TCU pitching getting return on investment in freshman arms

TCU takes along the Big 12’s second-best earned-run average when it starts a three-game series at Oklahoma State on Friday.

The Horned Frogs have a 2.95 team ERA through 35 games covering 305 innings, a notable return from a staff using two freshmen in the weekend rotation and three in the bullpen, including the closer.

“For such a young staff, yeah, I think we’re really mature,” junior starter Brian Howard said. “Every once in a while, you’ll see a little youth show itself on the field. But you can’t expect everyone to play like they’re a senior when they’re a freshman.”

Freshman left-hander Dalton Horton leads TCU in wins at 6-0 and has a 1.99 ERA. He’s also first in batting average against (.201) and fewest stolen bases against (four).

Freshman right-hander Luken Baker (3-1, 1.75) leads the team in starts (nine) and has the best ERA among the starters.

Freshman reliever Sean Wymer has 18 strikeouts in 14 innings, and closer Durbin Feltman has two saves and 22 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings. He got the final four outs of a 2-0 victory that finished a sweep of Oklahoma last week.

Redshirt freshman Jared Janczak leads the team in appearances and has won four games in relief.

“We’re just really proud of the way they’re working,” Howard said.

TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said it’s important to play freshmen if they’re good enough and to learn how they react in pressure situations.

“It’s interesting to watch how some guys rise to that challenge and other guys are a little timid,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that can’t change. We’ve had guys start out timid in their career and become the guys that you count on. Every single guy that walks in my office wants a chance to play as a freshman, pitch as a freshman, and pretty much every time, you tell them, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ Saying what you want and then actually going out there and performing at the level that we’re expected to perform at are two different things.”

Schlossnagle credited pitching coach Kirk Saarloos for his work smoothing the transition for every pitcher, freshman to senior.

“We spend a lot of time, effort and money in the mental game of baseball,” he said. “Kirk Saarloos does a good job of managing our guys doing that.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 11:30 AM with the headline "TCU pitching getting return on investment in freshman arms."