TCU Takes Down Their Dallas Rival In Midweek Game

On Tuesday night, the TCU Horned Frogs and the DBU Patriots played their yearly midweek game out at Horner Ballpark, just a short distance away from TCU’s campus in Dallas, Texas. After the Frogs dropped a second straight Big 12 series to UCF, it was a much-needed win. The Frogs came from behind to defeat the Patriots.

DBU Controlled Early In the Game

It was TCU who struck first and got things started early in the game. The Frogs got a few runners in scoring position, and Chase Brunson singled, driving the first run of the game home. That would be it for the Frogs for quite a while. However, DBU didn't stay silent for long; in fact, they scored right away. Ben Tyron hit a two-run homer to kickstart their scoring, bringing the game to 2-1. After that, DBU scored three more runs, putting this game in danger of getting out of hand at 5-1. DBU was looking like they had the Horned Frogs right where they wanted them, but TCU had other plans.

Turning Point: Strosnider Hits a Three Run Shot

The Frogs had some late-game heroics backed by great pitching and hitting, and came from behind to take this game from their Dallas rival, the DBU Patriots. Things were looking in the Patriots’ favor quite late in the game, as they led 5-1 until the 7th inning. Just as it seemed the Frogs were done, their bats came alive.

Colton Griffin got the scoring started with a single up the middle, scoring Preston Gamster and advancing Jack Bell. Then things went even further south for DBU as they left a pitch hanging in the zone for TCU slugger Sawyer Strosnider, who did what he does best: hit bombs. He tied up the game with a three-run shot, making it his 9th homer of the year.

The Frogs Did Not Stop There

The Frogs continued the damage in the top of the eighth to take the lead. TCU loaded the bases. A walk and two hit-by-pitches gave TCU three more runs to bring the game to 8-5. And they did not stop there. Jack Bell came back in the 9th inning with a runner on base and hit a two-run homer to bring the game to 10-5. After that, Colton Griffin followed up with a triple of his own to right field, and Cole Cramer brought him home with a single, making the game 11-5.

This would be enough runs for the Horned Frogs to hold on and win the game, as Tanner Sagouspe shut them down. The Patriots’ pitching could not find any answers for the Frogs, as they allowed 8 hits, 4 hit batters, 7 walks, and 2 errors. To say the least, it was not the Patriots’ night. TCU, on the other hand, settled into this game and found a way to come out on top.

Horned Frogs’ Pitching Staff Hold Off DBU Bats

While it wasn’t perfect, TCU’s pitching staff had a much better outing against a team that has six players in their lineup batting over .300. Freshman Cade Nelson got the start in this game and went 2.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and 3 runs, and had his ups and downs in his short outing.

After that, things settled down as Nate Stern came in and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing three hits, no runs, and recording three strikeouts, slowing down the Patriots. Noah Franco struggled in his outing, not able to last an inning and allowing the last two DBU runs, but it’s okay, he’s coming back from injury and will bounce back. His teammate, Tyler Phenow, came on and finished the rest of the inning, striking out a batter and ending all DBU damage.

Then it was Tanner Sagouspe, who had an amazing outing, going the last three innings without allowing any hits or runs and striking out two batters on 39 pitches. He was dominant, ending the Patriots' chances. This outing shows the staff can fight hard and get wins. This was a great test for the Horned Frog pitchers.

Impact Hitters of The Game

Sawyer Strosnider is our first impact player. He is what changed the feeling in this game with his three-run homer to right field. This sparked a fire in the Frogs, and they did not look back.

Jack Bell is another Frog who made an impact in this game. He had a great game with two hits, one being a homer, and scored three runs. His performance helped TCU secure this win.

JB brought the juice 🧃💥#GoFrogs | #FrogballUSA pic.twitter.com/M0CR8Waald
— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) March 25, 2026

Colton Griffin also stayed hot, continuing to hit the ball well. He had another great night with two hits and scored four runs. Preston Gamster also had his name inserted in the lineup, and I am glad he did, because he played a major part in TCU's scoring. He had a hit and three walks, scoring three runs.

TCU’s offense was hot tonight, and I think it was partially due to a switched-up lineup.

Is This a Turning Point For The Frogs?

One win is definitely not enough to tell us much, but this was a must-win for the Frogs in terms of confidence. Kirk Saarloos and TCU made some changes to the lineup, and I hope they stick with them because I think it boosted the Frogs and gave them a completely new and fresh start.

Time will tell if this is a turning point for the Frogs, but I liked what I saw in Tuesday night’s midweek game, and I truly think they can build on this heading into their weekend series against Texas Tech. This season is far from over, and the Frogs can definitely turn things around. They just need to put one foot in front of the other and go game by game.