TCU Baseball vs Dallas Baptist: Preview and Open Thread

The Dallas Baptist/TCU rivalry has become a good one, as a several games have come down to the wire, and what have been arguably the best two teams in North Texas have squared off in several playoff contests the past few seasons as well. Both teams will come into tonight's contest playing well, with hefty win records to prove it. For the Patriots, who boast a hefty 20-10 record, the opportunity to face off against one of the top 10 teams in the country is always a litmus test, as well as a chance to make a statement when it comes to who hosts regional matchups come post-season play. For the Frogs, a victory may not move the needle quite as much, but the chance to work on getting presumed starter Rex Hill back on track looms large.

The Patriots will turn to freshman Jordan Martinson on the bump, an impressive lefty out of Birdville High School who is 2-0 on the season with a 2.27 ERA and 23 Ks. Junior Darick Hall is back raking after an impressive sophomore campaign, and leads the team in home runs with 12 already, which matches the team's leader from a year ago, senior Justin Wall. Hall may make a serious run at the DBU single season record of 22, which has stood since 2009. Freshman Jameson Hannah is off to a hot start as well, batting .386 and coming off a pair of three hit games over the weekend.

TCU will hope that the offensive firepower they found Saturday and Sunday against Kansas made the trip home as well, as Evan Skoug, Josh Watson, and Dane Steinhagen all mashed the ball against the Jayhawks. Elliot Barzilli continues to be one of the toughest outs in the country, batting .433 on the year. The Frogs have used the big stick as well as their speed on the basepaths (44-49 on steals) to manufacture over eight runs per game.

First pitch is set for 6:30pm, with the game available on FSSW+ and 88.7 KTCU. Be sure to watch along with us as the Frogs go for win number 25 on the year.