May 1, 2025 • 10 mins
Welcome to "The Morning Kickoff Show" with Mike "Hardball" Hardge & "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry. Today the guys have a conversation with Texas Baseball Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle as they talk about the upcoming series against the Arkansas Razorbacks, the previous series again Texas A&M, how the team will prepare for the postseason, conformng the teams pitching rotation for this weekend & an injury status update. You can hear it all here on “The Morning Kickoff Show!”
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us from Fayetteville is our guy, head coach of
the number one ranked Texas Longhorns as they make the
trip to Arkansas to take on the number eleven Razorbacks
that will take place starting tonight, is coach Jim Slosnegel
and coach. I know we're in the present, but we
do have to go back in the past just for
(00:20):
a little bit, as you had an emotional weekend as
your Texas Longhorns, sweet your former team the Texas A
and M fighting Aggie's and the biggest story that we
got coming out of there is you guys continue to
pitch well.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, I appreciate you having me on. Yeah, it was
a great weekend for college baseball, great win weekend for
for Texas for sure. Obviously, all three games were super close,
decided about one run, and I think all three games
theagg Yous had both the tying and go ahead run
on base and we were able to either make pitches
(00:58):
or turn the big double play there in the weekend.
So uh, yeah, we pitched well, we didn't swing that great,
but you also got a credit, you know, I mean,
A and M preseason number one in the country for
a reason, and they've gotten healthier with getting Katen Currell
back and and so they're really good team. So that's
(01:18):
good good for us, and and uh just that overall
had some longtime Longhorns, including Craig Way and people that
have been around Dishfalk for a long time. Says one
of the most electric weekends that they'd ever seen. So
that's great for the program and hopefully they'll continue to
draw people out to watch us play.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Coach, I have very few negative things to say about anybody.
I'm an optimist, but I want you all to go
up there, kick them in the face and get out
of there.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Don't stay and see the sights. There are no sights
to be.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Seen, and the people there are not very nice.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I'm just going on record. Will get your wins. Don't
have to enjoy it, enjoyed it as yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, well believe me with this. You know, this Thursday
to Saturday series. I mean, it's it's nice when it's
over and you get a rest on a Sunday, but
they're this, this is a big this is a big
week for us man. This is this is the you know,
this will be the toughest environment that we play in
all year. None of our guys have played in this
(02:27):
series before and they've certainly never played in this ballpark
and seen what like you said, what these fans are
all about. So and we're playing a great team, I mean,
just elite talent. They've they're a little banged up like
the rest of us. But the arms we're gonna see
route tonight. Who you know we tried to get at
(02:48):
Texas was one of the top transfers out of East Carolina.
It's just a superstar. And then a guy that's coming
off injury who pitched well last week named would runs
his He's just basketball. Just sits about nine eight miles
an hour, so big, big power. Their shortstop might win
the Golden Spikes Award this year. And then you got
to deal with, you know, just the atmosphere. But those
(03:09):
are all like those are all we get to do that.
We don't have to do it. We get to do it.
It's gonna be an awesome experience, win or lose. It's
gonna make our team better. And uh, you the longrns
will show up and believe me, as soon as that
games over Saturday will be head backed off.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Coach uh with an environment like they present, Uh even
your your experienced players, how do you get them to
focus on the necessary thing that you coach plan doing
the things that you want them to do, and not
the environment.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, you appreciate the environment for what it is. And
but we this is why we invest so heavily in
the mental game. From uh, from from the very first
day of fall practice is that, Uh, you know, you
can't you can't control what's what the events are and
that happened in a game, but you can control your
response to them. And E plus R equals Oh, the
(04:07):
event plus the response is going to equal the outcome.
So we know we're going to take body blows. Uh.
And you just got to keep playing and you take
a deep breath, You trust your routine, You focus on
winning pitches, you play to a standard, out a scoreboard,
all the things that we believe in. And that doesn't
make it easy, but it does. It gives you an anchor,
It gives you something to go to when you're in
(04:28):
those moments. And pressure isn't like pressure is a privilege, man,
I mean these are all this is a There's a
lot of people that freaking would give up a pinky
to to be in this in this space. You're playing
at the University of Texas against a great program in
front of an awesome fan base that's super loud and
(04:49):
going to be packed. That's why, that's why you come
to Texas and play in the SECS for weekends like this.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
And we were talking about it.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
We're talking to head coach of the number one ranked
Texas Longhorns, Jim Slowsneggel, as they get ready to take
on the Arkansas Razorbacks. First pitch tonight will be at
six o'clock. Tomorrow night, we'll be at seven o'clock and
Saturday will be at two pm, and then they can
get on that plane and come back. But coach, you know,
I sit here and obviously over the years and over
(05:20):
this season you get a chance to watch your team
and the one thing that I've been very impressed with
is that you've been able to do it in so
many different ways.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
And folks still can't understand how, but.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I believe in what you were talking about, the mental
aspect of it all, the ability to focus and the
ability to lock in, and it goes with that leadership
that you have in that dugout.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah, it's certainly, you know, it's a team that belief.
