waltgreenberg
Legend
Posts: 33,283
Joined: Feb 2006
Reputation: 141
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location: Chicago
|
TCU Baseball Game Notes
As I just got back to Chicago around midnight last night, no time to prepare even a brief preview for tonight's game, but here's the game notes from the TCU site...
http://www.gofrogs.com/sports/m-basebl/s...15aac.html
...ex-Rice commit, RS So RHP Mitchell Travers (6'7", 255 lbs), will indeed be the scheduled starter for the Horned Frogs, and he's been outstanding in his two mid-week starts so far this season against UT-Arlington and Texas Southern...
2 starts, 2-0, 15.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, .163 BAA, 1 BB, 17 Ks, 0 xtrabase hits
They also boast a consensus all-American closer in Jr RHP Riley Ferrell...
4 app, 2 saves, 4.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, .000 BAA, 4 BBs, 1 WP, 6 Ks
Here's the Rice game notes...
http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-basebl/...15aaa.html
Looks like Salinas is still not ready to go (and probably didn't even make the trip), and Austin Solecitto will get his first career start. Would not be surprised if The OG goes with "all staff, with Solecitto McCarthy, Amador, Otto, Williamson and Ditman all available to throw 1 - 3 innings.
The Horned Frogs come into the game posting a 7-1 record, including a road series win against consensus Top 20 Arizona State. As expected, their pitching and defense have been off the charts-- they've committed just 4 errors (vs. Rice's 22 errors) , have a team ERA and BAA of 1.27 and .180, respectively, and have a 3:1 K:BB ratio. Here's the TCU schedule and results to date, as well as their individual and team stats over their first 8 games...
http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2015/schedule/TCU
http://www.gofrogs.com/sports/m-basebl/s...mcume.html
Offensively, TCU is hitting .289/.360/.393 as a team, and averaging 2.5 extrabase hits and 6.1 runs per game. They've only executed 1 sac bunt, but have been ultra-aggressive on the bases, stealing 16 - 21 bases in just 8 games, with 5 different players having already having 2+ SBs in just their first 8 games. Needless to say, we've got to keep the free passes to an absolute minimum, and our pitchers need to do a good job holding runners close to 1B.
A road win against a Top 5 team would bolster our RPI and resume for the post-season. Let's make a statement and continue our strong play from Sunday's game. Go Owls!
Eric Sorenson ranked TCU #2 in his preseason Top 301...
http://www.collegebaseballtoday.com/2015...s-of-2015/
Quote:2- TCU (48-18, 17-7)
Projected Big 12 Finish: 1st
2014 ISR: 6
Starters Returning: 4
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15+inns.): 5
Man alive, that Jim Schlossnagle is a freakin’ stud. Despite losing MLB World Series pitching star Brandon Finnegan, his Frogs are well-armed for another run to Omaha and possibly standing on the podium at the end. RHP Preston Morrison (9-4, 1.32) and LHP Tyler Alexander (10-3, 2.36) return to weekend duty and have flame-throwing All American RHP Riley Ferrell (15 saves) to back them. Top hitter Garrett Crain (.324) joins solid infielders Keaton Jones (.265) and Derek Odell (.265) as potential game-changers (emphasis on “potential”). Also watch for incoming C Evan Skoug and Georgia Tech transfer Elliott Barzilli, who both should make a huge impact on this year’s squad.
