TCU Baseball: College Baseball Showdown Recap

Frogs impress in Arlington as 2023 season is underway

TCU Baseball is officially underway in 2023 as Frogball USA was put on display at Globe Life Field in Arlington. In the team’s season opener against No. 10 Vanderbilt, right-handed pitcher and transfer from Kansas, Ryan Vanderhei impressed in his TCU debut.

Despite settling for a no-decision, Vanderhei went five innings with three punch outs, giving up three runs on two hits.

While Vanderhei handled himself on the mound the TCU offense shined as well, scoring 11 runs on 12 hits. Proving a difficult out, Elijah Nuñez went three-for-five with four RBIs. Nuñez sparked the five-run sixth inning when he roped a bases-clearing double down the right field line.

Clutch @elijahnunez__ 💪#FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/0b2D2xkv6z

— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) February 17, 2023

In addition to Vanderhei, Austin Davis, Tre Richardson, Cole Fontenelle and Anthony Silva debuted for the Frogs. A terrific start to the season, TCU picked up a massive win which gave them confidence going into Saturday’s game which held a similar storyline.

Facing the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks, TCU’s offense exploded for 18 runs. While the game was all square in the early stages, a 3-run home run from Davis put the Frogs out of the Razorbacks’ reach.

While TCU bats were flexed throughout the night, so was the team's pitching, particularly Kole Klecker, who anchored the Frogs with his appearance in relief. The freshman from Chandler, AZ pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one run, striking out six and securing the win.

That's how you make a debut @KleckerKole!#FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/S4S4Z2lUtZ

— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) February 19, 2023

Despite such promising performances against Vanderbilt and Arkansas, the Frogs struggled against Missouri on Sunday. Ending in a 9-8 Missouri victory, the game saw numerous lead changes and was a back-and-forth fight between the Tigers and the Horned Frogs.

On the hill for TCU was transfer from UC Berkeley, Sam Stoutenborough. A fine outing, Stoutenborough went four innings, seven hits, three earned runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts.

While Stoutenborough was strong on the bump, TCU jumped out to an early lead with a 3-run first and fourth inning. The Frogs took advantage of Missouri’s starter Jadyn Pimental who struggled to find the zone and exhausted himself early on. Pimental lasted only three innings in which he gave up five runs. Despite the Frogs getting out to a 6-3 lead, the Tigers remained in the contest.

We are loving the @samstout15_ energy!!#FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/MlIPuQwYQu

— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) February 20, 2023

They continued to climb back–scoring two runs in the seventh, one in the eighth, and two in the ninth to take a 8-6 lead. Down two runs, the Frogs worked some late inning magic and found themselves with the bases loaded, when David Bishop found the hole for a game-tying two-run single.

Tied at eight-a-piece, TCU forced the game into extra innings. When Missouri attempted a double steal with runners on first and second, catcher Karson Bowen attempted to throw out the second runner, but his throw tailed off and rolled into the outfield, allowing the game-winning run to be scored.

While the loss to Missouri is difficult, TCU Baseball has started the season on an incredibly positive note including two wins against top 10 opponents. Not to mention, the Frogs put up 37 runs in just three games.

Furthermore, there have been tremendous performances by new, young players. Davis and Richardson, transfers from West Virginia and Baylor, respectively, have been immediately inserted into the starting lineup and have excelled.

While the team’s hitting has carried it to victory, the pitching will need to improve. The Frogs are yet to have a starting pitcher earn a decision as they have all been taken out before five innings. This may be problematic if pitchers are unable to go deep enough into games moving forward.

Along these lines of improvement, the Frogs will have to clean up their defensive miscues. Already with seven errors between the three games, five of which came against Missouri, the Frogs are putting themselves in difficult situations.

With Sunday’s loss, the Frogs drop to 2-1 in what has been a truly positive start to the 2023 season. Up next, the Frogs will be back home to host UT Arlington on Wednesday at Lupton Stadium.

---

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!

Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well. Download the KillerFrogs app on Google Play or in the Apple App Store.