Belief is a very powerful thing. And when you go
through what we've gone through with the injuries and setbacks,
and when I say, you say step backs, you've only
lost and we've lost a couple a couple of games,
but we still you play everything closed and we we
(06:07):
play from behind a lot. But these guys just believe
in each other, and uh, you know that can take
you a long way. And we do play clean baseball.
I mean, it's never the saying is you know, knock
on wood. I mean the saying is the it's never
about the best team. It's only about the team that
plays the best. And we have good players. I mean,
I'm not going to discount our players. We have good
(06:27):
players too. But when you throw strikes and you handle
a baseball, then you know that's two thirds of the battle.
You have pitching, defense and timely hitting. So if we
throw strikes, if we make the routine plays, don't throw
the ball around the field, and then you're just you know,
that gives you a really really good chance, and then
you're down to the timely hitting, which that's going to
(06:48):
come and go. So would we love for the season
to continue to go the way it's going sure, but
more than likely and I'm not trying to be Debbie
down or more than likely there's going to be a
weekend or a said amount of time there usually is
for every team where it doesn't go your way, and
then that's when we'll find out, Hey, can we just
(07:09):
keep doing what we're doing, keep our nose down, don't
don't listen to anything on the outside, And it's all
about being ready and healthy at the most important time
of the year, which is which is going to be
the end of May and in the first of June,
to give us the best chance to.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Advance our season, no doubt about it. Coach, I wanted
to ask you this.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Obviously, the pitching rotation seems to be the same. Ruger
Riojas will go today, Luke Harrison tomorrow, and from what
I understand, is TVA on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, yeah, Jason Flores is fine and more than likely
he'll be the guy that starts that game. But when
you go on the road in these environments, and given
where we are in our season, it's so tough to win,
it's so tough, so it's so hard to win the games,
and so he easy to lose him if we have
(08:02):
a chance to grab one or grab even a series. Uh,
we'll do that and we'll just see how it plays out.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So let me ask you this because it is going
to be a big weekend, exciting weekend.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Can't wait to check it all out.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
But there are some things that you put out yesterday
talking about the injury report and the latest on a
few guys, namely Max Blue.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
What's the latest on Max Blue?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, Max is he's making progress every day. He's got
pretty decent amount of mobility in his thumb, but he's
still you know, he's he's there. It's still real tender.
I mean, it's getting better every day, and we're not
even you know it. It's basically for some people it's
a six week injury. Well, if it's six weeks, he
may not play again this year, But if it's closer
(08:52):
to you know, five or four, then we could see him,
you know, maybe at the end of the regular season
or the SEC tournament. But you know, he's got a career.
Man like this guy's got a chance to be a
big leaguer and this is a real serious injury. So
we're not gonna do anything to put him at risk.
I know, he chomping at the bit. He's trying every
day to you know, he stands in on bullpens, he
(09:14):
stands in against the pitching machines. He can't he can't
do anything but hold the bat. But he's trying to
do everything he can to be to be ready when
he comes back, like he did it at the beginning
of the season, yep, when he had freaking mono. I mean,
so it's just always, it's just always something. So he's
he's an awesome guy. And when he's ready, he'll be
(09:35):
in there.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
We're gonna let you go with this. Forty four years ago,
I mean, excuse me. Thirty four years ago, a forty
four year old Nolan Ryan throws his seventh career no hitter.
You are a historian of the game. You've been around
the game your whole life. How cool is that that
a forty four year old could still go out there
and throw it at a high level because he took
(09:57):
care of himself.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yeah, yeah, it's awesome. I mean, what a what a
great player. And and you should probably look up how
many one hitter and two minutes the guy had. I
mean he was close, he was close to so many
and I was real fortunate enough to really get to
know Nolan really well. All three of his children went
to TCU. He actually coached at TCU a couple of
(10:19):
years before I got there, but uh, and then he
was part owner of the Rangers during my time in
Fort Worth. So uh, one of the best honors of
my life was getting to know him and his wife,
Ruth and their family.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
No doubt about it. Coach, best of luck, and as Mark.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Says, go handle your business, but get out of there
as soon as you possibly can. I lived in Little
Rock for a while, man, I totally get it.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Okay, man, you guys have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Hoocome you too, welcome there.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
He is the head coach of the Texas Long Horns
gymp Slasnago big big matchup against the Arkansaw Razorbacks.
