LEAVING Texas A&M for the Longhorns | How Jim Schlossnagle Mismanaged Leaving College Station
One of the top players in college baseball has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, as Texas A&M outfielder Jace Laviolette is seeing where else he might play. Laviolette will be drafted eligible after the 2025 season.
A long, lefty with power, Laviolette played mostly outfield for the Aggies but also has ability at first base and pitched as a high schooler. But his biggest plus is his bat.
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In 2024, Laviolette finished No. 6 nationally in total home runs, blasting 29 bombs from the top half of the Texas A&M lineup. In 68 games — all starts — Laviolette record 87 runs scored, 78 RBI, 71 combined walks and hit by pitch, 16 doubles and posted a .305 batting average.
Laviolette enters the portal after Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who recruited and signed Laviolette, left to take the head coaching gig at rival Texas.
No matter what answer Schlossnagle landed on, his decision to leave College Station was bound to have profound ripples across college baseball. And Schlossnagle, who on Monday saw his team miss a national championship by one win, is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in college baseball, meaning it would be a coup for whichever team ended up with him.
Reports emerged during the 2024 Men’s College World Series that Texas would be moving on from long-serving head coach David Pierce and that the Longhorns would try to poach the highly-successful head coach from one of Texas’ biggest rivals. The Longhorns eventually moved on Pierce days before Schlossnagle made it official that he’d be heading to Austin.
With the Texas job open shortly after the Aggies’ season ended, Schlossnagle was asked about potentially being in consideration there.
“I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask me that question, to be honest with you,” Schlossnagle said following the game. “I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again, and that hasn’t changed in my mind. That’s unfair to talk about something like that. That would be like you asking [Braden] Montgomery if he’s going to sign in the draft. But I understand you gotta ask the question, but I gave up a big part of my life to come take this job and I’ve poured every ounce of my soul in this job and I’ve given this job every single ounce I can possibly give it. Write that.”
With Schlossnagle choosing to take the Texas job, the Aggies are now in a lurch to hire a new head coach to try and sustain the level of national success that Schlossnagle helped usher in. Texas, on the other hand, is hopeful Schlossnagle can keep Texas on the level of not only making it to Omaha, but winning national championships in baseball.