Baseball America ranked TCU #7 preseason...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/c...apsules-7/
Perfect Game ranked TCU #3 in their preseason poll...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...icle=10805
Quote:3. Texas Christian
Head coach: Jim Schlossnagle
Conference: Big 12
2014 record: 48-18 (17-7 Big 12)
2014 finish: College World Series
Top returning hitters: 2B Garrett Crain (.324-1-19), SS Keaton Jones (.266-0-21), 3B Derek Odell (.265-1-35), OF Cody Jones (.265-0-18), 1B Jeremie Fagnan (.203-2-11)
Top returning pitchers: RHP Riley Ferrell (3-1, 0.79 ERA, 15 saves, 45.1 IP, 70:14), RHP Preston Morrison (9-4, 1.32 ERA, 129.2 IP, 95:21), RHP Trey Teakell (6-1, 2.34 ERA, 61.2 IP, 41:13), LHP Tyler Alexander (10-3, 2.36 ERA, 99 IP, 59:11), LHP Alex Young (1-3, 2.51 ERA, 43 IP, 40:16)
Top newcomers: C Evan Skoug, OF Nolan Brown (transfer), SS Elliott Barzilli (transfer), OF Dane Steinhagen (transfer), OF Connor Wanhannen, C Zach Plunkett
Top 2015 prospects: RHP Riley Ferrell (21), LHP Alex Young (31), RHP Mitchell Traver (196), LHP Tyler Alexander (205)
Synopsis: Even with the departure of CWS and MLB World Series standout Brandon Finnegan, TCU has incredible pitching depth, and are the one team in the nation that could match up with Vanderbilt and Virginia arm-for-arm. Senior ace and the reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Preston Morrison is back to lead the staff, and while he may not throw hard, he regularly carves up opposing hitters with impeccable command and one of college baseball's best changeups.
Ten-game winner and lefthander Tyler Alexander returns to assume the Saturday spot, while fellow lefty Alex Young, who has the greatest pro potential of the weekend starting trio, is expected to take the Sunday role. Righthander Trey Teakell, who went 6-1 with a 2.34 ERA a year ago, mostly out of the bullpen, is slated to open the year as TCU's mid-week starter.
All of these names come before we even get to their closer, fireballer Riley Ferrell, who alone will make close games that much more difficult to overcome for their opponents. Mitchell Traver, Brian Howard and Ryan Burnett could very well be weekend starters on almost any other program, thus giving TCU one of, if not the deepest bullpen in the nation.
The offense has some significant question marks, losing five of their top six regular hitters from 2014. Freshman catcher Evan Skoug could provide some instant thunder to the middle of the lineup as only one returning regular from last year had a slugging percentage above .400; Garrett Crain, who led the team in hitting with a .324 average. Transfers Elliott Barzill, Nolan Brown and Dane Steinhagen should help fill some key roles while bridging the gap between their upperclassmen and a talented incoming freshman class.
And D1baseball ranked the Horned Frogs #8 preseason...
http://www.d1baseball.com/season-preview...-no-8-tcu/
Quote:TCU's Projected Lineup
C Evan Skoug, Fr. HS—Libertyville, Ill.
1B Jeremie Fagnan, Sr. .203/.337/.297 2 11 1
2B Garrett Crain, Jr. .324/.403/.413 1 19 8
3B Derek Odell, Sr. .265/.347/.324 1 35 8
SS Keaton Jones, Jr. .266/.341/.290 0 21 9
LF Dane Steinhagen, Jr. Tr.—Howard (Texas) JC
CF Cody Jones, Sr. .265/.389/.315 0 18 29
RF Nolan Brown, Jr. Tr.—Blinn (Texas) JC
DH Connor Wanhannen, Fr. HS—Flower Mound, Texas
RHP Preston Morrison, Sr. 9-4 1.32 130 95 21 0
LHP Tyler Alexander, So. 10-3 2.36 99 59 11 0
LHP Alex Young, Jr. 1-3 2.51 43 40 16 1
RP Riley Ferrell, Jr. 3-1 0.79 45 70 14 15
Hitting: 50. TCU lost five of its top six hitters from last year’s Omaha team (Boomer White, Dylan Fitzgerald, Kevin Cron, Jerrick Suiter and Kyle Bacak), leaving a lineup that coach Jim Schlossnagle describes as loaded with No. 2 and No. 6-type hitters. Odell has spent three years in the everyday lineup, and now the Frogs need him to be a bell cow in the middle of the order. He handles lefties as well as righties and features a quick line-drive swing. Skoug is a polished hitter for a freshman and could step right into the cleanup spot, and the switch-hitting Crain (the team’s leading hitter a year ago) will protect him. Keaton Jones has gradually improved his bat and become a useful offensive piece, albeit without any pop. Cody Jones led TCU in walks and stolen bases last year, making him a nice table-setter atop the order. Fagnan has an unorthodox swing but a patient approach, and he showed flashes of promise this fall, though he could be pushed for playing time by Elliott Barzilli, an athletic, versatile Georgia Tech transfer who received a waiver from the NCAA to play this spring. Juco transfers Steinhagen and Brown performed well in the fall, and if they hit this spring, the Frogs should at least be a deep lineup that gets production from top to bottom.
