Schlossnagle says conference move would be great for TCU baseball

The 2010 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Coach of the Year  said he was excited about the possibility of joining the Big 12 Conference.

Head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle’s team has had a great deal of success in recent years, including an opportunity to play in the College World Series.

“It’s great for TCU. It certainly would be a culmination of a lot of hard work and sacrifice by many, many people over a long period of time to put TCU and the athletic department in this position,” Schlossnagle said. “From a baseball standpoint, I’m excited to compete against some of the very best programs that college baseball has to offer.”

The move to join the Big 12 would not be the first time the TCU baseball team has competed against potential conference opponents.

Schlossnagle led his team to the best-of-three super regional series in Austin, forcing a decisive game three against the Longhorns in 2010.

But the success did not end there.

The Horned Frogs made it to the semifinals of the College World Series, where they defeated Florida State University twice due in part to Matt Curry’s grand slam securing the second win.

Their win against Florida State ensured an advancement to the semifinals, but the team was unable to defeat the Bruins at Rosenblatt Stadium, placing No. 3 in the CWS.

If the Frogs decide to move to the Big 12, TCU coaches like Schlossnagle and head football coach Gary Patterson could be certain of one thing — recruits.

The football team already has another top 25 recruiting class for the 2012 season.

But the athletic programs at TCU are not the only ones who would benefit from a move to the Big 12.

The decision to join the conference would mean TCU would receive $18 million: an amount significantly larger than the $1-2 million the university receives from the Mountain West, according to ESPN Dallas.