Baseball: Horned Frogs Sweep UT Rio Grande Valley in Midweek Series

TCU moves to 19-7 on the season and has won five of its last six games.

Zack James in TCU's 4-0 win over UT Rio Grande Valley | X: @TCU_Baseball

TCU's pitching staff dialed it in in consecutive midweek victories over UT Rio Grande Valley, allowing a combined zero earned runs in each of the games. The team's effort on the mound helped move the Frogs to 19-7 on the season.

The Vaqueros scored three runs in the first game of the week, all of which were unearned. In the top of the second inning on Tuesday, UTRVG right fielder Hank Warren crossed home plate thanks to a throwing error by TCU shortstop Anthony Silva. In the top of the ninth inning, the Vaqueros scratched two more unearned runs across, thanks to another defensive error by the Horned Frogs.

Freshman right hander Trever Baumler started on the mound and earned the win for TCU on Tuesday. Baumler pitched seven innings, throwing 90 pitches, allowing two hits, and striking out six batters. Seven innings is the longest Baumler has gone all season, and the win was his third of the season. Junior Louis Rodriguez pitched 1.2 relief innings in the win, allowing two hits. Gianluca Shinn earned the save for the Horned Frogs, pitching the final third of the inning and striking out the only batter he faced.

TCU's pitching was the story, but a four-run outburst in the second inning by the Frogs' offense gave the team a lead it would not surrender. Chase Brunson, Nolan Traeger, and Anthony Silva all walked to start the inning, loading the bases for Jack Bell, who scored three runs on a bases-clearing triple. Karson Bowen immediately brought Bell home with an RBI single and gave the Horned Frogs a 4-1 lead. TCU ultimately won the game 4-3.

Wednesday's game was much of the same for Kirk Saarloos and his team. Freshman Zack James earned the start and pitched five innings, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out four batters. Kaden Smith and Nate Stern each pitched one inning of relief. Smith allowed one hit, while Stern allowed no hits, walked two batters, and struck out three. Mason Bixby closed out the game, throwing the final two innings, allowing zero hits, and striking out two Vaqueros. It was TCU's first combined shutout of the season.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Frogs got on the board thanks to a Sawyer Strosnider triple that scored Bell and Silva and Cole Cramer sent Strosnider home with an RBI single to give TCU a 3-0 advantage. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Brody Green hit a fielder's choice RBI, scoring Jack Arthur. TCU held onto the 4-0 advatage the rest of the way.

The Horned Frogs will be back in action on Friday in Houston as they take on the Cougars. The first game of the three game series will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Postgame Press Conferences