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As we told you earlier this week, TCU Baseball’s infield is among the best in college baseball in 2021. D1 Baseball, the premiere site for all things College Baseball agrees, listing the middle infield combination of Gray Rodgers at second base and Tommy Sacco at shortstop among their top 30 prospects at the position ahead of the coming season.
Rodgers comes in at #15, having burst onto the scene last spring by hitting .373 in 15 games with an OPS of 1.023 and 11 RBI. He added two home runs and five doubles, drawing 11 walks and stealing a base in his first go at Division 1 ball. He also turned in stellar defense, committing just one error (98.6 fielding percentage) against 26 put-outs and 45 assists.
Sacco, who last week Jim Schlossnagle said had a chance to be the best defensive shortstop of his tenure at TCU, is the 19th best at him position according to D1, and is expected to improve greatly on his five errors in 15 game effort last season. A natural at the position, Sacco has gotten a better feel for four year collegiate baseball since last season’s shutdown, and if he can bat over .300 (he was at .303 through 15 games last year), that’s a bonus for the Horned Frogs.
A pair of Red Raiders also made the list in shortstop Cal Conley (#5) and second baseman Jace Jung (#12). The Horned Frogs will see the country’s third and fifth best second basemen opening weekend, in Arkansas’ Robert Moore and Ole Miss’ Peyton Chatagnier. Mississippi State’s Scott Dubrule is #10 on the list.Kamren James (Mississippi State) and Jalen Battles (Arkansas) are among the top-rated shortstops and will participate in the State Farm College Baseball Showdown as well.
Not a single player made the Big 12 preseason All-Conference team for a second consecutive year, but others around the country see the potential in some future star players. Sacco and Rodgers are just two to have been recognized so far.