TCU Baseball Positional Preview: Infielders
Outfielders aren't the only group returning a host of experienced starters in 2022. Three starters return to anchor the TCU infield this coming season. A pair of seniors and a freshman All-American lead a deep corps.
Below, we'll look at the projected starting cast, returning depth players, and newcomers to the TCU infield.
The Returning Starters
Nearly a unanimous freshman All-American, Brayden Taylor leads the returning starters. Taylor made 47 starts at third base last year and has an impressive stat sheet after just one season. He hit .324– second best on the team– with 72 hits, 11 doubles, and 23 multi-hit games. Taylor also hit 12 home runs, best on the team. Taylor was named First-Team Freshman All American by D1Baseball, Perfect Game, and Collegiate Baseball and was awarded Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
One more accolade for Taylor: He was a unanimous decision to be named to the Big 12 preseason All-Conference team.
Next to Taylor is senior Tommy Sacco, who should be this year's starting shortstop. Sacco started 59 games last year and reached base safely in 51 of those games. He recorded 48 hits, 14 of which were extra-base hits, and he recorded a hit in 38 games. Sacco was also a First Team All-Academic Big 12 honoree in 2021.
Starting this season at second base is senior Gray Rodgers. Last season, he hit .287 with 51 hits and three homers (48 starts). Rodgers as a Big 12 Honorable Mention selection and was named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team.
Freshman All American Brayden Taylor celebrates an out in the Big 12 Championship last season.
The Rest Of The Returners
Sophomore Kurtis Byrne made six starts last season at catcher and played in 16 games. Byrne hit .333 and reached base in nine of 16 games. His efficiency as a hitter makes him an important piece to the rotation this coming season. He also earned Academic All-Big 12 honors in his third season.
Utility hitter Bobby Goodloe (Jr.) appeared in 12 games last year, nine times as a pinch hitter. In 10 plate appearances, Goodloe hit two home runs. He also started three games as a DH and will continue to provide the rotation with power.
Mason Speaker played limited time as a freshman last season (he exercised his COVID eligibility). Speaker is locally-grown, playing his high school ball at All-Saint's Episcopal. At 6' 4" and 230 pounds, Speaker brings great size to the rotation.
Transfer Portal Talent
The Frogs hit the proverbial jackpot in the transfer portal this offseason. A pair of experienced and talented players landed at TCU and are expected to make immediate impacts.
Cisco College sophomore transfer Reed Spenrath is expected to make a run at being the Frogs' starter at first base this coming season. He was named Third Team JUCO All-American last season after batting .423 with 16 homers and 84 RBI. Spenrath spent his freshman season in 2019 at Texas A&M, where he redshirted. He will sport No. 19 for the Frogs.
Another starting vacancy this offseason for TCU is behind the plate. They have a few guys who saw limited action last season, but grad transfer Michael Petrie brings experience to the position. Petrie played the last five seasons at Washington before transferring to Fort Worth. He boasts a career .992 fielding percentage and is the former No. 15 recruit out of the state of Washington. He will wear No. 7 for TCU this season.
Incoming Talent
The future of the Frogs' infield corps is as bright as their current state is. Four newcomers from all around the country bolster an already-deep group.
Brody Green out of Owasso, Okla., was named an All-American his senior year. He hit .385 with six home runs and played in the PBR Futures game. Green majorly played shortstop and is likely to follow in Sacco's steps.
Another high school shortstop, David Bishop, joins the Frogs out of Marietta, Ga. Perfect Game named Bishop a preseason All-American three times throughout his career. He's the 31st-ranked overall prospect out of Georgia.
Homegrown Hunter Teplansky out of Flower Mound was a participant in the North Texas All Star game and played most of his high school ball at shortstop. He's Baseball America's 66th-ranked prospect in the state of Texas.
Finally, Owen Blackledge of North Canton, Ohio, rounds out the incoming crop. He's the son of ESPN college football analyst Todd Blackledge. Owen was named First Team All-Ohio his senior year– high honors for a state chock-full of baseball talent.
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