TCU Opens Regional Play Friday
5/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Tournament Central | NCAA Regional Notes
FORT WORTH - For the second straight season, the Road To Omaha begins in Fort Worth. TCU will square off against Sacred Heart Friday night at 7 on ESPN3.TCU NOTABLES
• TCU was tabbed the No. 7 national seed, becoming one of just three schools to repeat as a national seed (LSU and Florida).
• TCU went 0-2 in a conference tournament for the first time since 2003.
• TCU's pitching staff boasts a 2.33 ERA, a mark that ranks second in the nation.
• TCU's .287 batting average ranks 75th nationally, while its .978 fielding percentage is 11th.
• The Frogs are 17-3 in their last 20 games dating back to April 14.
• Cody Jones has reached base safely in 26 straight games heading into the weekend. His .376 batting average ranks 29th nationally.
• Preston Morrison's 11 wins this season rank fourth in the NCAA. Morrison's 36 career wins are the most among active pitchers as are his 445 career innings pitched.
• Keaton Jones has started 216 consecutive games. His 239 career games played is the second-most in the NCAA among active players.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTABLES
• TCU earned its fourth at-large bid under Schlossnagle, having done so in 2005, 2009 and 2011.
• TCU was tabbed a National Seed for the second straight year.
• The Horned Frogs are hosting an NCAA Regional for the fifth time in program history. TCU hosted three straight Regionals from 2009-11 and in 2014.
• The Frogs have been a two-seed three times (2005, 2007, 2012), a three-seed twice (2004, 2008) and a four seed once (2006).
• The Frogs are one of only 13 teams to be in 11 of the last 12 NCAA Regionals. • The Frogs have played in a Regional in Austin,Texas (2004), Waco, Texas (2005), Norman, Okla. (2006), Houston (Rice), Texas (2007), Stillwater, Okla. (2008) and College Station, Texas (2012).
• The Frogs are 21-17 all-time in the NCAA Regionals.
• In postseason play, TCU is 30-27 (.526) all-time.
• TCU has won four NCAA Regionals in program histor. The Frogs were victorious in the 2009, 2010 and 2014 Fort Worth Regional as well as the 2012 College Station Regional.
HOME NOTABLES
• TCU has a 15-game home winning streak dating back to April 22.
• TCU holds an all-time mark of 304-102 at Lupton.
• TCU is 10-2 all-time in NCAA Regionals at Lupton Stadium and 12-3 all-time in NCAA postseason play at Lupton Stadium.
• TCU ranks 12th nationally in attendance with an average of 3,811 fans per game.
SERIES HISTORY
• TCU has never faced Sacred Heart or Stony Brook on the diamond.
• TCU and Sacred Heart have a tie in Pioneer Athletic Director, Bobby Valentine. He was the featured speaker at TCU's First Pitch Banquet in 2010.
• TCU is 1-0 all-time against NC State. The lone meeting took place on Feb. 25, 2007 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• The Horned Frogs defeated the Wolfpack 5-3 in that contest.
ELITE COMPANY
With their selection to the field of 64, the Horned Frogs are in elite company. TCU is one of just 13 programs nationally to appear in 11 of the last 12 regionals.
Also holding that distinction is Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, Clemson, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, Ole Miss, Rice, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
By virtue of hosting, the Frogs also find themselves in select company as one of only nine schools to host a regional five of the last seven years, joining Cal State Fullerton, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, LSU, South Carolina, UCLA and Virginia.
STREAKING
Cody Jones has reached base safely in 26 straight games heading into the postseason. Over that stretch, he's posted a .500 on base percentage with 40 hits, 16 walks and five hit by pitches.
Hitting at the top of the order in all 54 games this season, Jones leads the Big 12 with his .466 on-base percentage. He's found a way on base in the first inning 28 times this season, recording a hit in 16 games, a walk in eight, a hit by pitch three times and an error once.
HOME COOKING
TCU is riding a 15-game home winning streak dating back to a 7-2 loss to Oklahoma State on March 22. Dating back to last season, the Horned Frogs are 45-5 in their last 50 home games.
TCU has excelled in all three facets of the game at home, hitting at a .306 clip, pitching to the tune of a 1.39 ERA and fielding .979. The Frogs have outscored their opponent 190-66 at home this year.
TWO-OUT MAGIC
On the year, the Frogs have scored 122 runs with two outs. Five different Frogs have tallied at least 10 two-out RBIs. Derek Odell paces the team with 17.
After a 16-game stretch that saw the TCU pitching staff limit opponents to just nine two out runs, the tides have shifted just a bit as the Frogs have allowed 15 in the last four games. On the year, the opponents have scored 81 two-out runs.
COMING ON STRONG
Tyler Alexander found himself sporting a career-high 3.67 ERA on March 31 after getting touched for five runs at UT Arlington. Since then, he has gone 4-0 in six starts and posted a 2.25 ERA in 44 innings pitched.
IN HIS SIGHTS
Keaton Jones, owner of the fourth-longest active consecutive starts (217) streak in the NCAA, could become TCU's all-time leader in games played. Matt Carpenter played in 241 games from 2005-09. Jones has played in 239 career games.
A RARITY
TCU ranks 12th nationally with 101 stolen bases on the year. It's the first time since 1996 that a TCU team has stolen at least 100 bases.
In the Big 12 Tournament, the Frogs didn't attempt a stolen base in either game, marking just the fourth and fifth time this year TCU didn't attempt a steal. TCU has gone three games without a stolen base. The Frogs have at least one stolen base in 43 gamest this year.
STINGY STAFF
Over the last two seasons, the TCU pitching staff has been a dominate force. The Horned Frogs have played 115 games over the last two seasons and in 75 they have held the Frogs to two or fewer runs. Twenty-three times, they have shutout an opponent. An opponent has scored more than five runs just 23 times over the last two seasons.
AMONG THE BEST
The TCU pitching staff ranks in the top 5 of most pitching categories. The 2.33 ERA is second as is its 3.99 K:BB ratio and 1.06 WHIP. The Frogs rank third in shutouts (9), fifth in BB/9 and sixth in H/9.