Power: 35. Skoug is the only true home run threat in the lineup. Coming out of high school, the strong, compact Skoug drew comparisons to fellow Midwesterner Kyle Schwarber for his plus lefthanded power and his advanced strike-zone awareness. Brown, who reminds the Frogs of Darren Bragg, should also bring occasional pop, but no returning Frog hit more than two home runs last year.
Speed: 60. This is TCU’s most athletic team in several years. Cody Jones is a plus-plus runner who likes to steal bases and has excellent range in the outfield. Steinhagen, Brown and Crain are all solid-average runners with good instincts, while Fagnan and Wanhannen bring average speed. Odell and Keaton Jones are below-average runners, but they pick their spots well on the basepaths, and they combined for 17 steals in 22 tries last year.
Keaton Jones
Keaton Jones
Defense: 60. TCU’s biggest defensive question mark is behind the plate, where it must replace Bacak. The Frogs will rely on a pair of freshman backstops in Skoug and defense-oriented Zack Plunkett; they have talent, but they must prove they can handle TCU’s elite pitching staff. Otherwise, the defense looks outstanding. Jones is as steady as college shortstops get, and Odell worked hard to become a sound third baseman last year. Crain has a knack for making plays in game that he doesn’t make in practice, and he fielded .992 in 2014. All three outfielders have plenty of range, which is particularly important in TCU’s spacious home park (and at TD Ameritrade Park).
Starting Pitching: 65. First-rounder Brandon Finnegan is gone, leaving a hole at the top of the rotation, but few staffs in the country will have three starters as good as Morrison, Alexander and Young. Young has the best pure stuff of the group, with an 88-92 fastball, a three-quarters slider that flashes plus and a changeup that took a major leap this fall, and ideally he would assume the Friday starter job to allow TCU to go left-right-left on weekends. Morrison is one of college baseball’s most accomplished pitchers, with a career record of 25-9, 1.62 and just 51 walks in 349 innings over three years. He is a tenacious competitor with outstanding sink on his fastball and a deceptive sidearm slot, but he also locates his slider and changeup effectively. Alexander stands out for his command—he lives at the knees with an 87-90 fastball that bumps 91-92, and his breaking ball has improved since last year. The likely No. 4 starter is 6-foot-9 RHP Brian Howard, who showed an 88-94 fastball with excellent downward angle and a firm slider last summer in the Northwoods League.
Bullpen: 70. TCU’s biggest strength is its bullpen, anchored by the nation’s most overpowering closer in Ferrell, who can blow hitters away with a 95-98 fastball and a devastating 84-87 slider. The Frogs can shorten games to six or seven innings by using Sr. RHP Trey Teakell to set up Ferrell. Teakell is capable of pitching multiple innings when necessary and attacks hitters with a 90-91 fastball and a good high-70s slurve. Another experienced senior, Travis Evans, gives the bullpen a key lefty with excellent feel for his high-70s slurve as well. So. RHP Ryan Burnett is a polished, aggressive bulldog with advanced command of his 87-90 fastball and decent offspeed stuff. RHP Brian Trieglaff flashes mid-90s heat and a power slider when he’s healthy, but he lacks physicality and was hampered by an elbow issue in the fall. And RHP Mitchell Traver, a 6-foot-7 behemoth with heavy life on his 93-95 fastball and the makings of an average breaking ball, is finally healthy after two injury-marred seasons, giving this staff another X-factor.
Experience/Intangibles: 65. The Frogs are loaded with veterans from last year’s Omaha run, with five returning upperclassmen in the lineup and a pitching staff packed with experience. TCU knows how to win, and it is built to win in 2015, before this current window closes with major roster turnover this summer.
(This post was last modified: 03-03-2015 09:04 AM by waltgreenberg.)
|
|
