TCU Baseball: Vanderbilt Preview and Gamethread

TCU will play its second National Champion from the past two years early this afternoon in Dodger Stadium. Last night was needed. After giving up a run in the 1st, as well as a few other jams in the early innings, Alex Young finished brilliantly and the Frogs got out of Jackie Robinson Stadium with a big win.

Briefly, what did I tell you about Elliot Barzilli? The Georgia Tech transfer and LA native has been crushing it this weekend in his hometown. Barz's heroics, an advanced double that scored two runs, broke the game wide open last night and gave Young and Ferrell a two run lead, to which they sustained--especially Young-- who kept building on his own momentum and only got better as the game progressed. Most impressively, Young kept the normally brilliant Ty Moore, who had been absolutely on fire-- in check, though he had one RBI.

To Live and Die in LA: Vandy

My dream of Preston Morrison pitching the Sunday game came to fruition. We talked about this yesterday, but there are no more days off for Morrison. The senior righty, who has yet to give up a run in 2015, seems up to challenge--new mustache look and all. He had a 88-pitch win two weeks ago against Arizona State, and Morrison will need that same kind of command to his game to beat this really, really good Vandy team. And a salty Vandy team too, thanks to some more heroics from USC in their walk-off win--though this time it was sans any hockey checks.

For the Commodores, they've kind of changed up their Sunday look each week and haven't had a consistent Sunday starter. Today, as a write this in the morning, my guess would be that they go with Kyle Wright or Phil Pfiefer. Hitting wise for the Dores, look out for junior Zander Wiel and Rhett Wiseman. Wiseman leads the team in; BA at (.397), hits (23), and Slugging (.638). In name Olympics, Dansby Swanson is a gold medal winner, and he's also sandwiched Wiel and Wiseman in BA at (.355), and leads the team in runs with 15.

Prediction:

Vandy's got it all; pitching, power, and speed. But they haven't ever seen Preston Morrison. The senior throws a sub-100 pitch gem and TCU wins 2-0, and finishes the weekend with a winning record.