New-look TCU turns to pitcher who made a lasting impression last season

The last time Mitchell Traver was seen pitching in Fort Worth, he was firing the innings of his life.

Behind a breaking ball no one could touch, with sweat flying everywhere, his beard soaked, eyes glaring, he struck out the final batter he faced to finish off four scoreless frames and stomp off the mound — a vivid image from the 16-inning victory against Texas A&M that sent TCU to the College World Series last summer.

“He was an animal that night,” first baseman Connor Wanhanen said, unable to hold back a huge grin. “He didn’t look human.”

Traver merely smiles.

“That’s my favorite baseball memory,” he said.

The Horned Frogs can use it to remind themselves of Traver’s potential this season as the junior right-hander assumes, for now, the lead role on a pitching staff that is almost all new.

TCU opens practice Friday with only six pitchers on an 18-man staff who were there a year ago. Five of last season’s top arms were drafted, including TCU’s second-leading all-time winner (Preston Morrison) and career saves leader (Riley Ferrell).

In their place are 10 freshmen, two junior transfers and five other veterans besides Traver. They’re all charged with keeping TCU’s reputation for being one of the best pitching teams in the country.

But Traver, a 6-foot-7, 252-pound power pitcher from Sugar Land, gets the first chance at the top of the rotation.

“There’s a lot of competition for that,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “He knows that he has to pitch well enough to do it. Looking on paper, through his performance and experience, he deserves the chance to be that guy. He needs to come out in three weeks of practice and separate himself a little bit.”

It’s a new spot for Traver.

He missed the start of his freshman year because of thoracic outlet syndrome and later, Tommy John surgery. As a sophomore, he missed the start because of a stress fracture in his back. Last year, healthy for the first time, he began the season as a reliever and fourth starter on the deepest pitching staff in TCU history.

He never dreamed he’d end up with the best ERA in the rotation (1.89) and be called on around midnight to pitch the final four innings in the epic 5-4 victory June 8 against the Aggies to win the Fort Worth Super Regional.

“What I remember most from that game is the adrenaline rush,” Traver said. “But as soon as I got on the field, it felt right. It was one of those moments where you knew that no matter what happened, it was one of those opportunities I had prayed I would be given for a long time. I was just thankful to be out there, especially with all of the things that had gone on in my time here.”

Traver won’t have to do all the lifting by himself, of course. Luken Baker, the Gatorade national player of the year in high school last season, and veteran right-hander Brian Howard are also in line for rotation spots as the season opener on Feb. 19 approaches.

But Traver isn’t counting on being the opening day starter, or even looking at the calendar. As he put it, he was “0-for-2” on opening days before last year.

“I know I have the most career innings on this staff, so they’re going to look for me to be a leader,” he said. “But the truth is, I just need to be Mitchell Traver. That’s what Trey Teakell did. That’s what Preston Morrison did. That’s what Alex Young did. That’s what Brandon Finnegan, all of these guys, did. They accepted who they were, prepared the best way they could, and because of their love for their teammates and their school, gave it their all. And for me, because of my love for the Lord, I’m going to give it my all and trust him with the rest.”

Schlossnagle did some trusting of his own in the A&M game.

He remembers being hesitant to use Traver out of the bullpen because Traver hadn’t pitched in relief since early in the season. It was the 13th inning before Traver got the call. Now it looks like one of the best decisions Schlossnagle made all year.

And perhaps the most rewarding.

“He’d been through so much, him having a chance to be on the mound for the first time for us was a great image, and starting on Friday nights at USC and at Texas Tech and pitching so well were great images,” Schlossnagle said. “But yeah, since it was to go to Omaha, that breaking ball he threw, second and third, in a 3-2 count, in the 16th inning, that’s definitely one of the lasting images for TCU baseball in the last 12 years.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 2:05 PM with the headline "New-look TCU turns to pitcher who made a lasting impression last season."