Joining us from Fayetteville is our guy, head coach of
the number one ranked Texas Longhorns as they make the
trip to Arkansas to take on the number eleven Razorbacks
that will take place starting tonight, is coach Jim Slosnegel
and coach. I know we're in the present, but we
do have to go back in the past just for
(00:20):
a little bit, as you had an emotional weekend as
your Texas Longhorns, sweet your former team the Texas A
and M fighting Aggie's and the biggest story that we
got coming out of there is you guys continue to
pitch well.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, I appreciate you having me on. Yeah, it was
a great weekend for college baseball, great win weekend for
for Texas for sure. Obviously, all three games were super close,
decided about one run, and I think all three games
theagg Yous had both the tying and go ahead run
on base and we were able to either make pitches
(00:58):
or turn the big double play there in the weekend.
So uh, yeah, we pitched well, we didn't swing that great,
but you also got a credit, you know, I mean,
A and M preseason number one in the country for
a reason, and they've gotten healthier with getting Katen Currell
back and and so they're really good team. So that's
(01:18):
good good for us, and and uh just that overall
had some longtime Longhorns, including Craig Way and people that
have been around Dishfalk for a long time. Says one
of the most electric weekends that they'd ever seen. So
that's great for the program and hopefully they'll continue to
draw people out to watch us play.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Coach, I have very few negative things to say about anybody.
I'm an optimist, but I want you all to go
up there, kick them in the face and get out
of there.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Don't stay and see the sights. There are no sights
to be.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Seen, and the people there are not very nice.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I'm just going on record. Will get your wins. Don't
have to enjoy it, enjoyed it as yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, well believe me with this. You know, this Thursday
to Saturday series. I mean, it's it's nice when it's
over and you get a rest on a Sunday, but
they're this, this is a big this is a big
week for us man. This is this is the you know,
this will be the toughest environment that we play in
all year. None of our guys have played in this
(02:27):
series before and they've certainly never played in this ballpark
and seen what like you said, what these fans are
all about. So and we're playing a great team, I mean,
just elite talent. They've they're a little banged up like
the rest of us. But the arms we're gonna see
route tonight. Who you know we tried to get at
(02:48):
Texas was one of the top transfers out of East Carolina.
It's just a superstar. And then a guy that's coming
off injury who pitched well last week named would runs
his He's just basketball. Just sits about nine eight miles
an hour, so big, big power. Their shortstop might win
the Golden Spikes Award this year. And then you got
to deal with, you know, just the atmosphere. But those
(03:09):
are all like those are all we get to do that.
We don't have to do it. We get to do it.
It's gonna be an awesome experience, win or lose. It's
gonna make our team better. And uh, you the longrns
will show up and believe me, as soon as that
games over Saturday will be head backed off.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Coach uh with an environment like they present, Uh even
your your experienced players, how do you get them to
focus on the necessary thing that you coach plan doing
the things that you want them to do, and not
the environment.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, you appreciate the environment for what it is. And
but we this is why we invest so heavily in
the mental game. From uh, from from the very first
day of fall practice is that, Uh, you know, you
can't you can't control what's what the events are and
that happened in a game, but you can control your
response to them. And E plus R equals Oh, the
(04:07):
event plus the response is going to equal the outcome.
So we know we're going to take body blows. Uh.
And you just got to keep playing and you take
a deep breath, You trust your routine, You focus on
winning pitches, you play to a standard, out a scoreboard,
all the things that we believe in. And that doesn't
make it easy, but it does. It gives you an anchor,
It gives you something to go to when you're in
(04:28):
those moments. And pressure isn't like pressure is a privilege, man,
I mean these are all this is a There's a
lot of people that freaking would give up a pinky
to to be in this in this space. You're playing
at the University of Texas against a great program in
front of an awesome fan base that's super loud and
(04:49):
going to be packed. That's why, that's why you come
to Texas and play in the SECS for weekends like this.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
And we were talking about it.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
We're talking to head coach of the number one ranked
Texas Longhorns, Jim Slowsneggel, as they get ready to take
on the Arkansas Razorbacks. First pitch tonight will be at
six o'clock. Tomorrow night, we'll be at seven o'clock and
Saturday will be at two pm, and then they can
get on that plane and come back. But coach, you know,
I sit here and obviously over the years and over
(05:20):
this season you get a chance to watch your team
and the one thing that I've been very impressed with
is that you've been able to do it in so
many different ways.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
And folks still can't understand how, but.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I believe in what you were talking about, the mental
aspect of it all, the ability to focus and the
ability to lock in, and it goes with that leadership
that you have in that dugout.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah, it's certainly, you know, it's a team that belief.
