TCU bats go for a spin in Game 2 victory over Penn State

With only three at-bats last season, don’t blame Nolan Brown for being quick to swing. He’s been waiting a long time.

And so far, it’s getting results.

The senior center fielder drove in four runs with a pair of two-run singles, part of a 6-for-10 start to the season for him, in No. 1 TCU’s 12-1 victory against Penn State on Saturday at Lupton Stadium.

“He’s been swinging the bat well against our pitching,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “Yeah, he’s a good player.”

Shortstop Mason Hesse and catcher Zach Humphreys each drove in two runs in their spot starts, and Austen Wade, Josh Watson, Luken Baker and Elliott Barzilli, who homered as part of three hits, also drove in runs for the Horned Frogs (2-0), who clinched the season-opening series.

Senior right-hander Brian Howard used 72 pitches to go six innings, giving up only a first-inning run, three hits, striking out three and walking one.

Brown missed almost all of last season because of a broken hamate bone in his hand. A season-long starter in 2015, he reclaimed his center field job for 2017 but not his leadoff role.

Hitting sixth, he said he’s free to be more aggressive than at the top of the order, where working counts is more valued.

“Coach Schloss likes me in the 6-hole for RBI reasons,” he said. “Coach Schloss is right, Austen Wade is better at seeing pitches, getting deeper in counts. In the 6-hole, you’ve got guys on base or you don’t, but you’re a little more free-swinging. I’m an early-count swinger for the most part.”

In the series opener, Brown punched the first pitch he saw for a double. Saturday, he slapped the second pitch he saw into right field to put TCU ahead 2-1. In the fourth inning, he went to a full count before singling again to right for a 9-1 lead.

It was part of a 13-hit day for the Frogs, who had two hits in winning 6-3 on Friday.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of production last night. It’s going to happen in the sport of baseball,” Schlossnagle said. “They never panic. A few guys were over-swinging a little bit. Elliott made some good adjustments in the middle of the game today.”

Howard (1-0) won his fifth decision in five starts and improved to 15-2 in 22 career starts and 8-0 in 11 starts at Lupton Stadium. He gave up a two-out single and a two-out double in the first inning that scored a run, then settled in.

“Even though I’m a senior, I’m not immune to the first-game-of-the-year butterflies, being a little bit jacked up,” he said. “But I want to start off by saying what an incredible job Zach Humphreys did behind the plate. First start of his college career, and he was outstanding back there. He handled it like a veteran. He did a great job handling low pitches. I’m really proud of the way he played.”

Humphreys, a freshman from Midlothian, collected RBIs with a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.

“A day like today, the depth of the lineup showed up,” Schlossnagle said. “Nolan drove in four runs, but Humphreys’ at-bats were awesome. Two RBIs and got deep in counts. Did a really good job for his first college game.”

This story was originally published February 18, 2017 at 6:19 PM with the headline "TCU bats go for a spin in Game 2 victory over Penn State."