TCU Baseball: What Did We Learn This Week?

The Frogs were a true three-outcome team at the plate, but that led to four wins. Does that mean it is sustainable?

JD Andress | Feb 21, 2025

TCU Bands at Globe Life Field for practice in 2024 / Brian McLean OnAssignment/TCU On SI

Welcome to another installment of the "What Did We Learn" article, a weekly column in which I share my thoughts on what TCU Horned Frog fans learned this week that might not have shown up in the box score. This is the baseball edition of the weekly article, which will be released on the Friday morning before the weekend series until basketball season ends when it will be back in the regular Sunday release slot.

Let's dive into this one now that the formalities are out of the way.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Would you have believed me if I told you that the Frogs would be fourth in the country in home runs after the opening weekend? Probably not. I still have a hard time fully believing it myself. Power has never been what TCU has been known for, at least not in recent years, and this isn't a claim that this season will be different, but the numbers are already staggering. The 2024 team that scored the best start in the program's history but missed a regional appearance managed 46 home runs. The 2025 team, fueled by freshman and transfers alike, are already at 23.9% of their total despite only playing 7% of the games as their counterparts.

The long ball was effective in the four-game sweep of the San Deigo Toreros, with Chase Brunson, Cole Cramer, Noah Franco, and Isaac Cadena hitting two each. Franco is a freshman with elite power and bat speed, and Cadena is a sophomore with a violent swing and a knack for launch angle, so home runs are expected from those two. Brunson is already at half of his last season's total (4) despite having 38 fewer games played; the sophomore seems to be growing into his power, which would be a massive plus for the Frogs. Cramer, the transfer from Washington State, only has five home runs in his career and is ALREADY at two on the season, including a game-winning home run in game four.

Besides the new faces stepping on campus, the only other thing that has changed has been the return of hitting coach Bill Mosiello. No disrespect to T.J. Bruce, but the TCU offense was not the same when Mosiello departed for Ohio State. Fans saw that difference in the home runs and the at-bats themselves. The players seemed more aggressive in their approach but assertive with a purpose. They hunted their pitch but weren't afraid to take their free passes if given the opportunity.

However, there can be a downside when you have an aggressive approach at the plate. TCU is already at 12% of their strikeout total from last season (51-394) in only 7% of the games played. The Horned Frogs were second in the country in strikeouts from the opening weekend. That is the risk-reward that happens when you have an aggressive approach; you hunt pitches but are also hunting strikeouts in the same breath.

Now, I'm not saying the approach needs to change; I love the approach being taken at the plate. This is something to remember as fans when you watch the game and start noticing an uptick in strikeouts. The Mosiello experience is here, and while it can be frustrating at times, it can also be fun. Remember, this is a long season, and one series does not define who or what this team is.

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With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

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