Frogs complete successful summer
8/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 26, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - A number of Horned Frog baseball players wrapped up successful summer campaigns and have returned to campus eager to start a new season. The three-time defending Mountain West Conference baseball team returns 22 members from last season and welcomes 12 newcomers, 11 of which are freshmen.
TCU was well represented in the Texas Collegiate League with four members spread out around the league. Trent Appleby, Aaron Schultz and Jimmie Pharr all competed as did newcomer Matt Curry.
Appleby finished the season with a 1-0 record with one save in four appearances on the mound. He made two starts and recorded a complete game. In 13 1/3 innings pitched, the sophomore struck out 11 and posted a 5.40 ERA.
Schultz and Pharr were members of the Coppell Copperheads. A redshirt freshman, Schultz played in 18 games and batted .283 with two doubles, one triple and two stolen bases. Pharr tied for the team lead with three home runs and drove in nine runs in 35 games played.
A transfer from Howard College, Curry spent his summer with the East Texas Pumpjacks. He was named to the TCL All-League team as a first baseman. A junior, he hit .281 in 37 games played with 41 hits. He tallied six doubles, two home runs and led the team with 25 RBIs.
The Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Baseball League had a plethora of Horned Frogs on their roster with four. Tyler Lockwood, Paul Gerrish, Corey Steglich and newcomer Davy Wright saw action on the team.
Lockwood made two appearances for the Bucs and was 2-0 in 11 1/3 innings pitched. He posted a 0.79 ERA. Gerrish appeared in 11 games and made six starts. He was 3-4 with a 4.82 ERA. The right-hander fanned 25 batters in 37 1/3 innings pitched.
At the plate, Steglich hit .289 in 37 games. He tallied three doubles, two home runs and drove in 16 runs. Wright hit an impressive .303 in 30 games with four doubles, a triple and a home run to go along with 14 RBIs.
A pair of Frogs spent their summer in Hawaii with the Kamuela Paniolos squad. Derek VerHagen and Taylor Cragin were each named to the all-star team.
VerHagen posted a team-low 1.40 ERA and had a 3-0 record in seven games. He made five starts and fanned 23 batters in 38 2/3 innings pitched. Cragin started seven games in eight appearances and posted a 3-3 record to go along with a 3.52 ERA. In 46 innings pitched, the senior struck out a team-high 33 batters.
Greg Holle and Sean Hoelscher were teammates on the Newport Gulls team out of the Northeast Collegiate Baseball League. Holle was 2-2 in seven starts with a 4.59 ERA. He fanned 32 in 33 1/3 innings pitched. Hoelscher made just one appearance and had six strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Another duo of Frogs, Relly Mercurio and Brett Medlin, spent their summers playing in the Coastal Plains League for the Asheboro Copperheads. Mercurio hit .273 in 40 games. He led the team with 17 stolen bases and 21 walks. Medlin appeared in 45 games and tallied four doubles, one home run and 18 walks.
Wrapping up the Frogs' representation around the country, Bryan Holaday played for the Alexandria Beetles out of the Northwoods League. He hit .288 in 41 games with 10 doubles, five home runs with 24 RBIs. He drew 26 walks and had an on-base percentage of .401.
