Brooms Out in Fort Worth as TCU Sweeps Houston and Sends Message

A weekend sweep turned into something bigger as TCU looked every bit like a team gaining momentum at the right time.

TCU Baseball X

TCU walked into this series with growing morale after defeating Baylor in the previous series. This was a much-needed impressive series for the Horned Frogs, as they controlled it in nearly every aspect.

This allowed them to sweep the Cougars and gain ground in the Big 12 standings. This is big for the Horned Frogs as they aim for a late-season push. There is absolutely no room for missed opportunities, and the Frogs handled business at home.

Let’s dive into what took place over the weekend.

Hitting Overcame the Cougars In Game 1

It was a whole lot of Jack Bell and Nolan Traeger in game one, as they sparked the offense for the Horned Frogs with big-time home runs. TCU started the night on a rough foot, quickly falling behind after a leadoff Houston home run in the second inning. However, the Frogs would not stay silent long, responding with back-to-back singles from Rob Liddington and Nolan Traeger. This set the perfect opportunity for Jack Bell, who delivered with a three-run shot to right field to put the Frogs on top, where they would stay.

Frogs dominate in a much needed series sweep! | Emma Swinney for KillerFrogs.com

The scoring didn’t stop there, as two more runs crossed in the fourth to extend the lead to 5-1. The duo of Liddington and Traeger once again came alive with singles to open the frame. Lucas Franco then executed a perfect squeeze bunt to drive in the first run of the inning, followed by an RBI single from Colton Griffin. The two teams traded solo home runs in the sixth, keeping the Frogs in front by four at 6-2. And once again, it was Nolan Traeger, who was on fire all night, tallying his third hit of the game—a solo shot to right-center.

TCU added two insurance runs in the eighth courtesy of Cole Cramer, who knocked a single into right field with two on and two out to extend the lead to 8-2. Houston tried to make some noise in the ninth, picking up a run on two hits and putting runners on the corners with nobody out. However, the Frogs turned to closer Tanner Sagouspe, who was dominant, striking out all three batters he faced to lock up the 8-3 win.

TCU's Pitching Staff Set the Tone Early

It was an all-around great effort, as the pitching staff locked in. Trever Baumler turned in a strong start, allowing just two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Walter Quinn also pitched solidly, giving the Frogs 2 1/3 innings of relief. He allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out three. This victory set the tone for the weekend.

Horned Frogs Win Rubar Match to Capture Game 2 Win

This was by far the closest game of the whole series, as it was an absolute pitching duel between Lance Davis and Houston’s Paul Schmitz. The Horned Frogs rallied back for a 4-2 win over the Cougars on Saturday afternoon, and it was an exciting one.

TCU Baseball bats came alive over the weekend to sweep the series. | Emma Swinney for KillerFrogs.com

TCU entered the eighth inning behind 2-1, but totally flipped the momentum late in the game. Cole Cramer sparked the rally with a leadoff single, and Sawyer Strosnider followed with his second double of the game to put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Then it was Chase Brunson who once again came in the clutch, driving a ball off the wall in right-center to give the Frogs a 3-2 lead. He eventually came around to score an insurance run on a two-out RBI from Brady Dallimore.

Prior to this moment, it was pretty much all Houston, as they struck first with a solo home run in the first inning and threatened to add more in the second. However, Lance Davis worked out of a big jam with a pair of groundouts to strand a runner on third. TCU answered in the fourth inning with a leadoff solo home run from Preston Gamster to knot up the score. The Frogs had another chance in the sixth after drawing two two-out walks, but a huge diving play kept the game tied.

The Cougars shortly grabbed the lead with a two-out solo home run in the eighth, which looked like it was going to be the dagger, but they couldn’t build on it. Nate Stern came up with a much-needed strikeout and a groundout to strand another runner on third, which set the stage for TCU to brew a late comeback.

TCU Baseball experiencing a late season surge. | Emma Swinney for KillerFrogs.com

Lance Davis was outstanding on the mound, throwing seven solid innings while allowing just two runs on seven hits. He did not issue a walk and struck out five batters. Nate Stern and Tanner Sagouspe also did their job, closing the door late, with Sagouspe doing what he does—working out of a jam after Houston flared a two-out single in the ninth. However, they had no answer for Sagouspe’s stuff, as he went on to secure his third save of the season. He has been nails all season, and it looks like he has found his role.

Frogs Roll in Game 3 to Complete Sweep

The bats were absolutely on fire in game three of the series, especially Brady Dallimore, who racked up six two-out RBIs. He played a massive part in TCU’s dominant performance as they cruised to a 14-2 win to complete the sweep over Houston. Zack James proved to be a dominant force on the mound once again, tossing five shutout innings. Let’s take a look at how the Frogs piled on the runs.

The hitting started quickly for the Frogs, as Colton Griffin blasted a missile of a leadoff home run in the first inning. After a scoreless second, the offense exploded for 10 runs over the next two innings. Brady Dallimore delivered a bases-clearing double to put the Frogs in front 4-0. Jack Bell followed it up with an RBI single of his own, bringing in Dallimore to make it 5-0.

Then it was Griffin again in the third with a big double, and Sawyer Strosnider brought him home with a double of his own. With two outs and the bases loaded, Dallimore came through again, smoking another double to extend the lead to 9-0. Jack Bell kept the inning going with an RBI single, and Griffin capped it off with his second hit of the inning to push the lead to 11-0.

Believe it or not, the Frogs weren’t done. They added three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run shot from Jack Bell to make it 13-0. Jack Arthur later singled and came around to score on a Cole Eaton base hit.

Houston managed to break up the shutout in the seventh, but that was about all they could muster. Zack James was dominant, allowing just five baserunners on three hits and two walks, with no runner advancing past second base. He finished with two strikeouts on the day.

It was also a sigh of relief for the Horned Frogs to see their ace, Tommy LaPour, return to the mound after missing 72 days due to injury. The Frogs could not be stopped in this one as they were able to extend their win streak to six games.

What's Next For The Frogs

With the win, TCU improves to 28-15 on the season and 13-8 in Big 12 play. They will wrap up their five-game homestand on Wednesday night against UT Arlington. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and can be seen at Lupton Stadium or on ESPN+.

Don’t look now, but the Frogs are on fire, and things are trending in the right direction as they have clawed their way back into the top group of the Big 12 standings with Kansas, UCF, West Virginia, and Arizona State. The Frogs will take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who are also experiencing a late-season surge. They will end their regular season at West Virginia.