Series Preview: Baylor Faces Rival No. 23 TCU in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas – Baylor baseball (26-14, 8-10) travels to Fort Worth to face the rival No. 23 TCU Horned Frogs (29-12, 12-6) for a three-game set this weekend at Lupton Stadium. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday’s contest will start at 2 p.m., and the series finale on Sunday is slated for 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.

Baylor Bears (26-14, 8-10)

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 443-218 (12th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 68-80 (3rd season) 

Notable Opponents:

• Wins: No. 23 Arizona (2), Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State
• Losses: No. 8 Oregon State, No. 25 Auburn, Kansas (2), Kansas State (2), Texas Tech (2)

2025 Projections:

• D1Baseball: 12th in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 13th in the Big 12

Team Stats:

• Earned Run Average: 4.50 (5th in Big 12)
• Batting Average: .299 (4th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .970 (10th in Big 12)
• Strength of Schedule: No. 118
• RPI: No. 67

No. 23 TCU Horned Frogs (29-12, 12-6)

Head Coach: Kirk Saarloos

• Career Record: 144-79 (4th season) 
• Record at TCU: 144-79 (4th season) 

Notable Opponents:

• Wins: No. 22 Kansas (3), BYU (3), Houston (2), Texas Tech (2), Michigan
• Losses: UCF (2), Arizona State (2), Southern Miss (2), Arkansas

2025 Projections:

• D1Baseball: 3rd in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 3rd in the Big 12

Team Stats:

• Earned Run Average: 4.03 (2nd in Big 12)
• Batting Average: .286 (10th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .971 (8th in Big 12)
• Strength of Schedule: No. 40
• RPI: No. 18

Baylor Projected Starting Lineup

• RF: Enzo Apodaca (RSr.): (.295 BAVG, .380 OB%, 166 AB, 44 R, 19 XBH, 32 RBI)
• LF: Wesley Jordan (Sr.): (.293 BAVG, .374 OB%, 150 AB, 29 R, 20 XBH, 33 RBI)
• SS: Tyriq Kemp (Sr.): (.361 BAVG, .450 OB%, 144 AB, 37 R, 19 XBH, 30 RBI)
• DH: Hunter Simmons (RSr.): (.367 BAVG, .451 OB%, 150 AB, 25 R, 16 XBH, 28 RBI)
• 3B: Pearson Riebock (Fr.): (.333 BAVG, .436 OB%, 126 AB, 23 R, 13 XBH, 23 RBI)
• 2B: Travis Sanders (RSo.): (.379 BAVG, .476 OB%, 103 AB, 32 R, 14 XBH, 17 RBI)
• CF Ty Johnson (Sr.): (.269 BAVG, .406 OB%, 130 AB, 25 R, 8 XBH, 27 RBI)
• 1B: Will Pendergrass (RSr.): (.172 BAVG, .242 OB%, 29 AB, 5 R, 2 XBH, 5 RBI)
• C: Cortlan Castle (Sr.): (.302 BAVG, .405 OB%, 63 AB, 7 R, 3 XBH, 9 RBI)

Baylor Projected Bench

• C: JJ Kennett (So.): (.239 BAVG, .366 OB%, 67 AB, 12 R, 3 XBH, 20 RBI)
• 1B: Gavin Brzozowski (RSo.): (.204 BAVG, .333 OB%, 49 AB, 12 R, 7 RBI)
• 1B: Jack Little (RSo.): (.234 BAVG, .343 OB%, 141 AB, 32 R, 14 XBH, 29 RBI)

*2025 Stats: (BAVG = Batting Average, OB% = On-Base Percentage, AB = At-Bats, R = Runs, XBH = Extra Base Hits, RBI = Runs Batted In)*

Probable Starting Pitchers

• BU SP 1 – LHP: Mason Green (So.); (0-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 5 IP, 3 GS)
• TCU SP 1 – RHP: Tommy LaPour (So.); (6-2, 2.15 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 58.2 IP, 10 GS)
• BU SP 2 – LHP: Carson Bailey (Fr.); (3-1, 4.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 43.2 IP, 10 GS)
• TCU SP 2 – RHP: Caedmon Parker (RJr.); (2-1, 4.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 33.2 IP, 8 GS)
• BU SP 3 – TBD
• TCU SP 3 – RHP: Trever Baumler (Fr.); (2-3, 6.12 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 32.1 IP, 7 GS)

*2025 Stats: (ERA = Earned Run Average, WHIP = Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched, GS = Games Started)*

TCU Projected Starting Lineup

• 1B: Karson Bowen (Jr.): (.2978BAVG, .422 OB%, 104 AB, 16 R, 12 XBH, 16 RBI)
• DH: Sawyer Strosnider (Fr.): (.368 BAVG, .433 OB%, 152 AB, 37 R, 24 XBH, 42 RBI)
• 2B: Cole Cramer (Sr.): (.312 BAVG, .421 OB%, 154 AB, 23 R, 10 XBH, 26 RBI)
• RF: Noah Franco (Fr.): (.309 BAVG, .416 OB%, 139 AB, 31 R, 18 XBH, 28 RBI)
• CF: Chase Brunson (So.): (.335 BAVG, .401 OB%, 155 AB, 39 R, 20 XBH, 38 RBI)
• LF: Isaac Cadena (So.): (.219 BAVG, .361 OB%, 146 AB, 29 R, 12 XBH, 27 RBI)
• SS: Anthony Silva (Jr.): (.259 BAVG, .341 OB%, 143 AB, 27 R, 12 XBH, 26 RBI)
• C: Nolan Traeger (Fr.): (.320 BAVG, .395OB%, 100 AB, 20 R, 10 XBH, 9 RBI)
• 3B: Jack Bell (So.): (.200 BAVG, .357 OB%, 90 AB, 25 R, 9 XBH, 22 RBI)

Top Quotes

Head coach Mitch Thompson on facing TCU:

• “The guys have been playing well. We need to go up to TCU and play extremely well. They are a really good club with high aspirations for their season, and they are doing great. It’s a big challenge this weekend.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on postseason aspirations:

• “From the beginning of the year, the goal has been to get to the postseason and play in the Big 12 Tournament and compete to get into the NCAA Tournament — that’s the whole idea. To be honest with you, it’s all right here before us. We’ve done enough work to get to this point. With where we’re at right now, what we do in the next month is going to be the key. If we can put it all together, then we’ll be where we wanted to be at the beginning of the year.”

Catcher Cortlan Castle (Sr.) on winning three straight games going into the TCU series:

• “It was good to get a series win last weekend and have that under the belt and bring some momentum into this weekend. It’s always fun and exciting playing [TCU]. To get that momentum back, I give a lot of props to that rally bobcat as well; you guys have seen that, and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Right-handed pitcher Cole Stasio (RSr.) on facing the rival Horned Frogs:

• The energy is super high right now. The guys are rallying around each other, knowing this is the back half of the season, and we have to make something happen. Going into TCU, it’s going to be a fun weekend; TCU is always good, and there are always a bunch of fans who come out to that one. More than anything, it’s carrying that momentum into this weekend.”

More Baseball Reading

• Thompson's Challenge, Rally Bobcat Ignites Bears in Crucial Bounce-Back Series Win
• Schedule Breakdown: Analyzing Baylor Baseball's Potential Path to the Postseason
• From Struggles to Success: Tyriq Kemp's Journey to Refind His Signature Spark
• The Power of Belief: Will Glatch's Path from Setbacks to Standout Reliever
• Faith, Injury and Hope: The Resilient Return of Hunter Simmons