Baseball
- Title:
- Head Coach | 12th Season
- Email:
- j.schlossnagle@tcu.edu
On July 9, 2003, a new era in TCU baseball began as Jim Schlossnagle became just the program’s ninth coach since 1940.
The outstanding work Schlossnagle has done since his arrival was rewarded in the summer of 2016 as the head coach inked a contract extension for the foreseeable future.
Schlossnagle became TCU’s all-time winningest coach with a 5-0 win over Loyola Marymount on Feb. 21, surpassing the legendary TCU head coach Lance Brown. Over the course of his 17 seasons at the helm, he has posted the top 13 win totals in school history. He is 734-346 (.679) as the head coach at TCU and 811-403 (.668) in 19 years as a head coach.
During his tenure at TCU, Schlossnagle has raised the program to new heights. His efforts have not gone unnoticed at the national level and in the fall of 2012 USA Baseball tabbed him the 2013 Collegiate National Team head coach. It marked his second stint with the national team as he served as an assistant coach in 2006. Twice he has been named the National Coach of the Year, earning the honor from the NCBWA in 2010, as well as being selected by Baseball America as the 2016 National Coach of the Year.
His vision of taking TCU to the College World has come to fruition five times in the last 12 years. The 2010 squad made history, becoming the first team to accomplish the feat, winning a home regional and dispatching No. 2 Texas in a Super Regional. In 2014, TCU earned its first-ever national seed and hosted both the NCAA Fort Worth Regional and the NCAA Fort Worth Super Regional. The 2015 and 2017 squads followed a similar path, both resulting in an appearance in the College World Series. In 2016, TCU won its second-ever road NCAA Super Regional, topping Texas A&M to advance to the CWS. TCU is one of just three programs nationally to have appeared in five of the last 10 College World Series.
The 2021 campaign saw the program post 41 wins, earn the No. 6 National Seed, win its third Big 12 regular season title with a 17-7 record and collect its third Big 12 Tournament championship. Brayden Taylor was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
The Horned Frogs were off to one of their best starts under Schlossnagle in 2020 before the COVID pandemic brought a sudden halt to the season. TCU was sitting at 11-4 on the year and coming off a road victory at No. 2 UCLA.
After a year hiatus from the NCAA Tournament, the Frogs once again returned to the postseason in 2019. The Frogs made a late season push through the Big 12 Tournament, coming within a game of playing for the championship, to earn an at-large bid. TCU went 2-2 in the Fayetteville Regional, falling in the regional championship game to the host school and No. 5 National Seed, Arkansas.
At the end of the season, history was made when Nick Lodolo became the highest-drafted player in the history of the program. The All-American was selected No. 7 by the Cincinnati Reds. Junior Jake Guenther also made waves earning the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. A school-record nine players were drafted.
The 2018 season presented a fresh set of challenges after the departure of an experienced-ladened group of players from the 2017 class, ending an historic run of four straight appearances in the College World Series. The Frogs made a late season push towards the postseason, but came up short after reaching the Big 12 Championship game for the third time in program history to finish the season 33-23.
With experience comes expectations. For the second time in program history, TCU opened the season as the No. 1 team in the nation in 2017. The return of a bulk of the roster from the 2016 CWS team led to the unanimous preseason ranking.
The Frogs rode the ebbs and flows of a season full of expectations to a regular season Big 12 Championship, a No. 6 National Seed and a fourth straight trip to the College World Series. When all was said and done, the Frogs recorded the program’s third 50-win season. TCU posted a 50-18 overall record and a 16-8 mark in Big 12 play. At the conclusion of the season, the Frogs were ranked No. 4.
Evan Skoug and Jared Janczak highlighted the multitude of accolades for the team. Skoug was named Big 12 Co-Player of the Year and joined Janczak on multiple All-America teams. TCU had 10 players earn Big 12 honors. Six Horned Frogs were drafted, while two others signed as free agents.
