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TCU Had Questions Entering Friday Night and Lance Davis Changed Everything

Battling injuries and postseason pressure, TCU leaned on its redshirt freshman star to keep a critical series alive in Morgantown.
Nate Cross|
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TCU Horned Frogs

The Horned Frogs have continued to pitch very well, carrying their stellar performances into the first two games of the series against the West Virginia Mountaineers baseball. TCU dropped Game 1 in a low-scoring matchup that featured great pitching from both teams. However, West Virginia was able to piece together a couple of runs to secure a 2-0 win.

Despite being plagued by the injury bug, TCU bounced back Friday afternoon to even the series. This was behind a tremendous outing from starter Lance Davis, helping the Horned Frogs capture a 4-0 victory. It has been a tightly contested weekend so far in Morgantown, with both teams battling for positioning in the Big 12 standings. Here’s a look at what has transpired in the first two games of the weekend series.

TCU's Injury List Keeps Growing at the Worst Possible Moment

Jack Bell in Utah Series
Emma Swinney For KillerFrogs/TCU on SI

Injuries have begun to stack up for the Horned Frogs this week, forcing TCU to dig deeper into its roster for new options. Fortunately for the Frogs, the team is loaded with talent, as the injury bug has swept through the program at the worst possible time.

TCU has seen several major pieces of its roster go down during arguably the biggest series of the season. Slugger Sawyer Strosnider injured his ankle in practice earlier this week and was seen wearing a boot. To add to the chaos, Jack Bell suffered an injury during warmups prior to Game 2, while Chase Brunson was unable to play center field because of a tweaked knee, limiting him to designated hitter duties.

The Frogs have battled through the injuries so far, but it has already been an injury-filled season with several players either currently out or having missed time throughout the year. This is far from what TCU wanted to see heading into postseason play, but the Horned Frogs have continued to respond with a next-man-up mindset.

Missed Opportunities Defined Thursday Night's Frustrating Loss

Thursday night was a disappointing night in Morgantown for the Horned Frogs, as they had plenty of offensive opportunities but could not capitalize. No. 9-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers baseball put together a couple of second-inning runs that came back to haunt TCU. Despite outhitting the Mountaineers, the Frogs could not push across a run and were shut out for just the second time this season.

Ian Korn delivered a strong start, keeping the Frogs off the scoreboard all night. TCU had baserunners in five of the nine innings, which seemed like enough to at least produce a run, but the Frogs could not come up with the timely hit they needed, stranding seven runners in the game, not a number TCU is proud of, I’m sure.

West Virginia got on the board early and never let off the gas. The Mountaineers turned two doubles in the second inning into what would ultimately be the only two runs of the game. Back-to-back doubles opened the frame and gave West Virginia a 1-0 lead. A sacrifice bunt then moved the runner to third, and another sacrifice brought him home for a 2-0 advantage.

The Frogs knocked on the door in the fifth inning with a great opportunity to get back into the game. Jack Bell singled with one out and moved to third after Preston Gamster added a single of his own. However, both runners were stranded as the Mountaineers forced a groundout to end the inning without any damage.

Unfortunately for TCU, that was not the only missed opportunity. The Frogs threatened again in the sixth inning after back-to-back singles from Chase Brunson and Nolan Traeger put the tying runs on base with just one out. However, a pair of strikeouts stranded even more TCU baserunners.

TCU honestly played a great defensive game, as several double plays prevented the Mountaineers from adding to their lead. It was also a solid night on the mound from Tommy LaPour and Walter Quinn, who combined to allow just two runs all game. LaPour turned in one of his best outings in quite some time, throwing five innings while allowing only three hits, two walks, and two runs while striking out five. His performance kept the Frogs within striking distance throughout the game.

Quinn also shut down West Virginia, tossing three scoreless innings. He surrendered just one hit, walked two, and struck out four. It simply was not TCU’s night offensively.

Lance Davis Continues a Run TCU Hasn't Seen Since 2014

Man oh man, Lance Davis just keeps getting better and better. The freshman completely shut down the West Virginia Mountaineers baseball lineup, turning in another dominant outing. Just a week after throwing a complete game, Davis somehow topped it with a complete-game shutout. It was a much-needed win for the Horned Frogs, and Davis answered the call by putting the team on his back.

West Virginia ace Maxx Yehl also had a strong performance, but the TCU offense, despite missing several key weapons, did just enough to get to him early. Both starters kept scoring low throughout most of the game, with the only early runs coming in the second inning. Preston Gamster took advantage of a pitch left in the zone and launched it over the fence for a solo homer to give the Frogs a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after, Kyuss Gargett answered again, following it up with a home run of his own to make it 2-0.

That would be all the scoring for quite some time as Davis continued to dominate and Yehl settled in after the early damage. The Frogs were largely shut down for the remainder of Yehl’s outing, which ended in the seventh inning. He finished with a solid line of 6.2 innings pitched, allowing four hits, two runs, and two walks while striking out nine on 116 pitches. Despite giving up the two early home runs, Yehl looked every bit like the ace he has been all season long.

The Mountaineers then turned to J.T. Heuther, who closed out the seventh inning with a big strikeout. However, his outing was brief as West Virginia made another pitching change in the eighth, bringing in Dawson Montesa. The Frogs quickly took advantage.

In the eighth inning, Noah Franco blasted a home run to left field to extend the lead to 3-0. A pair of Mountaineer throwing errors later in the inning allowed TCU to add another run and push the lead to 4-0. Montesa’s outing could have been much better, but the defense behind him provided little help. He finished after just 0.2 innings, allowing one hit while striking out four.

West Virginia made one final pitching change, turning to Joshua Suriago in hopes of a comeback. He held the Frogs scoreless, but it did not matter because Davis was simply too dominant. The redshirt freshman completed his second straight complete game, this time without allowing a run. Davis finished with a quite impressive stat line: nine innings pitched, three hits allowed, one walk, and six strikeouts on 108 pitches. His back-to-back complete games are the first from a TCU pitcher since Preston Morrison in 2014

At this point, Davis may have established himself as the best pitcher in TCU’s rotation. The Horned Frogs took Game 2 with a fairly comfortable 4-0 victory in yet another low-scoring battle in Morgantown.

Did TCU Baseball Just Punch Its Ticket Or Is Work Still Left?

TCU Celebrating after beating UTAH
Emma Swinney For KillerFRogs/TCU on Si

Friday's win likely strengthened TCU's postseason case, but the Horned Frogs still appear to have work left before feeling comfortable on Selection Day.

If the recent pitching surge continues and key injured players return, TCU could become one of the more dangerous teams entering postseason play.

The margin for error remains thin. TCU still needs to take care of business over the final stretch.

What's Next

One More Opportunity Awaits TCU

Saturday now becomes far more than a regular-season finale. TCU has a chance to secure a rare road series victory in Morgantown while improving its Big 12 Tournament position and strengthening its postseason resume. The Horned Frogs haven't won a series in Morgantown since 2011, adding even more weight to a game that suddenly feels much bigger.

TCU plays West Virginia at 11:00 AM CST, Saturday, on ESPN+.

Join the Conversation

Has Lance Davis become TCU's unquestioned ace? Has TCU done enough to feel comfortable about its postseason chance? Join the conversation on KillerFrogs.com and weigh in.

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Nathan Cross - writer for KillerFrogs | TCU On SI
NATE CROSS

Nathan (Nate) Cross is a current TCU student (Class of 2025), avid golfer, and a Horned Frog sports enthusiast. He enjoys anything sports-related such as writing, following all stats, and player movements. Additionally, he is always up for a good sports debate.

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