Sophomore shortstop Anthony Silva will have a big decision to make this offseason.
TCU baseball returned for the 2024 season needing to replace nearly all of its starting infield from its College World Series run last year. After losing star third baseman and first-round draft pick Brayden Taylor, as well as breakout transfer players Cole Fontenelle and Tre Richardson, TCU went into the transfer portal over the offseason, signing former Ole Miss second baseman Peyton Chatagnier and Pepperdine third baseman Jack Basseer. The Horned Frogs also brought back veteran infielders such as Kurtis Byrne and Brody Green in addition to freshman phenoms like shortstop Anthony Silva and catcher Karson Bowen.
Brody Green sits back on this 0-2 breaking ball and hammers it out to LCF for a solo HR! TCU extends its lead to 4-2. pic.twitter.com/LyXqBCLWqs
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) February 24, 2024
While the TCU infield showed flashes of potential, inconsistent production played a role in the Horned Frogs finishing 14-16 in the Big 12 Conference and failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Replacing Taylor proved to be the biggest challenge for the Horned Frogs, as multiple players including Peyton Chatagnier, Jack Basseer, Brody Green and even outfielder Luke Boyers were tasked with holding down the hot corner in 2024. Despite limited at-bats, Green was productive over his 19 games played, hitting .303 with 20 base hits. The junior had just 23 at-bats in his first two seasons at TCU.
In-state talent SS Anthony Silva (@TCU_Baseball) one of the best gloves in college baseball & swinging a hot stick down the stretch. Tools utm; easy plus arm & actions that should translate. Good @PG_Draft name come July. pic.twitter.com/T8hJpEOZP4
— Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) May 1, 2024
The two infield transfers were unable to provide a significant punch in the lineup, however, as Chatagnier held a .236/.377/.399 slash line with three homers and 18 RBIs over 42 starts while Basseer slashed .239/.364/.326 with 11 base hits over 42 at-bats in 12 starts. Anthony Silva continued to show a stellar glove on defense, but the sophomore shortstop seemed to regress at the plate, slashing .268/.369/.384 with four homers and 33 RBIs after recording a .330/.416/.471 line with seven homers and 50 RBIs during his freshman season in 2023.
A Kurtis Byrne three-run blast off the first pitch of the AB and just like that we’ve got a three-run game
Hungry for home runs? 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship home runs presented by @OldTrapper #Big12BSB | @TCU_Baseball pic.twitter.com/9o8z3HVdQ7
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 24, 2024
Kurtis Byrne and Karson Bowen rotated between catcher and first base throughout the 2024 season. Byrne continued to be a productive contributor in the lineup, as the fifth-year senior slashed .270/.357/.461 with eight homers and 42 RBIs across 52 starts. Like Anthony Silva, though, Bowen also underperformed when compared to his freshman season, when the young catcher slashed .350/.420/.502 and was a force near the top of the TCU order. Bowen’s sophomore results were a .235/.326/.372 slash line with six homers and 38 RBIs.
C/1B Karson Bowen does a nice job with RISP to drive this ball to the OF to drive in the run. Uses the strong lower half well with aggressive move into contact. @TCU_Baseball pic.twitter.com/Ff1TxWd4fi
— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) April 20, 2024
Should Anthony Silva and Karson Bowen return for the 2025 season, as Silva will be eligible to enter the 2024 MLB Draft, it will be paramount for TCU to get them back on track. The Horned Frogs are set to lose two infielders including Peyton Chatagnier (graduate student) and reserver catcher Dallen Leach (graduate student). Of the freshman infielders TCU rostered this season, the most productive was Ryder Robinson, who earned 43 starts and finished with a .215/.316/302 slash line as well as two homers and 20 RBIs. Nearly all of the starting infield will be eligible to return for the Horned Frogs in 2025.