Frogs Set to Open WAC Action
2/16/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Hawaii-Hilo - Sunday, February 18 - 1:05 p.m. - TCU Diamond - Fort Worth
Hawaii-Hilo - Monday, February 19 - 2:05 p.m. - TCU Diamond - Fort Worth
Oklahoma - Tuesday, February 20 - 2:05 p.m. - TCU Diamond - Fort Worth
KTCU 88.7 FM (Chuck LaMendola)
FROGS SET TO OPEN WAC ACTION
The TCU Horned Frogs (4-5) will open Western Athletic Conference play this
weekend (Feb. 17-19), when they host Hawaii-Hilo (3-8, 2-1) in a three-game
series. While Hilo opened WAC play last weekend, winning two of three
against Nevada, the Frogs dropped two of three at the Express College
Classic in Round Rock. The TCU-Sam Houston State contest scheduled for Feb.
14 was rained out. On Tuesday, Feb. 20, the Frogs will host the Oklahoma
Sooners in a non-conference game.
104th SEASON OF TCU BASEBALL
This is the 104th edition of TCU baseball. The Frogs have an all-time mark
of 1506-1312-25 for a winning percentage of .534. Last year, the Frogs
recorded a 22-34 win-loss mark, including a 12-18 record in conference play.
Next season, TCU will become a member of Conference USA.
WAC PLAY
The Frogs are in their fifth and final season in the Western Athletic
Conference. TCU has compiled a conference record of 64-54-0 in four WAC
seasons. Last season, TCU ended conference play with a record of 12-18.
Always tough at the TCU Diamond, the Frogs have a record of 40-19 in home
(WAC) conference games. On the road, the Frogs have compiled a record of
24-35 in WAC games.
GAME COVERAGE
All three games of the Hilo series will be carried on KTCU (88.7 FM) with
Chuck LaMendola calling all the action. TCU fans can access the radio
broadcast of any TCU game from anywhere in the world via the internet at
www.ktcu.edu. The TCU pregame show will begin 15 minutes before the first
pitch of every TCU game.
HEAD COACH LANCE BROWN
The 2001 Horned Frogs are under the guidance of head coach Lance Brown (TCU,
1967). Brown, TCUs all-time winningest coach, has a record of 424-407. He
is assisted by Donnie Watson, Barry Takahashi and Tom Hardgrove.
TCU-HILO SERIES
This will be the 12th meeting between the two schools... the Frogs lead the
overall series, 7-4... last season, TCU won four of six games, including all
three in Fort Worth (11-5, 2-1, 9-7)... TCU lost two of three in Hilo (6-3,
2-3, 6-10)... in the series played in Fort Worth, TCU rallied to win each of
the final two games... in game two, Erick Mach a hit a solo home run in the
sixth to tie the game, then Marshall Wilson singled home Brad Rogers in the
7th for the game winning run... in the finale, Tom Bates hit a three-run
home run with one out in the bottom of the 9th to win 9-7... TCU rallied
from a 7-1 deficit for the win... in game two of the series in Hawaii, the
Vulcans rallied to beat TCU in extra innings... this will be the first of
two series this season between the two teams... the Frogs will travel to
Hilo March 22-24.
TCU-OKLAHOMA SERIES
This will be the 65th meeting between the two schools... the Sooners lead the
overall series, 45-19-0... the Sooners have won the last nine games between
the two teams, including both games last year... all nine games have been
decided by three runs or less... last season, the Sooners defeated TCU,
16-13, in a game that was started in Fort Worth (suspended due to rain) and
then completed in Norman... the Sooners won the second game, 5-2... TCUs
last win over OU came in the 1996 season... TCU will travel to Norman to
face the Sooners on April 3.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
The Frogs are scheduled to play 35 games against teams that participated in
the 2000 NCAA baseball tournament... 24 of the 35 games are against WAC
opponents... Rice, Fresno State, San Jose State and WAC newcomer Nevada all
advanced to the NCAA Regionals... San Jose State reached the College World
Series... the remaining 11 games are against Texas Tech, Baylor, Texas,
Southwest Texas and Oklahoma... the Frogs will play a total of 11 games this
season against members of the Big 12 conference... TCU will face Texas Tech
(3 games), Baylor (1 game), Texas (3 games), Kansas (1 game), Oklahoma (2
games) and Iowa State (1 game)... thus far, the Frogs are 1-3 against the
Big 12 with the lone win coming against Texas.
DIAMOND NOTES
Walter Olmstead was named the WAC Player of the week for the week of January
30-February 4... in the doubleheader sweep of Prairie View A&M, Olmstead had
seven RBIs... last season, Olmstead drove in seven runs all year... he then
hit .417 in the Astros College Classic... Erick Macha has one triple this
season, raising his career total to 14... he is now tied with Brad Wallace
for first in career triples... sophomore third baseman Mike Settle leads the
team and WAC in runs batted in with 12... he also leads the team in
multi-RBI games with four... Olmstead in second in the WAC with 11...Settle
has hit safely in eight straight games... catcher Austen Watkins had a
career evening against Charlotte... Watkins drove in four runs on two hits,
including a bases loaded double... outfielder Tom Bates has already walked
four times... last season, he walked three times in 157 plate appearances...
Bates is hitting .444(4-9) in his last three games played... in Justin
Crowders five starts in the field, he has hit safely in all five games,
including at least two hits in four of those contests... dating back to last
season, sophomore second baseman Ramon Moses has committed only two errors
in the last 114 total chances (.982 fielding pct.), a span of 27 games...
Chris Bradshaw has allowed only four earned run in three starts... he has
struck out 15 in 14.1 innings... freshman reliever Clayton Jerome recorded a
win over Texas for his first career decision... senior lefty Cade Harris
pitched 0.1 inning against Southwest Texas... his last outing on the mound
came in the 1999 season... senior outfielder Marshall Wilson, who underwent
shoulder surgery on Feb. 9 will redshirt this season... the Frogs lead the
WAC in batting average with a mark of .324... TCU is fourth in ERA and sixth
in fielding percentage... seven of the 11 games between TCU and Hilo have
been decided by three runs or less... the Frogs are 4-3 in those seven
games... TCU pinch hitters are hitting .222 (2-9)... 25 of the 53 runs
scored this season have come in the first inning... the Frogs scored 11
runs in the 1st inning against Prairie View... last week, TCU allowed seven
runs in the 4th inning to Missouri Southern and eight in the 8th inning to
Southwest Texas... TCU has played only three home games thus far... they
still have 27 home games to play.
