TCU Baseball Heads to Heads to West Virginia With Postseason Stakes Rising

One strong weekend could completely change how TCU enters postseason play.

TCU Horned Frogs will head into a very important road series against the West Virginia Mountaineers after coming off a much-needed sweep of Utah. Kirk Saarloos and his Frogs needed this after getting swept at Oklahoma State the week before. After their big sweep last weekend against Utah, the Horned Frogs’ RPI went up nine spots to No. 42. This was huge for the Frogs, as it had slipped quite a bit.

TCU currently sits in sixth place, but it’s a very close sixth place, as they are within three games of the Mountaineers in second and just one game back of the third- and fourth-place teams. This weekend has extremely high stakes and will matter for both teams, so get your popcorn ready; it’s going to be an intense matchup. Let's dive into this series!

TCU's Offense is Heating Up at the Right Time

TCU Horned Frogs' offense has been on fire lately and continues to surge. The Frogs have hit 64 home runs this season, with 41 coming in their last 26 games. That total ranks seventh in the Big 12. Over their last 12 games, the Frogs have recorded 52 extra-base hits, including 32 doubles, two triples, and 18 home runs. This lineup has been on a tear lately.

TCU draft prospect Sawyer Strosnider also seemed to find his rhythm again last weekend, looking much more comfortable at the plate and becoming a big reason why TCU swept the series. Strosnider hit his fourth triple of the year and now has 14 career triples, tied for second-most in program history. Getting him back on track will only make this team more dangerous.

The Mountaineers have been one of the better-hitting squads this season, which is why they are in the mix to host a regional. West Virginia's lineup is hitting .308 as a team led by Gavin Kelly who had a .391 batting average and 12 home runs. The team is not necessarily a power-hitting team, as they only have 41 homers, but they will make you pay with efficiency and good plate appearances.

The Horned Frogs will have their work cut out ahead of them this weekend and must play their best baseball. However, if they want to win this series there bats cannot go cold.

Can TCU's Pitchers Slow Down West Virginia?

The TCU Horned Frogs' pitching staff is coming off a really productive week after holding Utah to just four runs, including a complete game and a shutout. It was an all-around great performance from the pitching staff.

Lance Davis pitched a stellar complete game last week and has gotten better and better each week. It marked Davis’ seventh quality start of the season. It was also great to see Tommy LaPour put together a solid start, as he is looking closer and closer to himself again.

Tanner Sagouspe was nails once again, adding two more saves in the series to bring his season total to five. He has taken the closer role and run with it.

The West Virginia Mountaineers have one of the best pitching staffs in the country and own the top team ERA in the Big 12. The Horned Frog offense will have to be on its A-game, or this could become a very tough matchup. I expect this series to look very similar to the Utah vs. TCU series, with low scoring and great pitching. Pitching is one of the biggest factors that could impact this series, so let’s take a look at the projected starting pitching matchups for the weekend.

Friday- Tommy LaPour (6.30 ERA) vs Maxx Yehl (2.04 ERA)

Saturday- Lance Davis (4.18 ERA) vs Cole Chansen (2.71 ERA)

Sunday- Zack James (3.49 ERA) vs Dawson Montesa (5.75 ERA)

Why West Virginia Has Become One of the Big 12's Hottest Teams

The West Virginia Mountaineers swept Kansas last week just like the TCU Horned Frogs swept Utah. The question now is: what went right for both programs, and how can TCU avoid making the same mistakes Kansas did?

The Horned Frogs will need to pitch well and find ways to get to West Virginia’s starters early. Kansas was not able to capitalize against the Mountaineers’ pitching staff, so TCU must strike early before West Virginia settles in, or things could get ugly fast.

Another key for TCU will be limiting the Mountaineers’ offense. West Virginia has been one of the hottest teams in the Big 12, and if the Frogs can minimize the damage offensively and continue their recent strong pitching performances, they will put themselves in a great position to win the series.

How to Watch TCU vs West Virginia

First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and can be seen on ESPN+.

Game 2: Friday @ 5:30 PM

Game 3: Saturday @ 12 PM.

This is a big weekend, get ready for some late-season madness. The stage is set for a competitive weekend.

Add us as a preferred source on Google