In 2016, Schlossnagle proved no task was too hard to accomplish. After the departure of 10 players from the 2015 team, Schlossnagle and company guided a fresh group of youngsters back to Omaha. The path was not easy as the Frogs overcame a mid-season slump, heating up at the right time. TCU claimed the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title, hosted an NCAA Regional and won a road Super Regional for the second time in program history. TCU finished the season with a 49-18 record and was the unanimous No. 3 team in the final polls.
Freshmen were a big part of TCU’s success as Luken Baker, the 2016 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and 2nd-team All-American, led a quartet of freshmen to Freshman All-American honors.
Led by an experienced-laden team in 2015, the Frogs produced the program’s second 50-win season, posting an overall record of 51-15. Along the way, the Frogs captured the university’s first-ever outright team championship, winning the Big 12 with a record of 18-5. TCU was battle-tested in the postseason, coming out of the loser’s bracket in the Regional before winning game 3 of the Super Regional in 16 innings to advance to the CWS.
Cody Jones became the first Horned Frog under Schlossnagle’s tutelage to earn Player of the Year honors, while Connor Wanhanen earned Freshman of the Year accolades. For the eighth time in his career, Schlossnagle was selected as the league’s Coach of the Year. In all, 14 Horned Frogs earned all-conference accolades. A school-record four players (Riley Ferrell, Jones, Preston Morrison and Alex Young) earned All-America honors.
The 2014 squad took to heart the lessons learned after a disappointing 2013 season and reached new heights as they made history. After a 15-12 start to the campaign, the squad went on an impressive run that saw them reel off 33 wins in their final 39 games of the season. Along the way, they rebounded from a 2-4 start in league play to finish second in the regular season standings. The group sailed through the Big 12 Postseason Tournament to claim the university’s first Big 12 Championship.
NCAA postseason play kicked off with a bang as TCU was awarded its first-ever national seed. TCU swept through the regional and hosted its first-ever Super Regional. A thrilling three-game series against Pepperdine was capped by a 6-5 come-from-behind victory giving the program its second appearance in the CWS.
TCU finished the season with a 48-18 mark. Morrison was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, while 11 other Horned Frogs earned all-conference accolades. Brandon Finnegan headlined a group of six players drafted as he became the third-ever first-round draft pick. The trio of Morrison, Finnegan and Ferrell each earned All-American accolades, while Tyler Alexander was named a Freshman All-American.
The 2012-13 season marked a new era in TCU Athletics with the move to the Big 12. Additionally, the Frogs non-conference schedule was one of the most difficult in the country as the Horned Frogs played 19 contests against teams that went on to participate in the NCAA tournament. Schlossnagle’s squad met the challenges head on and posted their 10th winning season under his tutelage.
Jantzen Witte was named the Big 12 Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year, headlining a group of seven Frogs that were honored by league coaches. Morrison’s dominance on the mound earned him first-team recognition, while Witte and Young were named to the second-team. Three others were named honorable mention all-conference.
In continuing with a trend of producing elite players, six Frogs were selected in the 2013 MLB Draft, while Finnegan, Morrison and Ferrell were named to the 24-man USA Baseball Collegiate National Team roster.
A host of challenges met the 2012 squad as an influx of youth took over the diamond and key injuries forced many lineup shuffles. At any given point, the Frogs had at least three freshmen on the field and at times, five. The youth movement didn’t slow the Frogs as they captured their seventh straight Mountain West regular season title.
The regular season growth translated to postseason success as the Frogs rallied from a Game 1 loss to Ole Miss in the NCAA College Station Regional to claim the program’s first-ever road Regional championship. TCU advanced to its third NCAA Super Regional in four years.
In all, the 2012 squad put together a 40-22 record. Morrison was tabbed the MW Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, while five others earned all-conference accolades. Additionally, Morrison was tabbed a third-team All-American as well as a Freshman All-American.
