TCU’s Baker, Watson smash in Big 12 postseason debuts

Who can hit it farther?

It looked like that was the game TCU sluggers Luken Baker and Josh Watson played Wednesday in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament.

Watson put a pitch on the grass beyond the center field wall in the second inning.

In the eighth inning, Baker launched one over the LED sign in left field that only the letters in Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark kept from leaving the building.

Together, the No. 4 and 6 hitters in the lineup went 7 for 8 with a double, two home runs, two walks and six RBIs for the Horned Frogs in a 12-5 victory against Baylor.

They are both freshmen, playing in their first postseason game.

“We knew those guys were special,” TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said.

Watson’s home run was his team-leading 11th, and it tied the game 2-2 after Baylor had struck first in the top of the second. Baker’s was his fifth, the final flourish in a 17-hit attack, and his second against Baylor pitching in two games.

The teammates took turns praising the other afterward.

“Shoot, I’m amazed at what this guy can do,” Baker said of Watson, a switch-hitter from Arlington Martin. “I’ve seen him hit probably 500-foot bombs right-handed and left-handed.”

“I think he put one off the parking garage today,” Watson said of Baker.

No matter how far the home runs went, they helped TCU (39-14) advance to a matchup against Oklahoma State or Texas at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Mitchell Traver is scheduled to pitch for TCU.

Evan Skoug also homered for the Horned Frogs, hitting his eighth, and Elliott Barzilli drove in two with a triple in the third inning. Mason Hesse also had a triple, a flare that bounced on the dirt near the right field line and got far enough away to score a run.

Freshman right-hander Sean Wymer (3-0) won in relief for TCU, throwing 3  1/3 innings after starter Dalton Horton lasted only two innings — pulled after a 25-pitch second in which he allowed two runs on two hits and two walks. Preston Guillory, Dalton Brown and Drew Gooch allowed one hit combined in getting the final 11 outs.

Schlossnagle warned that as exciting as it is to watch big-hitting offense, pitching is what will decide the tournament.

“The game begins and ends with starting pitching,” he said. “I love the offense. It’s fun to watch the ball go out of the ballpark. But I’m very hesitant to get drunk on that. It’s more about starting pitching. For us to win this tournament, we’re going to have to have good starting pitching.”

But a few balls off a parking garage or two doesn’t hurt.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 9:24 PM with the headline "TCU’s Baker, Watson smash in Big 12 postseason debuts."