Preseason All-Big 12 honoree Ben Abeldt headlines the southpaws back in the mix this spring.
Our 2025 TCU baseball season preview series continues with the second installment of a four-part series. After highlighting the right-handed pitchers set to throw for TCU this spring, we’ll examine the left-handed pitchers the Horned Frogs will deploy this year.
Headlining the southpaws on the bump will be 6-foot-3 junior and Preseason All-Big 12 honoree Ben Abeldt, who returns after a stellar sophomore campaign. Abeldt posted a 1.83 ERA and racked up several accolades including All-Big 12 First Team, Second-Team ABCA All-Region, Second-Team NCBWA All-American and Third-Team Perfect Game All-American honors. The McKinney, Texas native struck out 54 batters with 16 walks over 44.1 innings and held opposing batters to a .186 average. Abeldt, who made 26 appearances and recorded eight saves last season, emerged with a promising freshman campaign in 2023, when he posted a 3.60 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 55 innings and 32 total appearances.
Early candidate for the most fun pitch in the 2025 class is Ben Abeldt’s slider. Averages 80.2 mph with a 0″/5″ profile. 42.4% whiff and 31.9% chase. His cross-fire release creates a 98th percentile SL HAA at 6.16 degrees, plays like a straight-up death ball to his glove side pic.twitter.com/gEFcwSYNZn
— Azad Earl (@Data_prospects) October 23, 2024
Also returning to the staff will be 6-foot-4 junior Braeden Sloan, who has had a mixed bag of results over his first two seasons at TCU. The Roseville, California native started 10 games as a freshman and four games as a sophomore in 2024, when he moved into a relief pitching role due to some struggles in the starting rotation. Sloan owns a career 6.34 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 31 walks over 65.1 innings pitched, took a small step forward last season, when he finished 4-4 with a 5.93 and was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week one time. Control will be paramount for Sloan, who’s thrown six wild pitches and hit eight batters.
Braeden Sloan has 13 Punchies through 6 tonight.
TCU battled out extra innings last night and Sloan steps up big time.
The Frogs lead 3-0 over Arizona
— Texas College Baseball (@TexasCollegeBSB) February 29, 2024
TCU brought in one left-hander from the transfer portal, signing former Washington pitcher Gianluca Shinn. The 6-foot-2 redshirt senior spent three seasons with the Huskies, making 42 appearances and posting a 5.86 ERA with 33 strikeouts over 43 innings thrown. Shinn, who made all of his appearances in relief, will look to carve out a role with the Horned Frogs in 2025. Shinn hurled a career-high 31.1 innings in 2024, striking out 25 total batters.
Gianluca Shinn- LHP sitting 90-92 with feel for CH & plus slider. 2020 grad with 4 years of eligibility left. Currently pitching in the @appyleague with a 1.10 ERA in 16.1 inn & 20k. Coaches that have a need for an arm this fall, call me ASAP! #uncommitted #OBC @GianlucaShinn pic.twitter.com/PCMdUV54re
— Oliveira Baseball Consulting (@OBC_Recruits) July 20, 2021
Rounding out the southpaws on the TCU pitching staff are freshmen Noah Franco and Mason Brassfield. Franco arrives in Fort Worth as the Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year and should command a significant role as both a pitcher and a hitter for the Horned Frogs in 2025. The 6-foot-3 Franco, who was honored as a high school All-American by MLB, Baseball America, Under Armour and Perfect Game, was ranked the No. 7 prospect in the nation by Perfect Game and the No. 14 prospect nationally by Baseball America.
getting another step closer to season. @PerfectGameUSA @JeredGoodwin3 @JoeDoyleMiLB @coach_oliveira @lemo22 @ProspectsLive @JBrownPG @IMGABaseball @vcervinoPG pic.twitter.com/iCjDmYAMx5
— Noah Franco (@Official_NF3) February 11, 2023