TCU Looks to Even Series Against Tech

The weather that came through Friday afternoon blew over well before first pitch, but for TCU players and fans, the real storm hit Lupton in the middle of Friday night's game. The young defense struggled to back up freshman pitcher Dalton Horton, who put runners on base but gave his team opportunities to get out of trouble time and time again. Unfortunately, errors and close calls doomed TCU to a 7-3 loss.

Tech, as they are prone to do in DFW, made their presence felt throughout the game, cheering loudly, screaming Raider Power to the point of obnoxiousness, and dousing TCU Showgirls with water from their dugout. But ultimately, they did what they came to do, and took the opener from a TCU squad that struggled to get the ball out of the infield against TT's hard throwing freshman pitcher.

The Frogs will turn to stalwart Brian Howard Saturday afternoon, who is coming off his worst start of the year. But the veteran righty is certainly a guy who knows how to stop the bleeding, and should give Schloss and company confidence as they look to tie the series at a game apiece. Slowing down the hot bat of Eric Gutierrez will be job number one, but playing excellent defense behind Howard is a close second.

For a TCU team that has made its bones on offense for much of the season, putting up more than three runs in game number two is the top priority. Better, more patient at bats, and forcing Tech pitchers to go deep in the count is a recipe for success in that regard.

The series itself is huge for a TCU team hoping to hang in the Big 12 race. But even more than that, the Frogs need to regain their mojo and get back to playing winning baseball. First pitch is at 4:00pm - let's pack the park in purple for the home team.