The 2011 Horned Frogs continued a trend that started with the 2009 campaign when they were selected to host a regional for the third straight season. The honor of hosting came on the heels of a 42-17 regular season that saw the Frogs win their sixth straight regular season crown. TCU dominated the league field, posting a 20-3 record. Ten Frogs were honored as all-conference performers, while Schlossnagle was tabbed MW Coach of the Year for the sixth straight season. TCU finished ranked as high as 17th in the national polls.
When Schlossnagle was hired in the summer of 2003, he made no secret his goal was to take the TCU baseball program to the top. His vision included conference championships, hosting NCAA Regionals, NCAA Super Regionals and taking the Horned Frogs, TCU and the Fort Worth community to the College World Series. That dream was finally realized in 2010.
He delivered on that promise made in July of 2003 when he guided the 2010 team to their first-ever College World Series appearance. Getting there was not easy, but the Frogs did so in record-breaking fashion. TCU finished the season ranked No. 3 unanimously after compiling a school-record 54-14 record.
TCU produced a regular season record of 43-11. Along the way, it climbed to the top of the Mountain West, marking its fifth straight league title with a 19-5 record. Prior to the start of the 2010 conference tournament, 10 Frogs were tabbed all-conference performers, while Schlossnagle took home his fifth straight conference Coach of the Year honor.
The Frogs reclaimed their hold on the conference tournament title with a 3-0 sweep. Following the championship, the Frogs officially set off on the “Road to Omaha” when they were selected as a host site and a No. 1 seed for the second straight season. TCU made quick and easy work of the regional field to earn a second shot at Texas in the Super Regionals. In what was billed as the best pitching match-up in the nation, the Frogs came out on top, reversing the fortunes from 2009. TCU won the opener and rode a dominating pitching performance to a 4-1 victory in the decisive Game 3 all the way to Omaha, Neb.
Instantly a fan favorite, the Frogs didn’t disappoint. Schlossnagle guided the Frogs to a 3-2 record in the series, falling a game short of reaching the championship series.
The postseason accolades were many, headlined by the NCBWA selecting Schlossnagle as its National Coach of the Year. Bryan Holaday was tabbed as the 2010 Johnny Bench Award winner and Matt Purke was named the National Freshman of the Year by all major publications. Purke, Holaday and Steven Maxwell were all tabbed as All-Americans.
The program reached new heights in 2009 under Schlossnagle’s leadership. One of the nation’s most difficult schedules paid dividends as TCU earned its first-ever No. 1 seed and hosted a regional. Hosting proved to be just the right combination to propel the Frogs into their first Super Regional after sweeping through the Regional with a win over Wright State and two victories over Oregon State.
TCU finished the campaign with a 40-18 record, its fourth overall and third-straight 40-win season, and came one win away from reaching the College World Series, pushing the national runner-up, Texas, to a decisive third game.
Along the way, the Frogs claimed their fourth straight regular season crown and saw seven members earn all-conference recognition. Schlossnagle took home Coach of the Year honors for the fourth straight season.
After a successful 2007 campaign, the Frogs raised the bar yet again in 2008. Playing one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, the Frogs finished the season with a 44-19 record. The campaign also saw the MWC tournament played at Lupton Stadium for the first time in school history. The home field advantage propelled the Frogs to their fifth-straight tournament crown, enabling them to sweep the conference titles for the third straight season.
Eight Frogs were named to the all-conference team, while Schlossnagle claimed his third consecutive Coach of the Year award. At the culmination of the season, he saw the second player in school history taken in the first round of the MLB draft as Andrew Cashner was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 19th overall pick.
Each season under Schlossnagle has seen a new milestone achieved and 2007 was no different. For the first time in school history, the Frogs reached the 40-win plateau in the regular season, en route to a 48-14 record. The team tallied two wins in the NCAA tournament for the first time, reaching the regional finals and falling just short against the tournament’s No. 2 national seed, Rice.
