extra day of rest and won’t play until mid-afternoon on Wednesday. They’ll face the winner of 5-seed Mississippi State and 12-seed Ole Miss, which will be the final game of opening day action on Tuesday.
The post Jim Schlossnagle addresses pitching rotation for SEC Tournament appeared first on On3.