Preview: vs. Florida Gulf Coast

Friday, February 16

Fort Worth, Texas

6:30 p.m.

TCU

Florida Gulf Coast

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TCU vs Indiana State baseball NCAA Super Regional game during the Fort Worth Super Regional at Lupton Stadium on the TCU campus in Fort Worth, Texas on June 10, 2023.

Preview: vs. Florida Gulf Coast

2/15/2024 1:15:00 PM | Baseball

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TCU enters season as a unanimous Top-10 squad

FORT WORTH – The No. 5 ranked TCU baseball team is set to get the 2024 campaign started Friday night when they host Florida Gulf Coast in the start of a three-game series.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Friday, February 16 • 6:30 p.m.
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 88.7 KTCU FM
Starter: LHP Payton Tolle
Watch | Live Stats

Saturday, February 17 • 2 p.m.
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 88.7 KTCU FM
Starter: RHP Kole Klecker
Watch | Live Stats

Sunday, February 18 • 12:30 p.m.
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 88.7 KTCU FM
Starter: LHP Zack Morris
Watch | Live Stats

TCU NOTABLES
•  For the 15th consecutive season, TCU opens the season as a ranked team.
•  TCU checks in as high as No. 5, marking its highest preseason ranking since debuting as high as No. 3 in 2018.
•  TCU is a top 10 team entering the season for the seventh time in program history.
•  TCU was picked to finish first in the Big 12, garnering 11 of 13 first place votes.
•  Ben Abeldt, Kole Klecker, Anthony Silva and Payton Tolle were named Preseason All-Americans by various publications.
•  Silva is a consensus Preseason All-American, earning a spot on various teams from every publication.
•  Abeldt, Karson Bowen, Kole Klecker, Silva and Tolle were named Preseason All-Big 12.
•  Payton Tolle was selected as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
•  Tolle was named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
•  The incoming transfer class was ranked No. 10 by D1Baseball.com.
•  Chase Brunson is the projected Big 12 Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com

HOME NOTABLES
•  TCU will play 33 home games during the 2024 season.
•  TCU is 469-162 all-time at Lupton Stadium.
•  TCU is 235-84 at home with Kirk Saarloos on staff.
•  TCU has won 63-of-82 home series under Saarloos.
•  TCU owns a 103-38 mark in midweek games at home.
•  TCU has won 21 or more games in 16 of the 20 seasons Lupton Stadium has been in existence.
•  TCU ranked 15th nationally in average attendance (4,287) in 2023.

FLORIDA GULF COAST NOTABLES
•  Florida Gulf Coast is a relatively new baseball program having debuted in 2003. The Eagles became a Division I program in 2008.
•  The Eagles' 42 wins in 2023 were tied for the 21st-most in the NCAA.
•  FGCU led the nation in three categories in 2023: runs per game (9.6), home runs per game (2.37) and slugging percentage (.592).
•  In a vote of league coaches, FGCU was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Sun League. They had two first-place votes.
•   Jacob Lojewski and Harrison Povey were named preseason all-conference
•   D1Baseball.com projects FGCU to finish third in the ASUN Conference.
•   D1Baseball has ranked seven Eagles as top prospects in the next three drafts.

SEASON OPENER HISTORY
•  TCU is opening the season at home for the first time since the 2020 campaign.
•  TCU owns a record of 8-4 at Lupton Stadium in season openers at home.
•  TCU is 14-7 all-time in home openers at Lupton Stadium.
•  TCU has won five straight season openers.
•  TCU is 8-3 in season-openers with Kirk Saarloos on staff.

SERIES HISTORY
•  TCU and Florida Gulf Coast will be meeting for the first time this season.
•  The Eagles are the only new opponent on the 2024 schedule.