TCU Baseball: Stranded At Third?
Despite clinching a series sweep over the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles over the weekend, questions still remain about who will take the reins at the hot corner for the TCU Horned Frogs.
With the departure of Brayden Taylor after being selected 19th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, TCU faced question marks of who his replacement was going to be in 2024.
Ryder Robinson earned the starting spot after a promising Fall season but struggled immensely in this opening series against the Eagles. The freshman went 1-for-9 (.111) in the series, and two defensive errors on Saturday saw sophomore transfer from Pepperdine Jack Basseer take the field on Sunday. Basseer, on the other hand, went 0-for-1 with a walk, but his three errors saw Brody Green make his 2024 debut as a defensive replacement.
Green would finish the game going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Miraculously, his two hits came in the same inning when the Frogs sent 11 men to the dish, plating four on six hits in the bottom half of the 6th.
| At-bats | Runs | Hits | RBI | Batting average | On-base percentage | Errors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brody Green | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .667 | .667 | 0 |
Jack Basseer and Ryder Robinson | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .100 | .200 | 5 |
The worry is not in the batting average, on-base percentage, or the offensive production as a whole. Rather, the concern sprouts from a plethora of defensive miscues at one of the most important positions on the diamond.
Yes, it is still incredibly early to decide who should be the Frogs’ third baseman moving forward. Granted, Robinson showed promise in Fall ball, and the reality is he remains a freshman playing in one of the most competitive baseball conferences in the nation.
The same goes for Basseer, who had lots of success offensively a year ago with Pepperdine, batting .345 with 58 hits, five home runs, 18 extra-base hits, and 34 RBI.
While the future of TCU’s third baseman remains a question, what is clear is Green took advantage of his opportunities on the diamond, both in the infield and the batter’s box.
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