TCU baseball to host Texas Rangers instructional league roster in exhibition game
The TCU baseball team will get a solid test of where they stand in fall practice later this month.
The Horned Frogs are set to take on the Texas Rangers’ instructional league roster in an exhibition game at 6 p.m. Oct. 29 at Lupton Stadium. Admission is free for the general public.
This will be the final game of a four-game swing for the Rangers’ minor leaguers against Division I schools. They’ll also play at Texas Tech on Oct. 25; at Dallas Baptist on Oct. 26; and at Baylor on Oct. 28.
TCU last played the Rangers’ minor leaguers during an exhibition in October 2019, which was the last baseball game at Globe Life Park.
The Rangers’ instructional league program started on Sept. 27 at their spring training facilities in Surprise, Arizona. They’re currently playing a 17-game schedule through Oct. 22. The instructional league team breaks camp on Oct. 24 and a roster of approximately 40 players will travel to Texas to take on the D-I schools.
Rangers minor-league coaches Kenny Holmberg and Carlos Cardoza will oversee the games in Texas.
TCU, meanwhile, recently started its fall camp under first-year coach Kirk Saarloos. Saarloos is excited about the potential of the 2022 team.
“The big thing is everyone needs to keep taking that next step,” Saarloos said. “You’d want all of your freshmen to be a year more seasoned and better this year. You’d want your more experienced guys to take that next step too. You’d think everybody would take that next step. That’s what we’re doing right now. That’s fall practice. Working every single day.
“The other piece that is just as big is the camaraderie and cohesiveness of having 46 guys and having those guys enjoy being around each other and working together. So far they have.”
TCU is coming off a season in which it won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles, but it had a short postseason stint. The Frogs were knocked out in the NCAA Regionals, finishing the season 41-19. After the season, longtime coach Jim Schlossnagle left to become the head coach at Texas A&M.
This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 1:03 PM.
