clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

If TCU Baseball Players Were Avengers

Go on...grab some shawarma and take a seat as we assign our boys their superhero identities before they fly off into postseason.

Cody Jones in flight, because he totally can do that sort of thing.
Cody Jones in flight, because he totally can do that sort of thing.
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

And there came a day, when Jim Schlossnagle assembled a team of earth's mightiest college baseball players to unite toward a common goal: win the Big 12 and go to Omaha. We've watched the team display their superheroic talents throughout the season, so now, I shall bestow upon them their respective superhero identities.

Hulk - Connor Wan-HULK-en

(a.k.a. Connor Wanhanen)

At first, he seems like a non-menacing freshman. Make him angry, and he transforms into a monster, holding the best batting average in the starting lineup. Hitting .364 on the season, Wanhanen's production at the plate has been, well, "incredible," so it's all too fitting that he identifies with the big green guy. Did I mention he's a freshman?

Iron Man - The Invincible Evan Man

(a.k.a Evan Skoug)

He's the high-flying home run leader, tallying six home runs so far. Skoug is the power hitter the team was in need of last season. So when he comes to the plate, expect something big, flashy and topped off with a fabulous haircut. And oh yeah, he's a freshman, too.

Thor - Thor Odellson

(a.k.a. Derek Odell)

He's the "been there, done that" senior with a mean swing. Sure, he may get the, ahem, lightning strike now and then, but he still produces mightily at the plate, hitting .274 with 27 RBIs this season. That home run at Tuesday's game against Abilene Christian...I like it. Another!

Hawkeye - Precision Morrison

(a.k.a. Preston Morrison)

If there's anyone who's been the king of consistency all season, it's Preston Morrison. His precise hand pitched 22 2/3 innings without a run, which meant he held a 0.00 ERA up until the game against Vanderbilt in March. Morrison has a 1.87 ERA at this point, so he's a sharpshooter whose quiver hasn't seemed to run out of arrows.

Captain America - The First "Travenger"

(a.k.a. Mitchell Traver)

Like skinny Steve Rogers, Traver was the little-known name who grew up to become a hero. Traver has been through a lot, dealing with injury and other personal struggles, according to TCU360. But he's blossomed into a starting pitcher who will also probably call someone out for "language!" Even if it's just in his head...

Black Widow - Ri-manoff

(a.k.a. Riley Ferrell)

Natasha Romanoff's TCU baseball counterpart, Ri-manoff (sorry if it's lame), is highly skilled, terrifying and shows up to "save" the day just in time. Hehehe...

Quicksilver - Jonesilver

(a.k.a. Cody Jones)

Jones leads the team in stolen bases, so he's got to have an element of swift subtlety like Quicksilver. So far, Jones has 24 stolen bases on 28 attempts. Seriously, you didn't see that coming?

Scarlet Witch - Tyler Scarlet-xander

(a.k.a. Tyler Alexander)

Alexander can be somewhat unstable if his mind gets ahead of him, what with having the highest ERA among TCU's starting pitchers as well as a couple of losses on his hands. But, as we saw during last season's Big 12 championship, Alexander can show off a lot of power if he accesses it.

Vision - Trey Teakell

(seriously, how was I supposed to combine "Teakell" and "Vision"?)

He's a talented reliever who, like Vision in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," doesn't get enough screen time. Don't even get Marshall started about this.

Spider-Man - Spider-Keat

(a.k.a. Keaton Jones)

Because Spider-Man is a rightful member of the Avengers, I've added him in here and have assigned him to Keaton Jones (er, Spider-Keat). Keaton almost feels like a staple of the team, and it's hard to think that our baby-faced shortstop is a senior. Wherever you go next, keep doing whatever a Spider-Keat does.

So there are a few folks out of the lineup I didn't get to. Any superhero you think would be a good fit for Jeremie Fagnan, Garrett Crain or Nolan Brown? Perhaps a member of the X-Men or Guardians of the Galaxy?

Or you can go against my personal beliefs and do a DC character (bleh!). In that case, the real question is...WHO IS BATMAN???