After a four-game winning streak No. 7 TCU (8-4) team will play winless Houston Baptist in a three-game weekend series. The Huskies, losers of 12 straight this season and 13 overall, have averaged 3.2 runs per game compared to TCU’s 5.2 runs per game. The Frogs will try and better their .500 home record (4-4) at Lupton Stadium over the university’s spring break.
The Horned Frogs defeated UT- Arlington 7-3 on Tuesday. Defense allowed the Frogs to win their fourth straight after losing three in a row despite racking up 55 hits in the last four games. Mavs starting pitcher Chase Weaver was credited with the loss and the Mavericks slipped to .500 on the season at 6-6.
TCU head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle said defense made the difference for the Horned Frogs, especially since UTA outhit TCU 11 to 10.
“Four plays were the difference in the game because we got outhit,” Schlossnagle said after Tuesday’s win.
Highlights of the game included Featherston’s home run in the third inning and sophomore Josh Elander kept up the winning streak when he walked the fourth run of the game. Featherston is now on a nine game hitting streak.
Schlossnagle said senior Joe Weik’s catch to end the top of the third was the play of the game.
“I certainly am glad we scored those three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, they looked big in the ninth inning,” he said.
Junior left fielder Jason Coats said he feels better about his swing and wanted to keep up the momentum in the game against the Mavericks.
“I had been squaring balls up, but sometimes my approach was a little inconsistent,” Coats said. “We looked at moving my hands back a bit, staying true to my approach and the results are showing.”
The Houston Baptist Huskies’s played Stephen F. Austin last week and lost to the Lumberjacks 6-0. Sophomore Tyler McCarty took the loss for Houston Baptist, allowing one run on three hits through six innings and four runs on four hits in the seventh inning for his third loss of the season.
Looking ahead
The Frogs will continue play through spring break at UT-Arlington Tuesday. It will be the Frogs’ second Tuesday evening road game of the season before the Frogs begin their first Mountain West Conference series at UNLV March 18-20.
Winkler stretches Frog’s MWC Pitcher of the Week streak to three
Junior Kyle Winkler has been named the MWC Pitcher of the Week, the second such honor for Winkler this season and the fourth in his career. Winkler struck out nine Red Raiders in eight scoreless innings in a 7-0 victory over Texas Tech last weekend.
Sports editor Ryne Sulier contributed to this report.
