Baseball Concludes California Swing Tuesday
3/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LOS ANGELES - The TCU baseball team will wrap up its four-game California swing Tuesday night when they play Loyola Marymount. Game time against the Lions is set for 8 p.m. (CT).
TCU NOTABLES
• TCU is off to a 10-2 start for the second time under the direction of head coach Jim Schlossnagle. The 2010 squad started off 15-2.
• TCU jumped into the top five of all the major polls after a 3-1 weekend against four nationally-ranked opponents.
• TCU went 2-1 in the Dodgertown Classic with wins over No. 4 UCLA and No. 1 Vanderbilt. In the two wins, five of the six runs were scored with two out.
• Riley Ferrell collected three saves in three appearances last year and is now the all-time saves leader in school history with 23.
• Preston Morrison collected his 28th career win, moving him into a tie for second all-time alongside Clayton Jerome.
• TCU leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally with a 1.65 ERA.
• Despite committing four errors in three games this weekend, the Frogs still lead the Big 12 with a .983 fielding percentage.
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT NOTABLES
• The Lions are coming off a 2-1 series loss at Arkansas. LMU is just 2-4 in its last six games.
• Loyola Marymount won the series finale in big fashion, topping the Razorbacks 9-0. Four Lions homered in the contest.
• The Lions lead the nation in being hit by a pitch with 36 in 15 games this season. Billy Wilson is the team-leader in bruises with seven.
• As a team, the Lions have swiped 25 bags in 32 tries this season, led by six each from David Fletcher and Austin Miller.
• Tanner Donnels is the top offensive threat with a .360 average and 16 RBIs. 10 of his 18 hits this season have gone for extra bases.
• On the mound, closer J.D. Busfield has five saves in seven appearances and has yielded just two unearned runs in nine innings of work.
• As a team, the Lions have a 3.14 ERA and have fanned 111 batters while limiting them to a .237 average.
SERIES NOTABLES
• TCU and Loyola Marymount have never met on the diamond.
• In addition to LMU, the Frogs will play three new opponents this season: Southern Illinois, Vanderbilt and Santa Clara.
• So far this season, the Frogs have a perfect 4-0 record against new opponents this season having swept Southern Illinois and topped Vanderbilt at Dodger Stadium to open the season.
• TCU played six new opponents last season and went 9-3 in those contests.
NEVER BACK DOWN
TCU has played 12 games this season, seven of which have come against opponents ranked in the top 25. TCU is 5-2 against those foes. Even more impressive is the fact that only one of those seven games have been played at home (vs. No. 10 Rice).
Jim Schlossnagle does not shy away from competition, regularly playing a tough slate of contests. The Frogs have played 160 games against ranked opponents over the last 12 years. The Frogs are 72-88 in those games.
TWO-OUT MAGIC
One of the keys to TCU's two wins in the Dodgertown Classic was its ability to score with two outs. Six of the seven combined runs scored against UCLA and Vanderbilt came with two outs.
The Frogs have scored 25 two-out runs so far this season. Eight Horned Frog hitters have at least one two-out RBI. Connor Wanhanen leads the way as all six of his RBIs this season have come with two outs.
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
A native of California, Keaton Jones has been one of the most productive Horned Frogs in games played in his home state.
Jones keyed the Frogs' 4-2 win over Vanderbilt with a two-out, two-run double in the sixth at Dodger Stadium. He was 5-for-10 in the three games this weekend with a trio of RBIs. He collected a career-high four hits at USC in the extra-inning loss.
Jones has played 14 games in his home state over the last four years. He is a .300 (12-for-40) hitter and has seven RBIs. In the last six games played in California, Jones is 10-for-20 with five RBIs.
MAKING THEM EARN THEIR WAY ON
The TCU pitching staff has made it a point to make hitters earn their way on base. The Frogs have issued just 21 walks and hit six batters. That's an average of just over two free passes a game.
When runners reach, the threat of a pick-off looms large as the Frogs have league-best six pickoffs. In addition, the defense has turned five double plays and the outfielders have a trio of assists in eliminating base runners.
