TCU News: Baseball hopes to open their season this weekend

Baseball:

Ole Miss to be without starting first baseman Cael Baker against TCU | OM Sports

Best wishes to Cael, who they hope to get back at some point during the weekend.

Senior Cael Baker, who was penciled in as the starter at first base, won’t travel with the team after he recently tested positive for COVID-19. While Mike Bianco, in his 21st season as head coach, couldn’t officially confirm the news on Monday due to university protocol, he did acknowledge the Rebels will be a man short.

“I know I’m not allowed to say it,” Bianco said. “We’ll lose one kid to COVID that won’t travel with us. There’ll be one player that tested positive that won’t be traveling with us. We test again on Wednesday. That’s about all I know.”

Basketball:

Thursday Texas Tech vs. TCU basketball game postponed | Everything Lubbock

What a mess this week has been.

The Texas Tech vs. Texas Christian University basketball game scheduled for Thursday, February 18, has been postponed due to inclement weather, according to a tweet from Big 12 Conference.

The Texas vs. Oklahoma basketball game was also postponed.

Football:

TCU OL outlook for 2021: Will the Horned Frogs improve from last season? | Dallas News

This group has to be better this fall.

Why 2021 production could be better: The coaches saw that the team needs improvement from last season. Hopefully this offseason, they are paying special attention to the line because it’s hard to move the ball downfield when the pocket collapses so quickly. While Storment has moved on to Texas Tech, the Frogs are bringing in Memphis transfer Obinna Eze, who started at left tackle for every game the Tigers played the past two seasons.

Why 2021 production could be worse: The Frogs recruited just two new offensive linemen, one of them being Eze. The other is incoming freshman Noah Bolticoff. Hopefully these two, combined with improvement for returning players, can help turn things around for the Frogs.

Around Campus:

TCU explains why its campus was aglow amid calls for energy conservation | The Star-Telegram

I mean... I get it, but be more aware.

According to TCU officials, after a few hours, TCU turned off the floodlights on the intramural fields. The schedule for those lights has been adjusted to be off until Feb. 26.

“The intramural lights are on an automatic schedule — a well-lit campus is part of our public safety plan,” TCU said in a statement. “Modifications to the lighting schedule are executed by a contract partner off-campus. We requested a modification yesterday, and those changes have since been made. The lights should not be on this evening.”

For a short time downtown Fort Worth was also aglow, but eventually all of the iconic skylights were shut off and will remain off for the remainder of the energy crisis, said Downtown Fort Worth Inc. president Andy Taft.

TCU extends use of campus recreation center as shelter for students | TCU 360

This is good.

With many students off-campus still without power Monday afternoon, TCU made plans for them to weather the storm on campus

Michael Russel, Dean of Campus Life, e-mailed students, giving them the option to spend the night in the campus recreation center.

Students must register by 6:30 pm to secure their spot.

While there are not any beds, Russel wrote they “currently have heat, shower facilities and WiFi internet.”

Students are told to bring toiletries, a sleeping bag or blanket, chargers and snacks. They will provide towels for showers.