TCU News: A.J. Balta’s ‘shot in the dark’ led him to TCU

Baseball

A ‘shot in the dark’ led outfielder A.J. Balta from Oregon to TCU | Fort Worth Star Telegram

Balta, a graduate transfer, took a chance and called Jim Schlossnagle about transferring to TCU. It worked. Here’s the cool backstory to how A.J. Balta wound up at TCU.

“I reached out to a handful of schools, and TCU was obviously one of the best programs in the country, so it was just a shot in the dark,” Balta said. “Coach Schlossnagle was gracious enough to give me a visit out here, and I just loved it.”

Football

It’s been 80 years since TCU’s last Heisman winner...so, who’s next? | Dallas Morning News

While the next TCU Heisman winner probably isn’t on the roster right now (according to the writer of this DMN article), the best chance the Frogs have at bringing home the prestigious hardware lies with Darius Anderson.

Anderson was TCU’s breakout star in 2017 as the sophomore out-rushed and out-produced senior back Kyle Hicks. With 768 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, he solidified himself as TCU’s primary ball-carrier moving forward. Those may not be Heisman numbers, but with a new quarterback entering the fold, more touches could be on the horizon for the sure-handed speedster.

Men’s Basketball

College Basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25 | ESPN

The Frogs check in at No. 21 on this way-too-early list, and it’s not the only pre-pre-pre-pre-preseason rankings they find themselves on. TCU, turns out, is a consensus way-too-early Top 25 team.

21. TCU Horned Frogs

With Jaylen Fisher sidelined by a season-ending knee injury, the Horned Frogs finished 8-8 over the final 16 games of the season. They reached the tournament but never their potential without the 6-2 point guard. He’s back for 2018-19, along with Alex Robinson, Kouat Noi, JD Miller and Desmond Bane. Coach Jamie Dixon will also add a top-30 class with three four-star recruits. This TCU squad could compete for the Big 12 crown in Dixon’s third season.