TCU Baseball Mid-Week Preview: Abilene Christian
The TCU Horned Frogs, the number five ranked team in the country, have started the season perfect and look to remain so with their last matchup before beginning conference play this weekend.
TCU utility player, Kurtis Byrne in the Sunday matchup against USC
Brian McClean KillerFrogs/On Assignment
The Horned Frogs have yet to announce a starting pitcher for the matchup this week, in part likely due to the injury of Zach Morris, which puts the weekend rotation in need of an arm. The likely names to make a start will be regular mid-week starter Ben Hampton, the reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, Braedon Sloan, or second-year pitcher Louis Rodriguez.
As for the lineup, TCU Head Coach Kirk Saarloos likes to switch things up midweek by trying new combinations or giving players rest days. Logan Maxwell has yet to play in a midweek matchup, with Jack Basseer slotting into his role last week.
Abilene Christian will be playing for their third win in the series against the Horned Frogs, with the series record being 28-2. The 8-5 Wildcats are amid a nine-game road trip and have yet to announce a midweek starter for this game.
The Wildcats boast a .282 batting average, a 4.99 ERA, and a fielding percentage of .971. The leading hitter on the team, Miller Ladusau, has a batting average of .400 on the year, while Gino D'Alessio leads the team with three home runs on the season. Frog fans can expect to see the likes of Dash Albus, Caden Greanead, or Chandler Benson on the mound as they all co-lead the team with five appearances out of the bullpen.
Stats to Know
Sam Myers (TCU)- His .419 batting average is good for eighth in the nation among freshmen.
Peyton Chatagnier (TCU)- Leads the conference in walks with 15, which is also suitable for seventh in the NCAA.
Zachary Cawyer (TCU)- Tied for the national lead with four wins on the season.
TCU Pitchers- Third most strikeouts in the NCAA
The matchup between the teams will take place on March 5 at 6 p.m. at Lupton Stadium.
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