2010 TCU Baseball: Realizing A Dream
7/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 3, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU baseball team was ranked No. 3 in all four major polls to wrap up what was the most successful season in program's history. The Horned Frogs finished the year with an impressive 54-14 record, the second-most wins in Division I.
The 2010 campaign was one for the ages as NCBWA National Coach of the Year Jim Schlossnagle and staff guided the Frogs to their first-ever berth in the College World Series and the program's first 50-win season. It was the realization of a dream that was born in 2003 with the opening of Lupton Stadium.
When the administration put the money and efforts into the baseball stadium, it sent a message that TCU was serious about baseball. The hiring of Schlossnagle in the summer of 2003 put the Frogs on a path with destiny. It was a path that has taken a step forward each season under Schlossnagle's guidance.
Conference championships have become commonplace around here. Each season the goal is to win any championship presented and that goal has translated into six conference tournament championships and five regular season crowns.
The conference titles weren't enough as the Frogs pressed hard for that regional title and that dream was finally accomplished in 2009 when the Frogs hosted a regional for the first time and won. The dream of the College World Series fell a win short in 2009 as the season ended in Austin with a 5-2 loss to eventual national champion runner-up, Texas.
Perhaps a sign of things to come came in August of 2009 when the trade deadline passed and first-round draft pick Matt Purke chose TCU over beginning his professional career. Adding his talent to an already loaded roster proved to be the tipping point for the Horned Frogs in 2010 as they finally took the Road to Omaha. Led by All-American and 2010 Johnny Bench Award winner, Bryan Holaday, the Frogs were loaded will all the tools necessary to make an historical run.
TCU rewrote the record books in 2010, setting 16 team records and eight individual records. The Frogs were the only team in the nation entering the College World Series with a perfect 17-0 record in weekend series.
The season started with a dominating sweep of Sam Houston State and the Frogs were off and running. The sweep showed that TCU was going to be a force to be reckoned with both offensively and on the mound. The Frogs scored 31 times and limited the Bearkats to just nine runs in the three game sweep.
A road trip to nationally-ranked Cal State Fullerton awaited the Frogs the following weekend and a trend that would follow the Frogs throughout the season began to emerge. TCU took care of the Titans in game one behind an outstanding pitching performance from Steven Maxwell. After a tough loss in game two, the Frogs rebounded with an 8-1 win in game three to take the series from the Titans on their home field for the second straight year.
After winning a slugfest over UT San Antonio during the week, the Frogs set their sights on the Houston College Classic. TCU easily took care of Texas Tech in the opening game before squeaking by Missouri in extra innings on day two. The weekend sweep was not to be as Rice rallied for a one-run victory on Sunday to hand the Frogs just their second loss of the season.
TCU rebounded with a 15-2 drubbing over UT Arlington the following Tuesday before returning home to host Texas Tech. The Frogs eked out the victory on Friday as Holaday showed his moxy, picking off the tying run at third to end the game. Purke burst onto the national radar with a complete game victory in game two and Kyle Winkler helped the Frogs complete the sweep, leading TCU to an 8-5 win.
The Frogs overcame a four-run deficit to extend their winning streak to four games with a 6-4 victory at Oral Roberts the following Tuesday.
Maxwell and company got the conference season off to a rousing start with a 13-6 win over BYU in game one. Purke guided the Frogs to an easy 11-3 victory in game two, but the offense sputtered in the final game as the Cougars avoided the sweep with a 5-4 win.
The loss triggered a bit of a rough patch as the Frogs would drop three of four, including a loss at Dallas Baptist and an unlikely loss to Air Force. Mixed in was a dominating victory 4-0 victory over Texas State.
Air Force proved to be one of the most difficult opponents for the Frogs in 2010. Playing in freezing temperatures and snow showers, the Frogs dropped the series opener to the Falcons. Two days later, they rebounded with a 20-6 win to even the series at one. But the Falcons continued to battle as they had a 16-15 lead over TCU when the game was suspended due to travel conflicts.
With the suspended game looming, the Frogs returned home for a five-game homestand that saw them post a 3-2 record. The Frog easily took care of UT Arlington to complete the series sweep. A school-record seven sacrifices helped TCU defeat San Diego State in the opener.
TCU claimed the series victory over the Aztecs with an 11-5 win in game two, but couldn't complete the sweep as it managed to score just one run on 11 hits in a 3-1 loss. The offensive woes continued as nationally-ranked Oklahoma came to town and walked away with a 4-2 win.
It seemed a trip home to Houston, birthplace to 10 Frogs, was just what the doctor ordered. TCU dominated the series from the opening pitch as it easily completed the sweep, holding the Cougars to just four runs on the weekend. In the series finale, Jason Coats joined the record books, becoming just the 11th player in school history to hit three home runs in a contest.
