TCU’s Schlossnagle ready to see more arms on staff sporting 1.00 ERA

TCU got to see 10 pitchers in its season-opening series against Loyola Marymount, and nine of them came out of it with a 0.00 ERA.

Game 1 starter Rex Hill gave up the only earned runs, allowing three in 4  1/3 innings Friday night. Jared Janczak and Ryan Burnett each gave up an unearned run in relief in that game.

TCU pitched shutouts in Game 2 and Game 3 behind starters Brian Howard and Luken Baker, who earned the Big 12 newcomer of the week award. The team ERA is 1.00.

“Really pleased with how pretty much everybody pitched,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “And shoot, Rex punched out seven, didn’t walk anybody. It’s just any time he elevated the ball, it got hit. If he didn’t give up the free bases, then he would have been fine. He’ll get better.”

The Horned Frogs struck out 27 and walked five against Loyola Marymount. Their two shutouts gave them 26 since 2014, the most in the NCAA in that time.

Schlossnagle said he still has more pitchers he wants to see. He said he wanted to get Sean Wymer into Sunday’s game but did not get a chance. He said freshman right-hander Devon Roedahl will start Wednesday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and freshman left-hander Dalton Horton should also see action.

“There’s more guys down there that we’ve got to get on the mound,” Schlossnagle said.

Bullpen roles

Brian Trieglaff pitched the ninth inning of both victories, saving Game 2. Schlossnagle said he looked comfortable in the role, although it’s not settled.

“I’m not ready to say he’s the guy. He’s certainly the most experienced guy and strike thrower,” Schlossnagle said.

Preston Guillory and Janczak each pitched twice in relief. Durbin Feltman, Drew Gooch and Dalton Brown each appeared in one game.

“Other than Baker and Howard, the two most important guys to me on the weekend were Janczak and Durbin Feltman,” Schlossnagle said. “Feltman, I think, was 95-96 with a really good breaking ball. Threw a lot of strikes. Got to a three-ball count — a guy that throws that hard, in his first appearance usually ends up walking the guy, and he didn’t. So that’s a really good sign for us.”

Guillory credit

Schlossnagle credited Guillory for stranding inherited runners in each game, which is how he finished 2015. In Game 3 of the Super Regional against Texas A&M last season, Guillory inherited a bases-loaded situation with no outs and a two-run lead and got three ground ball outs.

The Loyola Marymount series showed more of the same.

“Saturday was a one-run game, he came in first and second, one out, got us out of it, then threw a scoreless inning,” Schlossnagle said. “Sunday he came in, first and second, nobody out, gave up a hit, so he had bases loaded, up three, with nobody out. And he went strikeout, strikeout, pop-up.”

Guillory gave up only one earned run last season.

“For us to really have a good season, those older pitchers are going to have to do what they did all weekend to give the young guys time to get their feet wet,” Schlossnagle said. “And that’s exactly what happened.”

Injury update

Center fielder Nolan Brown played in the field in two games but didn’t hit because of soreness after he tried swinging the bat. The senior is recovering from hamate bone surgery four weeks ago.

Shortstop Ryan Merrill, who missed practice Wednesday with a back injury, played Friday and Sunday. Schlossnagle said he could have played Saturday, but the team was conservative.

“We wanted to give him a rest, day game after a night game,” Schlossnagle said. “We’ll try to go one on, one off at least for a little while and then see what he can do, see if it’s possible for him to play all the games next weekend.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 10:32 AM with the headline "TCU’s Schlossnagle ready to see more arms on staff sporting 1.00 ERA."