- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 399,255
- Reaction score
- 43
Jim Schlossnagle sensed a different mood inside the Texas baseball dugout. And he didn't like it.
The Longhorns' coach told his team as much as they prepared to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning during Saturday's game between Texas and LSU at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. LSU had just smacked the Longhorns, losers of two straight, with a three-spot to take a 5-2 advantage in the second game of a series the Tigers already led.
No matter. Rylan Galvan quickly issued a vibe correction.
The catcher swatted a three-run homer to left field to erase the second of three leads constructed by the Tigers in a game the Longhorns clawed back to win 11-7. As Galvan concluded his trot, the first base dugout bounced with energy once more.
"It was huge," Texas shortstop Jalin Flores said of the moment postgame. "Even the guys that got on before him to give him that chance, that opportunity to go out and do what he does. The dugout spotting each other is huge with us, being in at-bats with each other."
GAME REPLAY: Texas baseball claims dramatic win over LSU after back-and-forth game, evens series: Recap
After Will Gasparino scored on a passed ball, Galvan's long ball put the Longhorns ahead, 6-5. But a two-run homer by LSU's Derek Curiel against Max Grubbs in the sixth inning meant another response would be required from the Longhorns (18-2, 4-1 SEC).
Flores started it, depositing an 0-2 "cookie" over the wall in left field to tie the game. Curiel, the left fielder for LSU (22-2, 4-1), didn't even bother to turn and watch it. Gasparino delivered what would become the game-winning hit, singling into center to plate Adrian Rodriguez. Texas added on three insurance runs in the eighth to support Grubbs ‒ who allowed just the two runs in 3⅔ innings of work ‒ and Dylan Volantis, who retired all four Tigers he faced.
Now with four home runs on the season, Flores would have ranked among the preseason favorites to lead Texas in dingers in 2025. He slugged 18 of them last year, after all, tying for the team lead with Max Belyeu.
But that distinction belongs, for now, to Galvan. Known more for his defense than his offense, Galvan hit eight home runs in 174 at-bats last season. After Saturday, he's got nine homers in 58 at-bats in 2024. He's gone deep in four consecutive games.
"Just seeing the ball well," Galvan said when asked to explain his hot streak. "Getting the (bat) head out. I know early in the year, it just seemed like whatever I did, I was missing the fastball late, fouling it off to the right side. Just went to work with (hitting coach Troy Tulowitzki), worked on getting the head out. Even went down half a size on the bat and it's paid off."
SCHLOSSNAGLE: How Jim Schlossnagle shaped the Texas baseball plate approach for SEC play
Schlossnagle said postgame that he witnessed Galvan undergo a mental transformation, too. He wasn't a bad hitter by any means in 2024 ‒ he hit for a .287 average and posted an OPS just below .900. Now, though, he's dominating SEC opposition.
So what changed? Galvan said he tries to spend as much time working on the mental side of the game as he does the physical. In 2025, he feels more "in control."
"At times, you can speed up, lose control of your breath, just not pay attention to things that you normally would," Galvan said. "Just being in control of yourself and your surroundings ‒ your awareness. Just being able to slow the game down when it gets tough."
Thanks to his efforts, the series is even. The Longhorns and Tigers will play the decisive third game on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How Rylan Galvan's adjustments helped Texas baseball beat LSU
Continue reading...
The Longhorns' coach told his team as much as they prepared to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning during Saturday's game between Texas and LSU at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. LSU had just smacked the Longhorns, losers of two straight, with a three-spot to take a 5-2 advantage in the second game of a series the Tigers already led.
No matter. Rylan Galvan quickly issued a vibe correction.
The catcher swatted a three-run homer to left field to erase the second of three leads constructed by the Tigers in a game the Longhorns clawed back to win 11-7. As Galvan concluded his trot, the first base dugout bounced with energy once more.
"It was huge," Texas shortstop Jalin Flores said of the moment postgame. "Even the guys that got on before him to give him that chance, that opportunity to go out and do what he does. The dugout spotting each other is huge with us, being in at-bats with each other."
GAME REPLAY: Texas baseball claims dramatic win over LSU after back-and-forth game, evens series: Recap
After Will Gasparino scored on a passed ball, Galvan's long ball put the Longhorns ahead, 6-5. But a two-run homer by LSU's Derek Curiel against Max Grubbs in the sixth inning meant another response would be required from the Longhorns (18-2, 4-1 SEC).
Flores started it, depositing an 0-2 "cookie" over the wall in left field to tie the game. Curiel, the left fielder for LSU (22-2, 4-1), didn't even bother to turn and watch it. Gasparino delivered what would become the game-winning hit, singling into center to plate Adrian Rodriguez. Texas added on three insurance runs in the eighth to support Grubbs ‒ who allowed just the two runs in 3⅔ innings of work ‒ and Dylan Volantis, who retired all four Tigers he faced.
Now with four home runs on the season, Flores would have ranked among the preseason favorites to lead Texas in dingers in 2025. He slugged 18 of them last year, after all, tying for the team lead with Max Belyeu.
But that distinction belongs, for now, to Galvan. Known more for his defense than his offense, Galvan hit eight home runs in 174 at-bats last season. After Saturday, he's got nine homers in 58 at-bats in 2024. He's gone deep in four consecutive games.
"Just seeing the ball well," Galvan said when asked to explain his hot streak. "Getting the (bat) head out. I know early in the year, it just seemed like whatever I did, I was missing the fastball late, fouling it off to the right side. Just went to work with (hitting coach Troy Tulowitzki), worked on getting the head out. Even went down half a size on the bat and it's paid off."
SCHLOSSNAGLE: How Jim Schlossnagle shaped the Texas baseball plate approach for SEC play
Schlossnagle said postgame that he witnessed Galvan undergo a mental transformation, too. He wasn't a bad hitter by any means in 2024 ‒ he hit for a .287 average and posted an OPS just below .900. Now, though, he's dominating SEC opposition.
So what changed? Galvan said he tries to spend as much time working on the mental side of the game as he does the physical. In 2025, he feels more "in control."
"At times, you can speed up, lose control of your breath, just not pay attention to things that you normally would," Galvan said. "Just being in control of yourself and your surroundings ‒ your awareness. Just being able to slow the game down when it gets tough."
Thanks to his efforts, the series is even. The Longhorns and Tigers will play the decisive third game on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
You must be registered for see images attach
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How Rylan Galvan's adjustments helped Texas baseball beat LSU
Continue reading...
