Mountaineers' Big 12 Championship Losing Streak Extended to 5 after Falling to TCU

TCU freshman come up big at the plate while Horned Frogs pitching dominates Mountaineers with 13 strikeouts

West Virginia junior Grant Hussey. | Christopher Hall

Arlington, TX – The West Virginia Mountaineers (33-21) extended its Big 12 Conference Baseball Championship losing streak to five and remain winless at Globe Life Field after falling to the TCU Horned Frogs (32-19) Tuesday afternoon in the opening round 5-2.

TCU put the game’s first run on the board in the top of the third inning after junior Brody Green drove a triple into the right centerfield just out of the reach of a diving centerfielder Skylar King and freshman Chase Brunson followed with an RBI sacrifice groundball to second for a 1-0 Horned Frogs’ lead.

West Virginia starting pitcher Carson Estridge loaded the bases in the fourth after giving up singles to junior Logan Maxwell and junior Payton Tolle and beaned sophomore Anthony Silva before walking in a run and ending his day. Sophomore Maxx Yehl came into the game in relief and got out of the inning without allowing a run.

Yehl loaded the bases in the fifth after hitting Brunson, walking freshman Sam Myers and Maxwell singled to rightfield. Then, Byrne grounded into a double play while Brunson crossed home plate for a 3-0 TCU lead.

West Virginia sophomore Logan Sauve lined the 0-2 pitch down the left field line for a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to get the Mountaineers within one, 3-2.

Yehl gave up a single to lead off the sixth before head coach Randy Mazey called out to his bullpen for senior Hayden Cooper. Then, with two outs, freshman Ryder Robinson delivered the RBI single back up the middle for a 4-2 TCU advantage.

Brody Green hit a leadoff home run in the ninth to extend the Horned Frogs lead to three, and sophomore reliever Braeden Sloan finished out the four-inning save with a pair of strikeouts, upping his strikeout to six on the day, as the Horned Frogs advance with the 5-2 decision.

West Virginia is back in action Wednesday morning in an elimination game of the Big 12 Championship against Kansas State. The first pitch is set for 10:00 a.m. EST and will stream on ESPN+.