TCU Baseball Positional Preview: Infielders
When your infield is anchored down by a first team All American, you're in good hands. That's the case with third baseman Brayden Taylor, who was selected by D1Baseball and Baseball America.
Taylor leads a group that might need some introducing given the crop of new faces in 2023. But this talented unit buttons down the hatch defensively and brings a pop to the plate.
TCU's 2023 season kicks off Feb. 17.
TCU Baseball: Returning Infielders
Taylor continues his decorated college career, one that began with landing on the Big 12 All-Freshman team and most recently added first team All-America honors. In between, he picked up a half-dozen all-this and all-that selections.
The junior from West Jordan, Utah, hit 13 home runs last season and batted in 50 runners. He hit .314– slightly down from 2021– but drew 55 walks. However, it's his prowess at third base that really cements Taylor as all-world.
David Bishop returns after a stellar freshman campaign that landed him on the Big 12 All-Freshman list. He hit .261 with six homers and logged 47 RBI. He also had 16 games which he recorded multiple hits. Bishop returns as the bonafide starter at first this season.
Rising junior Kurtis Byrne rounds out the starters returning from last season in the infield. He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection and a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection. Byrne posted multiple career-highs in 2022, including 60 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs, and 44 RBI.
Both rising sophomores, Owen Blackledge and Brody Green, saw limited action last year. However, they both landed on the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team in 2022. Expect them to continue to rotate in and out of the lineup this season.
TCU Baseball: Infield Additions
At least two newcomers will start in the infield for TCU this season: Baylor transfer Tre Richardson and freshman Anthony Silva. Richardson was a 2021 All-Big 12 honorable mention and comes in to play second base. Silva, an immensely talented freshman, was a two-time unanimous, first-team all-district player in high school and a top-15 draft prospect in Texas.
Silva replaces the departed Tommy Sacco, a first team All-Big 12 selection last season. While his talent is surely there, experience is the question.
Three other freshman join TCU this season: first baseman Gabe Miranda (Orange, Calif.), catcher Karson Bowen (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), and shortstop Fisher Ingersoll (Lehi, Utah). The group is mostly expected to play a rotational role, though Ingersoll could compete for the starting shortstop job.
Bowen is a decorated prospect. He's a four time member of USA Baseball National Teams, played in the Perfect Game Underclass All-American game, and was awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove award (top defensive catcher in the country).
The abundance of youth throughout the infield projects for a solid unit for seasons to come.
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