Baseball: TCU soars up Big 12 standings with sweep of No. 22 Kansas

The Horned Frogs bounced back from their midweek loss against UT-Arlington

Despite a midweek loss against UT-Arlington on Tuesday, TCU baseball bounced back with another dominant Big 12 Conference series performance, sweeping No. 22 Kansas at Lupton Stadium to run its conference win streak to eight games. The Horned Frogs (28-9, 11-4 Big 12) have won four straight Big 12 sets and are now ranked second in the conference standings after taking all three of their games against the Jayhawks this weekend. TCU will continue its homestand with a nonconference matchup with Dallas Baptist on Tuesday.

Friday: TCU 14, Kansas 1

The Horned Frogs dominated their series opener on Friday, recording 16 hits and crushing two home runs while starter Tommy LaPour shined on the pitcher’s mound. LaPour, who touched 100 MPH on the radar gun, fired seven strong innings while striking out 11 batters and holding Kansas to three hits. TCU tallied two runs in the bottom of the first inning, scoring on an RBI triple from Sawyer Strosnider and an RBI single from Cole Cramer.

TCU blew the game wide open with seven runs in the bottom of the second inning, where Jack Bell belted a two-run homer and Chase Brunson smashed a three-run homer to give the Horned Frogs a 9-0 lead. Cramer added a two-run single in the second inning for the TCU offense, which tacked on another run after Nolan Traeger sent a sacrifice fly into center field in the top of the fifth inning. Leading 10-1 after five frames, TCU scored four runs across the sixth and seventh innings, with Strosnider slapping a pair of RBI singles over those two frames to cap off a stellar outing. Strosnider went 4 for 5 with three RBIs.

Cohen Feser and Carson Cormier combined to strike out four batters over two innings of shutout relief to preserve the TCU victory. Four Horned Frogs recorded multi-hit games, with Bell going 3 for 3 and Cramer going 2 for 3 while Karson Bowen went 2 for 3 with three runs scored. The Horned Frogs drew three walks and struck out only four times in the win.

Saturday: TCU 4, Kansas 3

While the Horned Frogs managed just four hits in the second game of the series, TCU came through in timely moments. Trailing 1-0 after four-and-a-half innings, the Horned Frogs delivered three runs in the bottom of the fifth, taking the lead after Isaac Cadena scored on a wild pitch and Karson Bowen stepped up with a two-run single up the middle. It was a milestone knock for Bowen, who eclipsed 100 career RBIs with TCU on the play. A sacrifice fly from Noah Franco in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Horned Frogs a 4-1 lead.

Kole Klecker took the ball to start the game, throwing two innings and striking out two batters while holding Kansas to one run. Braeden Sloan entered in relief and helped TCU maintain its advantage, logging four and two-thirds innings with five strikeouts while working around a pair of wild pitches. Sloan allowed only one earned run for the Horned Frogs, who saw their lead cut to one after Kansas tallied two runs on a double from Jackson Hauge in the top of the seventh inning. Despite the Jayhawk rally, TCU managed to close out the win, with freshman Kade Eudy earning his fourth save of the season. Eudy threw the final two and one-third innings while striking out two batters and limiting Kansas to one hit.

Sunday: TCU 7, Kansas 2

Looking for a series sweep on Sunday, TCU overcame a one-run deficit with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, where Jack Bell ripped a two-run double down the right-field line before Noah Franco doubled into right-center field. Leading 4-2 after Kansas earned one run back in the top of the fourth inning, TCU effectively sealed its win with a trio of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring after Cole Cramer smacked a single through the right side and Chase Brunson powered a two-run homer over the left-center-field wall.

Caedmon Parker earned the start for the Horned Frogs, firing four innings and holding the Jayhawks to two runs on four hits while striking out six batters. Mason Brassfield entered in relief and slammed the door on the Kansas offense, throwing five shutout frames with seven strikeouts while limiting the Jayhawks to three hits. Anthony Silva and Sawyer Strosnider were two of three TCU players to record multi-hit games for the Horned Frogs, who ended the series finale with 11 hits. Cramer went 2 for 4 with two runs and one RBI in the win.