Three takeaways as throwing error decides No. 10 TCU baseball’s season opener
No. 10-ranked TCU began its 2026 college baseball season with a showdown against No. 23 Vanderbilt and came out on top. The Horned Frogs beat the Commodores 5-4 in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown on Friday at Globe Life Field.
A Noah Franco strikeout with runners on second and third base should’ve ended the Horned Frogs’ eighth inning. But a wild throw from Vanderbilt catcher Colin Barczi, who had three home runs in the game, allowed the two baserunners to score. That gave TCU a 5-3 lead heading into the ninth inning.
The Commodores kept it close with a solo homer off Nate Stern in the bottom of the ninth, Barczi’s third solo shot of the game, but reliever Walter Quinn came in and finished off the win.
Quinn gave up a double to the first batter he faced, but followed that up with a strikeout and a popup to secure the save.
TCU coach Kirk Saarloos talking about getting the win to start the season.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be perfect and easy, but I thought we responded really well,” he said.
TCU will be back in action against No. 7 Arkansas at 7 p.m. Saturday at Globe Life Field.
Here are three takeaways from the season-opening win:
Freshman comes up big
Shortstop Lucas Franco, picked as the Big 12 preseason freshman of the year, got his Horned Frogs career off to a good start.
Franco nearly hit a home run in his first at-bat, then turned that almost-first homer into an actuality in the sixth inning when he hit a solo shot that tied the game at 2.
Going into the dugout, the freshman said he knew he let Commodores starter Connor Fennell off the hook in the first inning.
“I said he got lucky,” Franco said. “I was coming around. I was coming back in the dugout, and I was giving him a face, and I was like, just missed that one. He got lucky. And then next at-bat, threw the same pitch, and I got that one.”
Franco came through again with a triple two innings later, after the Horned Frogs had fallen behind 3-2. Second baseman Cole Cramer singled to score Franco and tie the game.
Franco’s triple jump-started an inning that ended with the Horned Frogs taking the lead on the throwing error.
TCU starter Tommy LaPour raved about Franco’s performance, saying he was happy the Katy native was on his team.
“He’s just a freshman that’s got no quit in him,” LaPour said. “And I don’t think he even realizes what he did today, but it’ll hit him soon. Man, couldn’t be more excited ... he’s on our team. It was the same thing with [Sawyer] Strosnider and some of those freshmen last year. Like, thank God they’re playing for purple.”
Franco finished 2-for-4 with the home run.
“This is the same game I’ve been playing since I was 4 years old,” he said. “Everyone’s just a little bit bigger, everyone’s just a little bit stronger, but I know I was made for this. And all the work that I put in in the offseason ... these guys are awesome. I knew it was going to take over.”
Sawyer Strosnider starts the season with a bang
Strosnider was selected as the Big 12’s preseason player of the year, and the sophomore center fielder from Brock showed why with a homer in his first at-bat of the season. The blast was the Horned Frogs’ only hit in the first five innings.
Strosnider finished 1-for-2 with the home run, two runs and two walks.
Tommy LaPour keeps TCU in it
LaPour, the preseason Big 12 pitcher of the year, also did not disappoint. The junior right-hander gave up two runs in five innings with five strikeouts.
LaPour’s ability to get out of big jams was crucial for the Horned Frogs in the bottom of the second and third innings.
He gave up two solo home runs across his five innings, but otherwise kept the Commodores off the board and gave the Horned Frogs a chance for their bats to come around.
“Just keep your nose on the grindstone, never give in, never say die,” LaPour said. “I mean, it was just continuing to fight tooth and nail. That lineup did a great job of preparing, did a great job of laying off stuff in the dirt. Wasn’t chasing a whole lot. I didn’t have my A-stuff today. But, you know, that’s all right, not going to have it every time, so just finding a way to try and beat their starter.”
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 7:08 PM.
