TCU Set For Road Test At Kansas State
4/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Saturday, April 11 • 2 p.m. (CT) | TV: FCS-Pacific | Radio: KTCU 88.7 FM | Listen | Watch |
Saturday, April 12 • Noon (CT) | TV: FCS-Pacific | Radio: KTCU 88.7 FM | Listen | Watch |
FORT WORTH - Riding a three-game winning streak, TCU will continue Big 12 play this weekend when it travels to Manhattan, Kan. for a three-game series at Kansas State. All three games will be televised on FOX College Sports-Pacific.
Pitching Rotation:
Thursday: RHP Mitchell Traver vs. RHP Colton Kalmus
Friday: RHP Preston Morrison vs. TBA
Saturday: LHP Alex Young vs. TBA
TCU NOTABLES
• TCU started its busy week with a 2-0 record after tallying a come-from-behind win at Abilene Christian and a home victory over No. 16 Dallas Bapist.
• TCU limited the Patriots to just two runs. It's the 19th time this season the pitching staff has held an opponent to two or fewer runs.
• TCU continues to lead the nation as the only program with a sub-2.00 ERA at 1.98.
• Connor Wanhanen leads the Frogs and the Big 12 with his .372 batting average.
• Jeremie Fagnan hit his second home run of the season in the win over DBU. Eight of TCU's nine home runs have come at home this season.
• All three of TCU's weekend starters rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in ERA.
• The Frogs has gone 13-for-14 in stolen bases over the last five games to regain the league lead with 59 stolen bases.
• Cody Jones took back the team lead with three stolen bases over the weekend and is three off the league lead with 12.
KANSAS STATE NOTABLES
• Similar to the Horned Frogs, Kansas State played a pair of midweek contests, dropping an extra-inning decision to Nebraska at home on Tuesday and winning a road game at Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday.
• The Wildcats have dropped all three conference series this season, getting swept at Texas, going 1-2 at Oklahoma State and 1-2 at home against West Virginia.
• Offensively, the Wildcats are 8th in the league with a team average of .253. Clayton Dalrymple paces the squad with a .295 average.
• The Wildcats 42 stolen bases are third in the league. They are led by seven each from Shane Conlon and Danny Krause.
• On the mound, Kansas State's team ERA of 3.98 ranks seventh in the Big 12.
• Nate Griep is the leading pitcher on the staff with a 2.42 ERA and a 3-1 record in seven starts.
• Brandon Erickson has two of the team's four saves.
• Defensively, K-State is in the top half of the league with a .973 fielding percentage.
SERIES NOTABLES
• TCU and Kansas State will be meeting for just the 16th time in series history.
• TCU holds a 10-5 lead in the series.
• The Frogs and the Wildcats met on the diamond in 2013 for the first time since 1987.
• TCU is 4-2 against Kansas State as conference foes.
• Kansas State took a 2-1 series victory over the Frogs in Manhattan in 2013, while TCU swept the Wildcats in Fort Worth in 2014.
ROAD NOTABLES
• TCU will play 22 games away from home this season. Only one of those games (Vanderbilt) will be played on a neutral site.
• TCU is in the midst of playing nine of its next 10 games on the road.
• Friday's game will be the 12th road game of the season for the Frogs. TCU is 7-4 so far this season.
• TCU holds a record of 163-1023 in road games under head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
ON THE ROAD
The Frogs are in the midst of playing nine of 10 games on the road. TCU is 7-4 in 11 games on an opponents field this season.
Runs have been at a premium for the Frogs as they are averaging just 4.1 runs per game away from home. Jeremie Fagnan (.360) is the only Frogs with an average over .300. Cody Jones leads all hitters with eight RBIs.
On the mound, the staff has a 2.93 ERA in 98 1/3 innings pitched. As a group, they've tallied 89 strikeouts and walked just 17. Trey Teakell and Brian Trieglaff lead all pitchers with five appearances each.
Defensively, the group is fielding .976 on unfamiliar fields with just 10 errors.
LIMITING THE MISCUES
TCU leads the Big 12 with a .980 fielding percentage, a mark that ranks sixth nationally. As a team, the Horned Frogs have committed just 24 errors, but six of those errors have come from pitchers.
Removing the pitchers from the equation, the rest of the team is fielding at a .984 clip.
The infield as it has been configured over the last couple of weeks featuring Derek Odell, Keaton Jones, Garrett Crain and Jeremie Fagnan have a combined fielding percentage of .980.
RUNNING WITH THE OPPORTUNITY
Prior to this season, Alex Young had made just four starts in his 44 career appearances. He was 1-2 in those starts with a 5.09 ERA, five walks and seven strikeouts.
In seven starts this season, Young is 5-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 41 2/3 innings pitched. He has racked up 42 strikeouts and issued just nine walks. Three of the five earned runs he's allowed this season have come via solo home runs.
Since giving up six unearned runs to Oklahoma State, Young has turned in two brilliant starts. He has given up just one run on six hits in 14 innings pitched. Young has fanned 16 and issued just two walks.
STINGY STAFF
Runs are at a premium for the opposition as the TCU staff leads the nation with a 1.98 ERA.
Opponents have been shutout six times this year and held to two or less runs in 19 of the 31 games this season.
The most runs allowed by the Frogs this season was eight at UT Arlington last Tuesday.
Since the start of the 2014, the Frogs have held an opponent to two or less run 61 times. They have record 20 shutouts in that span.
PLAYING WITH THE LEAD
In 20 of TCU's 31 games this season, the Frogs have scored the first run of the game. Twelve times, the Frogs have struck for a run in the first inning.
Building leads has been a key to the success of this year's squad. TCU has won 17 of the 20 games in which it has scored first. The Frogs have outscored their opponent 73-33 in the first three innings this season.
LOCKING IT DOWN
The starting rotation gets most of the pub for the Horned Frogs but they have a reliable bullpen that has led to the Frogs 25-6 record.
As a group, they are 6-2 with nine saves to go along with a 1.87 ERA. In 101 1/3 innings pitched, the staff has fanned 112 batters.
The Frogs are a perfect 21-0 this season when leading after six innings. Even more impressive is their record of 25-0 when leading or tied after eight innings.
