No. 18 TCU hosts Texas State in home opener
2/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 14, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas - The No. 18 TCU baseball team will open the home portion of their schedule Tuesday night when they host Texas State. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m. The Frogs are 2-1 after a strong showing at the Houston College Classic this past weekend.
Game Promotions
• First 100 females to pass through the gates receive a rose and a "diamonds are a girl's best friend" t-shirt.
• First 1000 fans get a free schedule magnet.
• The trading cards are back, collect your Derek VerHagen card and your Teddy Kreder card.
Frogs on the Internet
Baseball fans unable to make the trip to Houston can watch the game on Gametracker or listen to the game on KTCU 88.7 FM on the radio or the Internet.
About the Game
The No. 18 Horned Frogs will try and put Sunday's loss to No. 2 Rice behind them when they host Texas State Tuesday night. The Frogs had a good start to the 2006 season with an extra-inning win over No. 12 Tulane and a win over Houston. Their only hiccup on the weekend was a 12-6 loss to Rice, a game they led 6-5 in the eighth inning. The Texas State Bobcats have struggled out of the game, winning just once in six tries. Their lone win of the season has come against New Mexico. They have lost two straight coming into Tuesday.
About The Frogs
The Frogs had a great offensive showing in the Houston College Classic, hitting .308 on the weekend with seven extra base hits. The pitching was good through two games, but struggled a bit in the finale. The weakest link thus far on the squad is the defense, which committed eight errors over the weekend.
At the plate, Andrew Walker and Matt McGuirk were the hottest hitters. Walker hit .455 in the three games and drove in two, while McGuirk hit .385 with four RBI and a home run. His long ball helped propel the Frogs to victory in the 10th inning over No. 12 Tulane. Ryan Pack had a solid day at the plate on Sunday as he hit two home runs in the loss.
On the mound, Jake Arrieta and Sam Demel turned in dominating performances. Demel received a no-decision after seven innings pitched in which he allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out eight. Arrieta went six innings allowing just two hits and one run. He struck out five.
About The Bobcats
The Bobcat struggles can be tied to a lack of offensive punch. As a team, they are hitting just .257 in six games with three extra base hits. Defensively, they have been nearly perfect, committing just three errors. They have a team ERA of 4.83 in 54 innings pitched. The Bobcats are 0-3 in one-run contests.
The offensive leader of the team, Cody Ross, has played in just two contests, but is hitting .600. Heath Keel has two of their three extra base hits with a double and a triple and is hitting .292. Thomas field is a threat on the base paths as he has swiped three bags in five attempts.
Out of the bullpen for Texas State, they are led by Mike Hart's three appearances. He has one save in 5.1 innings pitched to go along with a 3.38 ERA. Another bright spot in the pen is Jarod Garza, who has allowed only one hit in his 4.2 innings pitched.
The Starters
TCU: Zach Ashwood is slated to be the starting pitcher for the Frogs against the Bobcats. The sophomore left-handed pitcher has made one appearance this season, picking up two outs against the No. 2 Rice Owls in Sunday's 12-6 loss. Last season, Ashwood made 13 appearances and three starts. As a starter he was 1-0. He finished with a 4.94 ERA in 23.2 innings pitched. He struck out 20 and combined on two shutouts.
Texas State: Kyle Gembler will make his first collegiate appearance on Tuesday night when he takes the bump for the Bobcats. Gembler is a right-handed pitcher from Round Rock, Texas. He was an all-district performer at Round Rock High School.
TCU and Texas State Base Knocks
• Tuesday's game will mark the 29th meeting between the two schools
• TCU leads the series 17-11
• The Bobcats swept a series from the Frogs in 2004, winning game on 7-4 and game two 6-2.
• The game will be the home-opener for the Frogs. TCU is 2-0 in home-openers under Coach Schlossnagle.
• The last TCU victory over Texas State was on March 10 at the Express College Classic in Round Rock, Texas. The Frogs won the contest 4-3.
