TCU baseball: What to watch for at ACU

Fresh off a forgettable weekend at Lupton Stadium — we’ll leave it at that — TCU baseball is looking to right the ship Tuesday night as the Horned Frogs face Abilene Christian. TCU has lost eight of its last ten games, so simply put, there is nowhere for Jim Schlossnagle and Co. to go but up as a tumultuous month of April comes to a close tonight.

Here is everything you need to know as the Horned Frogs pay a visit to the Wildcats Tuesday night.

TCU at ACU

When: Tuesday, April 30, 2019 — 6:30 p.m CT

Where: Crutcher Scott Field — Abilene, Texas

Radio: 88.7 FM — KTCU

TV: Pay Per View (Live stream)

Records: TCU — 22-19 (6-9 Big 12); ACU — 22-20 (9-12 Southland)

All-time series: TCU leads 23-1

TCU starter: TBA

ACU starter: Brock Barger (3-9)

What to watch for

Feel free to call what transpired at Lupton Stadium over the weekend exactly what it was — rock bottom. Absolutely nothing went right for the Horned Frogs, who surrendered 33 runs and 10 errors in a three day stretch en route to being swept by Big 12 rival Baylor. Before the disastrous series, TCU hadn’t been swept on its own turf since 2013 — more than half a decade ago when the Horned Frogs were in their first-season of Big 12 play. That’s not to mention TCU’s offense was near nonexistent, only plating 6 runs in the series.

Long story short, this is dire straits for the Horned Frogs — a situation in which just about every game going forward is a must-win. The good news, for starters, is that history is on TCU’s side when it comes to ACU. In fact, the Horned Frogs are perfect 4-0 all-time in Abilene. Alas, there are simply no guarantees against any opponent — much less on the road — after the recent three-day drubbing in the friendly confines of Fort Worth. To sum it all up, expect a whole lot of urgency on the diamond tonight — though that was something that should have been the case against Baylor, but wasn’t.

And that can only leave us wondering: Will we see disciplined efforts tonight in Abilene following the sloppy display this past weekend? Can pitching staff avoid getting teed off against early? And can TCU’s bats put on a potent display of offense as we were accustomed to early this season? If none of those happen, then there might be bigger issues to address than just a “rut” for the Frogs.

ACU notables

Luis Trevino, C: Trevino is one of 23 hitters in the nation with an average of .400 or better, and leads ACU this season with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs. Trevino was 2-4 at the plate his last time out during ACU’s 7-6 loss to McNeese on Sunday.

Derek Scott, OF: Scott has speed, as he leads ACU with 26 stolen bases on the year. Scott has 44 hits on the season and is batting .280

Against the Big 12: ACU has yet to post a win against a Big 12 opponent this season. The Wildcats are 0-2, dropping previous contests to TCU (12-4) and Baylor (6-3).