KANSAS

Kansas Jayhawks Baseball Series Preview: TCU Horned Frogs

The Jayhawks kick off conference play on the road against the defending Big 12 Champion Horned Frogs

Lucas Murphy

Kansas Athletics

The Kansas Jayhawks' baseball team continues to break my heart as they drop a midweek game against the Missouri Tigers, falling to an overall record of 8-11. Kansas will head on the road to begin their three-game series against the TCU Horned Frogs.

The Jayhawks Starting Pitching Must Follow Collin Baumgartner

The Kansas Jayhawks' pitching staff has been very similar to a rollercoaster. Up and down, up and down enough to make those who get motion sickness sick. Those looking for a smoother ride look no further than Friday's starting pitcher. Collin Baumgartner has been a workhorse for this pitching staff. Baumgartner has started five games posting a 2-0 record. He currently has a 2.96 earned run average giving up 22 hits, nine runs, six walks, five doubles, two triples, and one home run. His opponents are hitting .216 against him and have struck out 27 times. His ability to limit walks and hinder the opposing team from getting extra-base hits makes him stand out.

The TCU Horned Frogs are having a less-than-stellar season with a record of 12-9. A team ranked very high early in the season has struggled at the plate hitting. TCU is ranked 170th in the D1 baseball with a .266 batting average and tied for 113th in walks. Their stats play right into what the Jayhawks' ace is good at. Third basemen Brayden Taylor a Preseason College All-American is off to a slow start in 2023. Taylor is currently hitting .247/.390/.519. He has 20 hits, one double, and zero triples but has connected for seven home runs. Baumgartner has the upper hand on the All-American by limiting extra-base hits.

The Jayhawk Hitters Must Capitalize on Their Opponents’ Mistakes

The Kansas Jayhawks' hitters have faced some worthy opponents this season, and it will continue with Big 12 play kicking off. Currently, the offense is ranked 179th in D1 baseball for batting average, 189th in hits, tied for 112th in home runs, and 207th with 5.7 runs per game. The Jayhawks can raise those rankings but have failed to capitalize on their opponent's mistakes. For example, in the most recent game against the No. 15 Missouri Tigers, the Jayhawks loaded the bases in the 7th inning by drawing three consecutive walks. Kansas would come away with one run in an inning that could have tremendously extended the lead.

TCU is a formidable opponent to the Kansas hitters when it comes to mistakes. The Horned Frogs' pitching staff limits their walks allowed being ranked 55th in all of D1 college baseball. TCU is also ranked 31st in WHIP with a 1.28. They also have a 2.25 K/BB ratio placing them 84th in the nation. These statistics indicate the Horned Frogs' pitching staff makes minimal mistakes. The Jayhawks have to build momentum when mistakes happen, especially in this series. Currently, Kansas is led by Chase Jans, who is hitting .328/.421/.516 this season. Jans leads the team in RBIs with 13. He also extended his hitting streak to 15 consecutive games. Giving Jans an opportunity to drive runners in will help the Jayhawks defeat the Horned Frogs this weekend.

The first game of this series is Friday, March 24th with a first pitch expected at 6:30 pm CST. Saturday, March 25th the game is expected to start at 2:00 pm CST, and Sunday, March 26th at 1:00 pm CST. 

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Lucas Murphy
LUCAS MURPHY

In addition to writing at Blue Wings Rising, Lucas Murphy is a contributor at Inside the Royals, and Blue Wings Rising. Lucas also started a YouTube/podcast channel called “The Beat of Kansas City" and is a co-host on a podcast called "Royals Rundown". He attended the University of Saint Mary, earning his degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Coaching. He played four years of college baseball. Follow him on Twitter @TheBeatofKC

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