Baseball: TCU advances to Big 12 Conference championship with win over Kansas State

TCU baseball will compete for a Big 12 Conference tournament title on Sunday after taking down Kansas State for the second time in the last four days. The Horned Frogs capitalized on two eighth-inning defensive errors from the Wildcats, scoring two insurance runs before working around a lead-off single in the ninth inning to secure a 6-3 victory. TCU (36-22, 13-11 Big 12) clinched a berth in the championship game, which will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Right-hander Sam Stoutenborough toed the rubber for the Horned Frogs, throwing three scoreless frames to open the game before a solo home run gave Kansas State a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. TCU tied the score in the bottom of the fourth inning, where Cole Fontenelle’s sacrifice fly brought home Karson Bowen. Both teams traded runs in the fifth inning, with TCU evening the score at 2-2 after Kurtis Byrne belted a solo shot of his own. Stoutenborough lasted five and two-thirds innings, striking out three batters.

Austin Davis put the Horned Frogs ahead 3-2 after a sacrifice fly plated Logan Maxwell in the bottom of the fifth inning. TCU loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring one run after Anthony Silva grounded into a double play. Freshman left-hander Ben Abeldt took over on the mound in the top of the sixth inning, firing the final three and one-third innings while striking out seven batters and limiting the Wildcats to three hits.

Leading 4-3, TCU scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning, where a throwing error from the Kansas State catcher and a successful run-scoring bunt from Tre Richardson led to a second fielding error that allowed another Horned Frog runner to cross home plate. TCU carried a three-run lead into the ninth inning, where a huge one-out strikeout from Abeldt preceded back-to-back groundouts that sealed the Horned Frog victory on Saturday. TCU will face either Oklahoma State or Texas Tech in the championship game on Sunday night.