TCU Horned Frogs Baseball Preview 2024: Pitchers
The 2023 baseball season saw a meteoric rise for the TCU Horned Frogs' pitching staff. The first month or so was a mess of starters and moving guys in and out of different roles. But when freshman Kole Klecker hit his stride, the pitching staff became one of the biggest strengths on the team. Now, coming into 2024, this unit has the potential to be one of the Big 12's best, thanks to the addition of a few arms.
Below, we'll go over the pitching corps for TCU baseball this season and what to expect from the unit as a whole. Check back for more positional previews, leading up to a TCU baseball season preview and prediction.
Last year, we came within six games of TCU's record, but did project a College World Series run for the Frogs.
TCU Baseball: Returning Pitchers
Klecker is the cornerstone of the rotation this season. Last year, he was a Friday night star and might continue that position this year. As a true freshman, Klecker posted a 10-4 record with a 3.72 ERA in 17 starts. The campaign earned him a seat on the Freshman All-American team alongside teammate Anthony Silva.
The rest of the projected weekend rotation is made up of transfers.
The other foundational block of returners is rising closer Ben Abeldt. He anchored the pitching staff last year in relief duty, posting a 3.60 ERA and 71 strikeouts to 24 walks. Abeldt did post two saves, but Garrett Wright was the primary closer for much of the season. This year, expect him to be the closing arm to start.
Chase Hoover and Louis Rodriguez project to see the most work of the remaining returners on the roster. As a freshman, Rodriguez posted a quality season, picking up two wins (five starts) and three saves as he was moved around as the rotation needed. He had the added benefit of playing with high school teammate and fellow true freshman Karson Bowen behind the plate. Hoover struggled to fully get in a rhythm, but improved his fastball in the fall.
Other returners include Braeden Sloan (38 innings pitched, 6.63 ERA), Caedmon Parker (redshirted last year) – who is a name to watch in the weeknight rotation – Storm Hierholzer, Cohen Feser (31.2 IP, 2.56 ERA), Jax Traeger (11.2 IP, 4.63 ERA), and Hunter Hodges (14 IP, 2.57 ERA).
TCU Baseball: Pitching Additions
The 2023-24 offseason was a busy one for the Frogs, who went heavy with pitching additions. After all, depth was their biggest concern last year. Of the four primary projected starters, three are newcomers.
Payton Tolle is perhaps the most intriguing transfer on the TCU roster. At Wichita State, Tolle was a premier two-way player, starting 15 games on the mound (9-3 record, 4.62 ERA) and also slugging 13 home runs at the plate (.311 batting average). Expect to hear his name worn out this season as one of TCU's most exciting players.
Arkansas transfer Zack Morris struggled mightily last season, posting a 7.64 ERA, but reportedly took massive strides this fall and projects to be in the weekend rotation. "Morris had a fantastic fall and put himself in the starting discussion," said head coach Kirk Saarloos. "I just asked him in the fall is he's ever thrown a true changeup. He threw one for us and I'm like, 'yeah – you're going to start throwing that a lot more."
Finally, West Virginia grad transfer Ben Hampton joins the crew as a potential starter or staple relief pitcher. Hampton made more than 40 starts in Morgantown and is perhaps the most accurate pitcher on the team. Although his fastball tops out in the mid-80s, he hangs his hat on precision with offspeed pitches.
Oregon transfer Andrew Mosiello has a chance to be a weeknight starter or perhaps crack the weekend rotation. According to Saarloos, Mosiello is reminiscent of another Oregon transfer on the mound, Brett Walker. He's expected to have a number of roles this year thanks to what Saarloos describes as "a steady heartbeat."
Other transfer pitchers include Zachary Cawyer (McLennan College), Colt Taylor (Tennessee Tech grad transfer), Blake Rogers (Baylor), and Kyle Ayers (Houston).
The talented freshman class of pitchers includes Carson Cormier (Westford, Mass.), Mason Bixby (San Antonio), Holden Harris (Leander), and Jax Lewis (Claxton, Ga.).
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