TCU Baseball: Kansas Preview

Due to the likely terrible weather that awaits Fort Worth tonight, the Frogs will kick off their penultimate regular season series at 2pm against Kansas. TCU’s grasp on the Big 12 regular season, while firm, is far from secure; however, a sweep this weekend would do them wonders.

As the season winds down, TCU’s whereabouts in regards to the postseason remain somewhat of a quagmire. There’s little to no doubt they’ll host a Regional, but even if they win the Big 12 regular season title, there’s a lot (and I mean that in the most liberal sense of the word) of thought that Dallas Baptist will get a National seed over the Horned Frogs. Meaning that the all but inevitable, or at the very least highly likely, Super Regional bout between the Metroplex teams will likely take place on DBU’s campus.

Wait--but why? Since the NCAA’s current post-season design has existed, the team with highest RPI has never not been a National Seed. But here’s where it’s really going to be put to the test. If the committee is deciding between a team like Dallas Baptist, who by all means have a wonderful program; or TCU, a Power 5 team (and let’s pretend like they win the regular season) who won their conference (and who will draw strong crowds), wouldn’t you think it goes to the latter? DBU has more Top 50 wins that TCU (8 vs TCU’s 7) but the Frogs have wins against Vanderbilt and UCLA--both of whom will likely get National Seeds--and a series win against Arizona State, a program that will get a Regional Seed.

I’m all for numbers and respect RPI, but let’s call upon the Czar of Common sense and just go ahead and say in writing that a Super Regional in Fort Worth looks a lot better than one on a campus of a school that not many know exists.

Kansas Preview

This is pretty much out of TCU’s hands, and they need to clinch the conference for this argument to even to come to fruition. Since dropping the Kansas State series, TCU’s been on a tear, sweeping their last three series (Santa Clara, Texas, and West Virginia).

Last weekend against West Virginia the pitching was as dominant as it’s been all year: all three starters went 8+ innings. That in and of itself is like finding a fly fossilized in amber. Controlling Kansas’ bats will be difficult, but not impossible. Connor McKay (.364/.413/.563 ) leads the Big 12 with 76 hits (also: an impressive 44 runs), and as a team, the Jayhawks are hitting a respectable .276.

What’s really going to get our friends from Lawrence in trouble this weekend is their pitching staff versus TCU’s booming offense. However, the lefty vs lefty matchup of Alexander and Ben Krauth on Friday should be give this series the spark it deserves. TCU’s offense has been defined by the freshmen and newcomers this year: Connor Wanhanen and Evan Skoug together account for over 100 hits, and if you add newcomers and fellow starters Nolan Brown and Dane Steinhagen, to list, you get exactly 200 hits.

I’ll admit I’m superstitious, so I don’t want to make any "official" predictions until the end of the regular season. But with the way TCU’s playing, it’s going to be hard for the Jayhawks to stop TCU.