TCU welcomes back its hitting at Big 12 tournament; UT up next
TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle warns that championships are hard to win with offense alone.
But it sure can get you closer.
The Horned Frogs put up 25 runs in winning their first two games at the Big 12 tournament — as many as they scored in a five-game winning streak to close the regular season before arriving in Oklahoma City — and they earn a day of rest.
The outburst, including back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning Wednesday and Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, has helped the Frogs rally and win going away in each game, saving taxing late innings for the bullpen and positioning TCU to need only one win Saturday to reach the championship game.
The Frogs play Texas at 12:30 p.m. Saturday looking to clinch the finals berth on Sunday. The Longhorns rallied to eliminate No. 2 seed Oklahoma State 12-8 on Friday night. A Texas win over TCU forces a rematch Saturday.
TCU has given up the first run in the past five games. The Frogs trailed Baylor 2-0 in the second inning Wednesday and won 12-5. They trailed Oklahoma State 4-0 in the first Thursday and won 13-5.
“It felt like 0-0,” third baseman Elliott Barzilli said of Thursday’s deficit. “Four runs to us is nothing, it almost feels like, because of how good our hitters are.”
TCU led the Big 12 in batting average in the regular season and is slugging .741 with five doubles, three triples and five homers in the tournament. In the games against Baylor and OSU, TCU was 20 for 41 with runners on base, 13 for 23 with runners in scoring position and 16 for 31 with two outs.
That’s the way we played the first 30 games of the season. It hasn’t been that way the last two weeks.
TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle
on the offense this weekFor the Frogs, it’s like getting a visit from an old friend.
“That’s the way we played the first 30 games of the season,” Schlossnagle said. “It hasn’t been that way the last two weeks.”
Much of the damage has come from catcher Evan Skoug and designated hitter Luken Baker, who combined are 10 for 19 with four home runs, a double and nine runs batted in. They were responsible for back-to-back home runs in both games.
No. 5 hitter Josh Watson also has homered, and Barzilli is 5 for 9 with a triple. Every hitter in the lineup has had a hit in the tournament, and all but two have multiple RBIs.
“That’s as good a 3-4 punch as there is in the country,” Schlossnagle said of Skoug and Baker. “When Watson gets going, and Barzilli behind him, you really have to pick your poison. They’re fun to watch; we haven’t had that kind of power around since, really, 2010. So it’s nice to have.”
But ...
“We still need to pitch,” Schlossnagle said. “We still have to get starting pitching to win this tournament, I’m telling you. Everybody can’t get crazy over the offense.”
Carlos Mendez: 817-390-7760, @calexmendez
TCU vs. Texas
12:30 p.m. Saturday, FSSW Plus, FCS
This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 5:15 PM with the headline "TCU welcomes back its hitting at Big 12 tournament; UT up next."