I came to TCU seven years ago and this is the day you dream about. We feel privileged to have a chance to go to Rosenblatt in its last year and we are really looking forward to it. Omaha is the pearly gates of our profession; it’s the pearly gates of college baseball. To be the first at something is incredibly special…that’s what we’ve been preaching for seven years of recruiting and it has finally come to fruition.
That’s TCU head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle. Seems excited, doesn’t he? For very good reason: his Horned Frogs hooked the Texas Longhorns (in Austin, no less) to qualify for the school’s first trip to the College World Series. Coming into the Austin Super Regional, TCU had lost twice as many games against UT (159) as it had won (85) in the two schools’ longtime series. Frogs fans will tell you wins 86 and 87 are the sweetest in that rivalry, I’m sure.
The Horned Frogs waste no time making the most of their first trip to Omaha. TCU will open CWS action Saturday in the series’ first game, taking on Florida State at 1:00 p.m. in the first of two games that day.
Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram took a few moments to answer some questions about TCU’s season so far and the Frogs’ first visit to Omaha.
Erich Schlegel for Fort Worth Star-Telegram
White & Blue Review: Casual College World Series fans are used to greeting Longhorns, Sun Devils, Titans, and Trojans to Omaha. This weekend it looked like the Horned Frogs and Chanticleers might break through for their first trips. How did TCU do this year what it could not do in the 2009 Super Regional?
Stefan Stevenson: TCU was able to match the Longhorns’ pitching this year. Plus, the experience of playing at Texas last season helped the Frogs get over the hump.
WBR: In fact, TCU has found itself in an NCAA Regional every year since coach Jim Schlossnagle took over the Horned Frogs program, joining those aforementioned schools and a few other powerhouses as the only 14 programs to make 7 straight NCAA Tournaments. What makes Schlossnagle a great coach? Why is he successful?
SS: Schlossnagle demands his players know the fundamentals in all areas of the game — base-running, fielding, throwing, hitting cut-off men, etc. He has great assistant coaches in Todd Whitting and Randy Mazey, who will likely be head coaches soon (Mazey has already been a head coach).
WBR: CWS observers who see “TCU” and think “Cinderella” are quite mistaken, as the Horned Frogs have been a top ranked squad all season. If a group of casual College World Series fans cornered you in the Rosenblatt concourse and demanded to know more about TCU’s season, what are the key things you would tell them about the 2010 Horned Frogs?
SS: While freshman left-hander Matt Purke is deserving of all the praise he has received for being 14-0, the offense boasts 9 hitters batting over .300, plus four or five more on the bench. As a team the Frogs were batting over .340 before their Super Regional. Some discount that a bit because TCU plays in the Mountain West. That is foolish. The pitching is on par with most other leagues. Remember, Stephen Strasburg pitched in the MWC.
WBR: TCU hasn’t lost a weekend series all season, thanks to starting pitchers Steven Maxwell (11-2), Purke (14-0), and Kyle Winkler (12-1). Can you describe each of these pitchers’ approaches on the mound?
SS: All three are emotional and feisty on the mound, especially Purke. He gets excited and isn’t afraid to show it. They all want to pound hitters low in the zone.
WBR: Entering the Super Regional, TCU was the only team in the nation among the top 10 leaders in team ERA (7) and batting average (10) nationwide. Just how balanced is this Horned Frogs team? Do they need great starting pitching from Maxwell, Purke, and Winkler to win in Omaha?
SS: The offense has often been overlooked the entire season. TCU has set new school records in nearly every offensive category — batting average, runs, home runs, doubles, slugging percentage, etc. The pitching has been steady, especially the last month and a half. Each starter had a few bad outings early but since May 1 the staff has been in a zone. The three main starters do need to pitch well for TCU to have success in Omaha. The Frogs have some pitchers that could give them quality innings in long relief (Paul Gerrish, Greg Holle) and have Tyler Lockwood as a very dependable relief pitcher.
WBR: California. Holy Cross. Michigan. Minnesota. Oklahoma. USC. Texas. Those are the teams that won the College World Series in their first trip. What will it take for TCU to join that list in 2010?
SS: Schlossnagle said he doesn’t think TCU will see better pitching than it saw against Texas in the Super Regional. That may be true. But the Frogs still need their three starters to pitch well and go 6-7 innings. And someone will need to step up and help Lockwood in the bullpen.