TCU Set to Host Northwestern State

TCU opens a busy week of baseball games Tuesday night when it hosts Northwestern State for a pair of midweek contest.

Tuesday night's contest is set for a 6:30 start, while Wednesday will feature a matinee game beginning at 2 p.m.

NORTHWESTERN STATE NOTABLES
• The Demons are off to a 9-8 start to the season. They are coming off a 2-1 series win over Louisiana-Monroe this past weekend.
• Northwestern State averages 4.8 runs per game and is hitting .251 as a team.
• Will Watson paces the team offensively with a .379 average to go along with 13 RBIs.
• Northwestern State has flashed speed on the base paths, swiping 18 bases in 24 attempts.
• The Demons do a good job finding their way on base, earning 100 free passes (67 walks, 33 hit batters). That equates to a .356 on-base percentage.
• On the mound, the staff has posted a 4.41 ERA and is allowing opponents to hit .271.
• Cameron Brewer has tallied a team-leading three saves.
• Defensively, the Demons have committed 23 errors for a .964 fielding percentage.

TCU NOTABLES
• The Frogs earned a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Pacific on Sunday to win the series.
• Kevin Cron had two game-tying hits in the weekend series. His two hits resulted in three RBIs.
• Jantzen Witte extended his hitting streak to seven games and raised his average to .400.
• Sunday's win was the first when trailing after eight since March 4, 2012 against Oklahoma State 5-4.
• Preston Morrison has not allowed an earned run in his last 18 innings pitched.
• The TCU pitching staff notched three pick-offs over the weekend, two from Morrison.
• Andrew Mitchell tallied his third career save and his first since April 5, 2011 against UT Pan Am.
• The infield committed just one error on the weekend as TCU played flawless defense in two of the three contests.
• Derek Odell made his first career appearance at first base.
• The pitching staff is limiting opponents to a .205 batting average this season.

SERIES NOTABLES
• TCU and Northwestern State are meeting for the fifth time on the diamond.
• The Demons lead the all-time series 3-1.
• The two teams have not met since the 1995 season in Louisiana.
• Northwestern State swept the doubleheader on Feb. 18.
• TCU¹s lone win in the series was a 9-8 victory on April 19, 2004.

LUPTON STADIUM NOTABLES
• TCU continues a nine-game homestand this week when it hosts Northwestern State and Kansas.
• TCU picked up its first home series win against Pacific this past weekend.
• The Horned Frogs have an all-time record of 236-82at home.
• After seven home games, TCU ranks 12th nationally in attendance, averaging almost 3,450 fans per game.
• TCU ranks No. 1 in attendance among private schools.

COMING THROUGH
It's been a rocky start to the season for sophomore Kevin Cron, but things appear to be on the uptick. While notching just two hits over the weekend, both were of the clutch variety.

Cron made the first appearance of his career off the bench on Saturday and collected a pinch-hit single to drive in the tying run. The base hit up the middle broke an 0-for-26 slump.

He followed that hit with another clutch single in Sunday¹s contest. The Frogs were down to their final out of the game when Cron hit a bases-loaded single to tie the game at two in the ninth.

On the season, Cron is second on the team with eight RBIs.

IN A PINCH
TCU sent four pinch hitters to the plate in the series against Pacific and three reached base. Kevin Cron tallied an RBI single on Saturday, while Derek Odell and Kevin Daniels each earned walks in Sunday's come-from-behind win.

The bench has been crucial to the Frogs this season. TCU has sent a pinch hitter to the plate 33 times and come away with nine hits, four walks and one sacrifice. As a team they are hitting .321 as pinch hitters.

FREE BASEBALL
Sunday marked TCU¹s first foray into extra innings and the Horned Frogs came out on top. It marked the 33rd time under head coach Jim Schlossnagle that the Frogs have needed extra innings to decide a game.

TCU's win in the 10th inning improved it to 23-10 under Schlossnagle since 2004. In games decided in 10 innings, TCU is now 14-8 (.636).

The Frogs played in just three extra inning games a year ago. The last one was a 4-3 loss to UT Arlington on March 27, 2012.