Powered by freshmen, TCU heads to Omaha for CWS
When TCU takes the field on Friday in the opening game of the College World Series, the Horned Frogs will start freshmen at shortstop, catcher and likely also on the mound.
It’s balance of veteran leadership and the play of the Horned Frogs’ freshman that are big reasons the team is in Omaha. Two freshmen Frogs were selected as Freshman All-American: starting pitcher Kole Klecker and shortstop Anthony Silva.
In 57 games played, Silva has started all 57. He has 71 hits and 47 RBI. He also has the least amount of strikeouts among the starting nine, with only 29 strikeouts.
Junior third baseman Brayden Taylor summed up Silva and the other freshmen in one word: “outstanding.”
Head coach Kirk Saarloos was excited about those two, but suggested some additions.
“Depending how you look at it, we could have four: [Anthony] Silva, [Karson] Bowen, Klecker and Abeldt,” he said.
He added that Abeldt could be on the line because of a tough start to the season, but “if they look at everything from about the middle of April on, he’s an All-American.”
Abeldt has been the Horned Frogs’ go-to reliever, as of late. From May 1 until June 9, he made 11 appearances, totaling 18.1 innings pitched and has given up zero runs.
He has often relieved starting pitcher Klecker, who has the most innings pitched on the team and earned his 10th win of the season against Indiana State in the NCAA Super Regional series.
“The last time we had a 10-win starter was Matt Purke,” said Saarloos.
Purke won 16 games in a season for the Frogs. He was drafted and played for the Chicago White Sox in 2016.
Junior pitcher Cam Brown said Klecker goes out to pitch “every week wanting to win more than anyone.”
Although Saarloos won’t reveal his starting pitching rotation for the CWS, it’s a good bet that Klecker will be on the mound on Friday in the opener against Oral Roberts.
Junior outfielder Elijah Nuñez said the freshmen contributions off the field has been equally important.
“It’s amazing what they’ve brought to the chemistry [of the team],” he said. “They fit in right from the jump.”
Brown said he and the other pitchers, including Klecker and Braeden Sloan, gather during batting practice to talk about pitching strategy and how their pitches are moving. Sloan, a freshman pitcher, hasn’t thrown in a while but Brown said he had one of the most important pitching performances of the season.
“His start against Texas State in a must-win game, it’s the reason [we] started this whole run,” said Brown. “If he doesn’t do that, we might not have made the postseason.”
The pitching staff has been a huge part of the Frogs’ postseason run, but Brown said freshman catcher Karson Bowen hasn’t gotten enough credit for helping the pitchers perform well. Bowen has been able to learn the pitchers and give them words of encouragement that cater to their liking.
Brown specifically noted Bowen’s work during the game against Arkansas in the regional round.
“When stuff goes sideways, he knows what to say,” said Brown. “It’s the difference between me blowing up that first inning and me getting out of that inning.”
Bowen helped the Frogs win the second game against Indiana State by throwing out a runner at second late in the game.
Taylor, who won Big 12 Freshman of the Year in his first year, said the freshman this year know what they’re doing.
“They don’t feel like freshmen anymore,” said Taylor. “That’s what is great about this school, once you get integrated, it doesn’t feel like we have class levels, anymore.”
“We’re all just ballplayers and brothers,” he said.
Saarloos said the freshman on the team are not only important to the team right now, but they’re the core he wants to build the program around.
“They’re freshman that make you excited about the future of TCU.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2023 at 11:01 AM.
