In a shocking move, head coach Jim Schlossnagle, as well as assistant coaches Nolan Cain, Max Weiner, and Michael Earley abandoned the Texas A&M baseball team in favor of the University of Texas- mere hours after being the runner-up of the College World Series. Texas A&M went 53-15 on the season and cruised through the College Baseball playoffs before ultimately falling to number one ranked Tennessee in a three-game championship series.

The Aggies took game one 9-5 in an offensive outburst. Kaeden Kent erupted for a 3-5 day, collecting four RBI along the way. However, Tennessee won the next two 4-1 and 6-5, respectively, to claim the title.

Following the loss, Schlossnagle doubled down on his commitment to Texas A&M. In the Monday night press conference he even rebuked a reporter who asked him about the job opening at UT, stating, “I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask me that question, to be honest with you… 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.”

As such, Aggies were met with a tremendous shock Tuesday when Schlossnagle announced his move to the UT Longhorns- Texas A&M’s biggest rivals. The two teams even faced off in a heated Regional round, in which Schlossnagle’s Aggies defeated the Longhorns 4-2.

“This should not take away from what this 2024 Texas A&M baseball team has done. The players make the team, not the coaches. Less than 24 hours ago we were one of the last two teams standing, playing for a National Championship,” Aggies reliever Chris Cortez said. “Nothing can take that away from us.”

The rivalry between Texas A&M and the University of Texas dates back to 1894, when the two schools first faced off in football. Since, the rivalry has expanded, as both schools have come to be the largest universities in the state of Texas.

Not long after it was announced that Schlossnagle would be headed to Austin, the remaining coaching staff in College Station also made the switch, leaving A&M fans outraged. To make matters worse, eleven players from Texas A&M entered the transfer portal following the announcement, including stars Jace LaViolette and Grant Gravohac.

It’s a dark time for Aggies fans, but with Texas’s move to the SEC, Texas A&M has the opportunity to exact revenge on Schlossnagle and the Longhorns in 2025.