Nathan Dettmer and Troy Claunch have seen first-hand the turnaround job Jim Schlossnagle did at Texas A&M, as the Aggies had a significant roster turnover in the coach’s first year, and have now arrived in Omaha at the College World Series.

For Dettmer and Claunch, Schlossnagle changed the expectations and standard for the program.

“Just since day one we’ve been talking about this, working for this. And now that we’re here, all the work we’ve put in, this is standard,” Dettmer said at a Thursday press conference in Omaha. “And I hope that we come back here next year and know we’re going to do everything in our power. And we’ve talked about being delusional about winning and doing everything we can to be here. Ever since day one, and now we’re here.”

Added Claunch, “Just coming in, this was the message. This was the standard that was set. Coach does a great job of pushing you every single day, not only to be like who you are now but to be a better version of yourself tomorrow.

And he sees a better version in every single one of us, and he just pushes us to find that within ourselves. We know he has our back and he loves us no matter what. When you have someone behind you like that, when you have a leader that believes in you and pushes you to just be better every single day, again, it goes back to like he said being delusional about winning and being delusional about getting better every single day. And I think that’s what led us to be here.”

The Aggies meet Oklahoma on Friday to open CWS play.