He also saw an unprecedented 11 athletes earn all-conference recognition as well as earning his second straight conference Coach of the Year crown. This came on the heels of another successful run in the MWC as the Frogs set a new mark for win percentage with a 20-3 (.870) record in league play. The Frogs claimed their second straight regular season crown and fourth consecutive tournament title.
In 2006, Schlossnagle produced the school’s first regular season conference title since 1994 as the team topped the MWC standings with a 17-5 league mark. TCU earned its third straight berth in the NCAA Regionals when it claimed its third consecutive conference tournament crown. It was the second time in his career that he has led a team to both the regular season and tournament titles, having done so in 2003 at UNLV.
His efforts on the bench in 2006 earned him his second career Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year Award. He mentored his second consecutive conference Pitcher of the Year and saw five Frogs earn first-team all-Mountain West accolades and two more garner second-team honors.
2006 also brought another honor as Schlossnagle was selected as an assistant coach for Team USA. Alongside former Frog Jake Arrieta, the duo helped Team USA defend its gold medal as they swept through the FISU World Championships in Cuba. The National Team completed its most successful summer in history as they posted a 28-2-1 (.919) record and won the gold medal on Cuban soil for the first time in the history of USA Baseball.
In his first season, Schlossnagle led the Frogs to a then-school-record 39 wins and to their first appearance in the NCAA Regionals since 1994. He led the squad to the NCAA automatic berth when he coached them to the Conference USA Tournament championship. The tournament championship was the first-ever by a TCU squad.
In 2005, the Frogs posted their second straight successful season under Schlossnagle’s tutelage. He led them to a second-consecutive berth in the NCAA Regionals and another conference title. His 2005 team won 41 games, the first-ever 40-win season in school history.
Prior to his time at TCU, Schlossnagle spent two years as head coach of the UNLV baseball program. In just two seasons, the Rebels owned a 77-47 record under Schlossnagle, good for a .621 winning percentage.
Prior to UNLV, Schlossnagle served an eight-year stint at Tulane as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Green Wave. Schlossnagle joined the Tulane program in August of 1993 and was an integral part of the Green Wave’s success, helping Tulane to six NCAA Regional appearances during his tenure. Schlossnagle served as the Green Wave recruiting coordinator for the last five years and garnered three nationally ranked recruiting classes which helped produce two 48-win seasons and a number one NCAA Regional seed.
Before arriving in New Orleans, Schlossnagle served as the pitching coach at Clemson in 1993. The Tigers finished that campaign with a 45-20 record, an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a third place finish in the NCAA Midwest Regional. Seven members of the `93 Clemson pitching staff were drafted into professional baseball.
Schlossnagle spent three seasons as an assistant at Elon (N.C.) College where he helped lead his alma mater to a 99-41 record, two South Atlantic Conference Championships, a District 26 title and an Area 7 Regional appearance.
A native of Hagerstown, Md., Schlossnagle was a pitcher on the 1989 Elon squad that finished 39-7 and appeared in the NAIA World Series. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1992 and earned a master’s of education in human performance and health promotion from the University of New Orleans in 1995.
Schlossnagle has a son, Jackson Lambert, and a daughter, Kathleen Grace. Both are currently pursuing their degrees at TCU.
The Schlossnagle Profile
| Age: | 48 (born August 12, 1970) |
| Children: | Jackson Lambert, Kathleen Grace |
| Education: | Elon College - B.A., (magna cum laude) Physical Education (1992) University of New Orleans - M.S., Human Performance/Health Promotion (1995) |
| Coaching Experience: | |
| 1990-1992 | Elon College (Assistant baseball coach, recruiting coordinator, camp director) |
| 1993 | Clemson (Assistant baseball coach) |
| 1994-2001 | Tulane (Associate head baseball coach, recruiting coordinator, camp director) |
| 2002-03 | UNLV (Head baseball coach) |
| 2003-Present | TCU (Head baseball coach) |
