TCU Baseball Hosts UCLA For Top-25 Weekend Series
If there's one thing you can't say about the TCU Horned Frogs baseball program, it's that they take the easy route to the postseason. Each year, the Frogs challenge themselves with loaded tournaments and difficult non-league series. This year, No. 5 TCU (4-0) hosts the No. 20 UCLA Bruins (3-0) for a three-game series in Fort Worth.
Still unscathed, TCU had to rally twice and stave off rallies twice to get to their first four wins of the season. While it makes for must-watch baseball, Frog fans are in search of a more convincing means of victory. For those looking for a laid-back swing, this isn't your weekend.
Friday kicks off the series at 6:30 p.m. CT. Saturday's Game 2 begins at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday's finale starts at 1:00 p.m. Watch UCLA at TCU on ESPN+, listen to it at 88.7 FM KTCU, or see it for yourself at Lupton Stadium.
West Coast Swing
Unlike golfers on the PGA TOUR, TCU doesn't take up residency on the West Coast – rather, the West Coast takes up residency in the DFW Metroplex. The Horned Frogs' next eight games feature opponents that play ball in the Pac-12 (UCLA, Washington State, Arizona, USC, Arizona State). For Big 12 fans: get familiar with the Arizona schools, who join the Heartland conference next season.
Each year, TCU schedules a difficult non-league series. In 2022, that was a three-game swing at Kentucky; last year, they took on Florida State. And in each series, TCU came away with more losses than wins.
Historically, the Horned Frogs struggle with teams ranked between 26-50 in RPI. Just last year – a TCU team that reached the national semifinals – they went 4-12 against teams in that 26-50 range. For those unfamiliar with RPI, it's not a national ranking system but a rating system. So while the number ahead of UCLA reads "20," that may not correlate exactly with team strength.
The first RPI ratings don't release until a couple weeks in, but UCLA is a team that fits the 26-50 bill. Historically, this isn't a favorable matchup for the Frogs.
A Different Flavor Of Baseball
Last weekend, FGCU brought the power. The Eagles scored buckets of runs off power hits, although their pitching gave up the same. That is not UCLA's style.
Through three games, the Bruins have 30 hits, 10 of which went for extra bases (five home runs). They drew 26 walks against Gonzaga and leaned into base hit, move the runner, score on singles and doubles. The power is definitely there in the lineup, but UCLA wins games by attrition at the plate and, sometimes, with what would be considered "small ball."
This style of offense counters TCU's pitching well, at least from what we saw last weekend. Payton Tolle only allowed three hits, but two of those hits resulted in four runs scored. The next day, ace Kole Klecker allowed seven hits in three innings, three of which went over the outfield wall. Ben Hampton gave up eight hits Tuesday night.
TCU's bullpen managed much better, with Zach Cawyer not giving up a single fly ball – all of this batted balls were grounders with one line drive. Overall, the relief pitching kept the ball on the ground and allowed an elite group of defenders behind them to clean up.
That's how the starters have to keep UCLA's bats in check this weekend. Otherwise, the runs will again come pouring in.
Sizing Up The Bruins
If you looked up the term "well-rounded" in the dictionary, this UCLA Bruins squad would be its definition. The team has no glaring weaknesses and a ton of upside. While pitching dominates the conversation around John Savage's crew, offense might be their biggest strength.
UCLA forces opposing pitchers to throw a ton. In their three-game series with Gonzaga, the Bruins drew an absurd 26 walks but also struck out 25 times. Quick math will tell you that each batter goes deep in the count; it's in the game plan. Against TCU's weekend starters – none of whom went longer than four innings – UCLA will again look to extend the count and force Kirk Saarloos to go to his reserves early on.
Second baseman Duce Gourson hit two home runs and bagged a double in his Opening Weekend series; he also drew four walks. The junior is UCLA's biggest threat at the plate and played for Team USA over the summer. Freshman Roch Cholowsky mans third base and brings elite defensive prowess and athleticism along with pop thanks to his 6-foot-2 frame.
The weekend rotation consists of righties Luke Jewett, Finn McIlroy, and Michael Barnett. Barnett led the charge of UCLA's 6-0 shutout Sunday, where he fanned six batters, walked none, and forced another four into groundouts. Jewett allowed the most offense on Friday, allowing four runs in 5.1 innings.
This is an extremely balanced team that forces opponents to play sound baseball and win every facet of the game to beat them.
Player To Watch: Ben Abeldt
Abeldt was one of TCU's most reliable arms last season and began this year on the right foot. He's already picked up a pair of saves in his first two appearances. He was called upon to seal the victory in TCU's Saturday night comeback victory nursing a three-run lead. More critically, he came in to finish the game Tuesday with just a one-run lead on Texas State.
Against UCLA, TCU may be nursing a one- or two-run lead. Having a reliable pitcher step in and slam the door shut is crucial to coming away with a series win.
Abeldt got experience facing savvy and patient batters with both FGCU and Texas State. UCLA is more of the same, but with a higher propensity to strike out. He'll need to bring his best stuff to the mound when called upon to notch at least one more save.
How To Watch TCU Vs. UCLA
When: Friday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 24, 4:00 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 25, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Lupton Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
TV/Streaming: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: KTCU 88.7 FM
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