From the Mailbag to the Mound: Your TCU Baseball Questions, Answered

Football season is finally over, basketball season is reaching its pinnacle, and now that only leaves baseball season remaining to start for the TCU Horned Frogs.

With a new season comes new expectations, new opponents, and more importantly, a new roster with new roles. With longtime staples departing from the program, including Anthony Silva and Karson Bowen, and an unfortunate injury to Louis Rodriguez, there will be different names in different places.

Because of that, I opened a mailbag question on my X account, which recieved a lot of interaction and questions before the new season starts. Now, as I have my preparation for the season done, I can answer them to the best of my knowledge, so let's begin shall we?

What's the Floor and Ceiling of This Team?

What’s the floor and ceiling for this team this year with a weak big 12 and talented team. Does this seem like a go all in type of season?
— Mr.Frog (@MrFrogShow) January 15, 2026

As has become synonymous with TCU baseball, making a regional will always be the floor for the Frogs program, especially under the direction of Kirk Saarloos who has proven he can recruit and develop. They made a regional last year, and you could argue they should have hosted, and were a quick out with a relatively young roster.

However, that roster is back, and that is what makes the ceiling so exciting for the season. Barring sophomore slumps (which are real), think of last year's UCLA roster. They took talented freshman and were an Omaha favorite last June. That's what the ceiling could be this year, and should be.

Which Young Player Will Have an Impact?

Which young Frogballer will make the biggest impact in 2026? Chances to win the Big12?
— Drew Cagle (@BlazinCobra21) January 16, 2026

There is an obvious choice here and it's Lucas Franco. The number eight freshman in the country according to D1Baseball, and the expected shortstop for the Frogs this season. However, there has already been a lot of talk about Franco so I am going to list another name that isn't being talked about as much and qualifies for the question, Lance Davis.

Davis, a reshirt freshman that transferred in from Arkansas, has the makings to be an elite level pitcher, especially under the guidance of Saarloos and pitching coach Dave Lawn. He struck out 24 batters in 17 innings in the Cape Cod League this summer, and looked sharp in the fall contest against the Aggies with a fastball in the high-90's and a slider with a lot of bite.

For as young as the team was last season, they will still be young again this year, with a lot of names expected to contribute. Davis could seperate himself though, perhaps even in the Louis Rodriguez role, as he suffered an unfortanate injury that will keep him out this spring.

Weekend Rotation and Pitching Depth

How is the pitching quality and depth looking. We lacked 3 consistent starters last year. Do u think that has been fixed?
— Alexander McConkey (@Alexand97782786) January 15, 2026

This was a big question in the mailbag, @TexomaJeff and @Dom_tcu had the same questions, and they're all valid, it's been a while since it's felt like the Frogs had a solid rotation that stayed the same consistently. This season could be when that changes for the Frogs. They have the arms to have the best rotation in the Big 12, and one of the top rotations in the country, if the pieces and stay together and they remain healthy.

LaPour is a true Friday night ace. Plus fastball, plus slider, an effective changeup, and now even a cutter in the mix. He honed his secondary pitches this off-season making him even more effective with swing and miss stuff, and has the talent to be a true ACE on the team.

What makes this rotation so dangerous is the development of Mason Brassfield, who gives the Frogs a legitimate one-two punch that rivals some of the best in the country. He finished last season with 68 strikeouts in 61 innings and became a staple of the Frogs' rotation in the back half of the season. Now he's back, with more experience and more fine-tuned mechanics, and a sinker that Saarloos said "Looks like Max Fried".

The third spot is the make-or-break role, but all indications are that it should be comparable to LaPour and Brassfield, and that will be Trever Baumler. Coming off one of the best summer performances in the Cape Cod League, he finished with a 0.92 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched.

Part of the issue with Baumler last season was control; he hit 12 batters and allowed 45 hits in 38 innings of work. Comparatively, this summer season, he finished with zero hit batters and allowed just 18 hits. The control is there, the stuff is there; if he can put it together over a full season, which I believe he will, it should give the Frogs a true weekend rotation.

As far as depth, they shine there. They have a barn of arms that Saarloos can turn to, with a lot of different arm angles, a lot of different pitch mixes, and a lot of different speeds. They have young arms, such as Uli Fernsler and Aiden Barrientes, who could challenge for an early role and have the talent to back it up. They have transfers they sought to make a difference in: Tanner Sagouspe, Walter Quinn, and Nolan Johnson.

Throw in the names coming back I listed above, and sophomores with experience like Kade Eudy, Nate Stern, Zach James, and Noah Franco, and this feels like one of the deepest pitching units that the Frogs have had in a while. It's just a matter of health, and consistency.

Projecting the Lineup

Who is the leadoff and probable batting order 2-5?
— Jeff (@TexomaJeff) January 16, 2026

Projecting the lineup, mainly the top of the order as I was asked, from a Saarloos led team, makes me feel like I have better odds of telling you exactly what the weather will be like in Texas at this time next year. Saarloos isn't one to shy away from substitutions, and matchups, and it helps in a sense, as a lot of players have to come ready to play before every game, because they might get the nod. There is no "set" lineup, but there is an idea, so I will share that.

I do believe Sawyer Strosnider will be the leadoff. The ideology is that you want your best hitter to get the most at-bats in that role, which would slot him in there. Spots two and three could be interchangeable, but I expect a combination of Cole Cramer and Chase Brunson. Cramer just finds a way to get on base, using an opposite-field approach, and after many years spent in the game, he's a tough out. Brunson is a projected first-round pick, and if his power numbers continue to grow, slotting him at three behind two guys who get on base would be productive for the offense, opposite-field.

Four and five are yet again interchangeable for me. Franco and the new first baseman from Incarnate Word, Rob Liddington, should fit those roles seamlessly. Franco is the bigger power bat, turning in 11 home runs and 16 doubles with a .313 average during his freshman campaign last year. Liddington had a career .332 average, with 17 doubles and 17 home runs in 76 games played at UIW. Both are viable options, and with other big bats in front and behind them, they will be well protected in the order.

There could also be Traeger up there too, he has a knack for getting on base. Jack Arthur, who could be the DH, could find a hot streak and move up. Jack Bell worked a ton of leadoff last season, so familiarity could play a role, and if freshman Lucas Franco is the player they expect him to be, he could fit there, too.

This lineup is deep, with power and speed throughout. There is no boom or bust, or right and wrong answer, just a matter of finding a groove and keeping cold streaks (that are inevitable) to a minimum.

What Would Be the Major Improvement For the Frogs This Year?

What would be the major improvement for this team & for Saarloos’ coaching role?
— Angel (@Ange_Nation) January 16, 2026

I partially discussed this above, but there was another question from Jeremy Payne Enthusiast (@PayneHeisman) about my expectations for the team this season, so I will combine the two. The major improvement, and what I expect them to do, is one and the same: hosting a regional and even making an argument to be a top-8 seed to host a super-regional as well.

If the Frogs can find consistency, especially in at-bats with runners in scoring position, and in their starting rotation, they have the talent to make it to Omaha. There isn't necessarily one area they need to improve compared to last season. The one area they lacked was experience, but that has now been solved a year later.

I do believe this team has what it takes, and with a wide-open Big 12, it feels like the year of the Frog.

From the Mailbag to the Mound - Your TCU Baseball Questions Answered

What's the Floor and Ceiling of This Team?

Which Young Player Will Have an Impact?

Weekend Rotation and Pitching Depth

Projecting the Lineup

What Would Be the Major Improvement For the Frogs This Year?

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