Belief is a very powerful thing. And when you go
through what we've gone through with the injuries and setbacks,
and when I say, you say step backs, you've only
lost and we've lost a couple a couple of games,
but we still you play everything closed and we we
(06:07):
play from behind a lot. But these guys just believe
in each other, and uh, you know that can take
you a long way. And we do play clean baseball.
I mean, it's never the saying is you know, knock
on wood. I mean the saying is the it's never
about the best team. It's only about the team that
plays the best. And we have good players. I mean,
I'm not going to discount our players. We have good
(06:27):
players too. But when you throw strikes and you handle
a baseball, then you know that's two thirds of the battle.
You have pitching, defense and timely hitting. So if we
throw strikes, if we make the routine plays, don't throw
the ball around the field, and then you're just you know,
that gives you a really really good chance, and then
you're down to the timely hitting, which that's going to
(06:48):
come and go. So would we love for the season
to continue to go the way it's going sure, but
more than likely and I'm not trying to be Debbie
down or more than likely there's going to be a
weekend or a said amount of time there usually is
for every team where it doesn't go your way, and
then that's when we'll find out, Hey, can we just
(07:09):
keep doing what we're doing, keep our nose down, don't
don't listen to anything on the outside, And it's all
about being ready and healthy at the most important time
of the year, which is which is going to be
the end of May and in the first of June,
to give us the best chance to.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Advance our season, no doubt about it. Coach, I wanted
to ask you this.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Obviously, the pitching rotation seems to be the same. Ruger
Riojas will go today, Luke Harrison tomorrow, and from what
I understand, is TVA on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, yeah, Jason Flores is fine and more than likely
he'll be the guy that starts that game. But when
you go on the road in these environments, and given
where we are in our season, it's so tough to win,
it's so tough, so it's so hard to win the games,
and so he easy to lose him if we have
(08:02):
a chance to grab one or grab even a series. Uh,
we'll do that and we'll just see how it plays out.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So let me ask you this because it is going
to be a big weekend, exciting weekend.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Can't wait to check it all out.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
But there are some things that you put out yesterday
talking about the injury report and the latest on a
few guys, namely Max Blue.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
What's the latest on Max Blue?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, Max is he's making progress every day. He's got
pretty decent amount of mobility in his thumb, but he's
still you know, he's he's there. It's still real tender.
I mean, it's getting better every day, and we're not
even you know it. It's basically for some people it's
a six week injury. Well, if it's six weeks, he
may not play again this year, But if it's closer
(08:52):
to you know, five or four, then we could see him,
you know, maybe at the end of the regular season
or the SEC tournament. But you know, he's got a career.
Man like this guy's got a chance to be a
big leaguer and this is a real serious injury. So
we're not gonna do anything to put him at risk.
I know, he chomping at the bit. He's trying every
day to you know, he stands in on bullpens, he
(09:14):
stands in against the pitching machines. He can't he can't
do anything but hold the bat. But he's trying to
do everything he can to be to be ready when
he comes back, like he did it at the beginning
of the season, yep, when he had freaking mono. I mean,
so it's just always, it's just always something. So he's
he's an awesome guy. And when he's ready, he'll be
(09:35):
in there.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
We're gonna let you go with this. Forty four years ago,
I mean, excuse me. Thirty four years ago, a forty
four year old Nolan Ryan throws his seventh career no hitter.
You are a historian of the game. You've been around
the game your whole life. How cool is that that
a forty four year old could still go out there
and throw it at a high level because he took
(09:57):
care of himself.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yeah, yeah, it's awesome. I mean, what a what a
great player. And and you should probably look up how
many one hitter and two minutes the guy had. I
mean he was close, he was close to so many
and I was real fortunate enough to really get to
know Nolan really well. All three of his children went
to TCU. He actually coached at TCU a couple of
(10:19):
years before I got there, but uh, and then he
was part owner of the Rangers during my time in
Fort Worth. So uh, one of the best honors of
my life was getting to know him and his wife,
Ruth and their family.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
No doubt about it. Coach, best of luck, and as Mark.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Says, go handle your business, but get out of there
as soon as you possibly can. I lived in Little
Rock for a while, man, I totally get it.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Okay, man, you guys have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Hoocome you too, welcome there.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
He is the head coach of the Texas Long Horns
gymp Slasnago big big matchup against the Arkansaw Razorbacks.
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