TCU’s Traver says thanks, but no thanks to excuse for uneven year

For the first time this season, TCU pitcher Mitchell Traver is making a third consecutive start on schedule.

Coach Jim Schlossnagle hopes that helps stabilize the senior right-hander as a part of the rotation with postseason weeks away. He starts Sunday’s series finale against Texas at Lupton Stadium.

“I feel bad for Mitchell because we haven’t been able to keep him on a regular schedule,” Schlossnagle said last week. “He pitched great at DBU and then we didn’t have a Tuesday game for him to pitch the next week.”

Traver moved into the weekend rotation when Jared Janczak was sidelined by a shoulder strain. But in his first start, against Baylor, he lasted only 1.1 innings and gave up four runs.

Last week at Texas Tech, he walked five and struck out three in 2.2 innings. But he had a 2-1 lead and seemed to be gaining rhythm when rain stopped the game and finished his day.

In a season already interrupted by a back muscle strain, he has yet to pitch more than the 4.0 innings he delivered at Dallas Baptist on April 11, when he struck out five and retired the first 11 batters he faced — an outing that Schlossnagle called as good as any Traver has delivered at TCU.

He said an inconsistent schedule has nothing to do with his struggles.

“I appreciate coach having my back, to be honest with you,” Traver said before practice Wednesday. “I’ve been battling just trying to find it and make the adjustments I need to make to go out there and help my team win. But I’m definitely not going to pin it on a lack of routine or a lack of preparation. Right now, I’m going through one of those seasons in life where things aren’t necessarily going my way.”

With his postseason experience, a Traver turnaround could prove very useful for TCU with Janczak not expected back in the regular season and the Big 12 tournament starting in less than three weeks.

Traver is 3-2 with a 4.04 ERA in eight postseason appearances, highlighted by a four-inning win in relief in the 16-inning Game 3 of the 2015 Super Regional against Texas A&M. His six starts and two relief appearances include two Big 12 tournaments, two regional tournaments, two Super Regionals and two College World Series.

“I don’t think anyone in the country has a guy like Mitchell,” right fielder Austen Wade said. “He’s pitched at the highest level of college baseball there is and pitched really well.”

TCU is 18-9 all-time in his starts, 4-2 this season.

“How many teams can lose a guy like Janczak and plug in a guy like Mitchell Traver?” Schlossnagle said. “He’s experienced everything you can possibly experience as a college pitcher at the absolute highest level in any kind of environment you can think of.”

But without more consistency, Traver’s spot in the rotation is not safe. Janczak will be healthy at some point, and Schlossnagle served notice this week when he said he is tempted to give reliever Sean Wymer a shot to start.

“For me, it’s important to keep my nose to the grindstone, keep the faith, keep working hard and trust that God’s got a plan for me,” Traver said. “God knows that every time I go out there, I do everything I can to help this team win. When I’m not able to do that, I don’t think there’s anybody harder on me than me. I’m definitely not going to allow that to be pinned on any kind of excuse. It’s on me, and I’m doing everything I can to get things right.”

This story was originally published May 6, 2017 at 4:40 PM with the headline "TCU’s Traver says thanks, but no thanks to excuse for uneven year."