The Frogs kept the wins coming as they took a 6-1 win over former SWC foe, Texas A&M before traveling to BYU where they tallied their fourth series sweep of the season. TCU won easily in the first two games but need 11 innings to steal a 6-5 victory in the series finale.
Again, the Sooners halted the Frogs momentum as they took an 8-3 victory over TCU in Norman on April 20. But the Frogs wouldn't stay down long as they rebounded with a sweep of UNLV the following weekend. Matt Curry provided the heroics with a walk-off two-run home run in a 9-8 win on Saturday.
A midweek series with Baylor awaited the Frogs following the sweep. TCU rallied for a 5-4 win over the Bears at Lupton but couldn't complete the sweep as the Bears routed the Frogs in Waco, 14-4.
TCU hit the road for six straight conference games, posting a 5-1 record to put itself in control of the conference title chase. The Frogs had no trouble sweeping Utah setting up a key match-up with New Mexico. The Frogs and the Lobos split a pair of 3-2 contests before the Frogs took the series in record-breaking fashion with a 26-4 drubbing.
The Frogs kept the momentum rolling, wrapping up an eight game road trip with a 10-5 win at Texas State.
On May 14, the Frogs were finally able to resume the suspended game with Air Force. A comeback victory would ensure that the Frogs would walk away with their fifth straight league title. Purke dominated and the Frogs finally put an end to the game with a 19-17 win in 12 innings.
TCU took the opening game of the originally scheduled series, 8-2, but again, the Falcons proved to be one of the Frogs' toughest foes. Hits were not the problem, scoring runs was as Air Force held on for a 4-2 victory despite being out-hit 12-4. In the rubber match on Sunday, the Frogs had to scratch and claw to escape with a 5-3 victory to wrap up conference play with a 19-5 record.
The win spurred a season-long 11-game winning streak that took the Frogs all the way to the NCAA Super Regionals. TCU dominated Cal State Bakersfield in the final regular season series. The Frogs won easily in the series opener. Back-to-back shutouts gave the Frogs a 43-11 record to end the regular season.
After a disappointing showing in the 2009 MWC Postseason Tournament, the Frogs headed to San Diego with a chip on their shoulder. TCU set the tone in its opening game win over Utah and followed with a 5-2 win over UNLV as Winkler tossed his second complete game of the season. The Frogs took home the title in exciting fashion as they pitched their fifth shutout of the season against New Mexico.
The Frogs dominating regular season earned them their second straight hosting gig as they welcomed Lamar, Arizona and Baylor to Lupton Stadium for the NCAA Fort Worth Regional.
TCU cruised through the first two contests, defeating Lamar 16-3 in the opener before riding the hot bat of Joe Weik to an 11-5 win over Arizona. A meeting with Baylor was the only thing that stood between the Frogs and a rematch with Texas in the NCAA Super Regionals. Maxwell made sure the meeting would happen as he dominated the Bears to the tune of a 9-0 victory.
A reversal of the 2009 Austin Super Regional propelled the Frogs to new heights. Purke and company dominated from the word "go" in the opening game as TCU took a 3-1 win to put itself in the driver's seat. A setback in game two set up a pivotal game three for the second straight season.
The Frogs scored first and clung to the one-run lead until a two-run blast by Aaron Schultz gave them breathing room. TCU sent the Longhorns home for the summer as it held on for a 4-1 victory and a berth in the College World Series.
Omaha proved to be everything it was advertised and more. The community embraced the Frogs and they used the support to become the first team since 1994 to win its College World Series debut as they handled Florida State to the tune of an 8-1 victory.
UCLA handed the Frogs a 6-3 loss to push them into the loser's bracket where the Frogs would twice stave off elimination.
A rematch with Florida State looked to be going the way of the Seminoles as they raced out to a 7-2 lead. A Jerome Pena blast got the Frogs rolling. Down to their last four outs, the Frogs mounted a serious rally, scoring eight times in the eighth. Florida State had committed five errors on the night and finally the Frogs made the miscue hurt. Curry provided the heroics with a two-out grand slam that turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead. Jantzen Witte tacked on two insurance runs and the Frogs had a date with Bruins again.
Purke became the Frogs' first-ever 16-game winner as he guided the Frogs to a 6-2 win over UCLA to set up another do-or-die game.
The Frogs date with destiny came to an abrupt end as the Bruins scored five times in the first and never looked back en route to a 10-3 win, ending the Frogs most successful season in school history.
An end to the season meant the Frogs would bid farewell to five talented seniors. Tyler Lockwood, Bryan Holaday, Matt Curry, Paul Gerrish and Eric Marshall have set a standard for the future members of the TCU baseball team. Their hard work and dedication defined the 2010 season. Memories and friendships were made, ones that will last a lifetime.
