TCU Takes home the Big 12 Tournament Crown
After a successful Big 12 regular season, the TCU Horned Frogs were able to win the Big 12 Tournament. After tying for first place for the Big 12 regular-season championship, the Horned Frogs were able to turn around and have a successful Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament. The team would first play the Kansas State Wildcats to get revenge for a series loss from the week prior.
Win or lose; the Horned Frogs would have another game in the double-elimination tournament. With hopes of adding another win under their belt, the Horned Frogs would go into the weekend playing some of their best baseball in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at Bricktown Ballpark.
Game One
The TCU Horned Frogs began their tournament with a first game on Wednesday, May 26th, at 12:30 pm against the Kansas State Wildcats. In order to win the Big 12, the frogs would have to face off the Wildcats, who ended their season on a high note and looked to continue their streak against the Horned Frogs.
The game began with the Wildcats coming out with a head full of steam by scoring four runs in the first inning. The Horned Frogs answered with two of their own scores but would still be trailing by two. Moving to the second inning, both the Wildcats and Horned Frogs split runs. In the third, both teams would step up and play an excellent inning of defense with no scoring from either side.
Coming From Behind
Now trailing 6-3, the TCU Horned Frogs had to reply in a significant way if they were to advance in the winner’s bracket. That response would come in the sixth inning. In a team effort, the Horned Frogs shut down the Wildcats when they were at bat by not allowing a single score in the rest of the contest. On the other side of the ball, the Horned Frogs would come up clutch when up to bat.
By responding in the sixth with three scores and a single score in ninth, the Horned Frogs would merely escape the Wildcats. The Horned Frogs had 12 hits in the contest. The Wildcats only had eight with a single error by each team. With the lockdown defense and clutch plays, the Horned Frogs won 7-6 to start their Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Game Two
After being postponed due to inclement weather, the TCU Horned Frogs then took on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The contest took place Friday, May 28th at 9 am. After losing to the Red Raiders in the regular season, the Horned Frogs again came out with all cylinders firing.
The Horned Frogs were able to jump out to an early 4-0 lead in the first four innings. They were able to do so by putting on a clinic when pitching and minimizing their errors early. The Red Raiders would then finally respond in the fifth by scoring two runs. The two runs would end up being the only scores of the game for the Red Raiders. The Horned Frogs then go on to finish the game strong on the mound.
While shutting down the Red Raiders, the team also put up another score in the seventh and then another in the eighth inning. By doing so and responding in game two with nine hits, the Horned Frogs took the down Red Raiders by a final score of 7-2.
Game Three
In the third game of the tournament for the Frogs, the team got another rematch against the K-State. This game too place on Saturday, May 29th at 9 am. The game began with a strong start by the Wildcats by once again jumping up 4-0. Trailing early, the Horned Frogs responded with two runs of their own but still followed by two after the first.
From that point in the game, the Horned Frogs would be ice cold when up to bat. The result, losing 5-2, which would be their first loss of the double loss elimination tournament.
TCU did have opportunities to score in the contest. In the first inning, the team had the bases loaded and, with a chance to put five on the board, missed out. With an error coming from each team and five runs scored from the Horned Frogs, compared to the Wildcats nine, the team would fall.
Game Four
In the fourth and tournament semi-final game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Tournament, the TCU Horned Frogs came to make a statement. In order to win the Big 12 tournament the Frogs had another game against K-State, and this time couldn’t afford a loss. Before they ever got up to bat, the Horned Frogs went down early 1-0. In one of their best performances of the year, the Horned Frogs responded to their last loss with a seven-score first inning.
With a slow first inning, Kansas State would score once in the third and fourth as they tried to escape the hole they now found themselves in. The two scores still would have TCU ahead 7-3 heading into the fourth inning.
TCU responded by putting on a clinic when they were up to bat. In the next three innings, the Horned Frogs would put up another three scores by having one in each. Now with a commanding 10-3 lead, the team would have to finish strong.
K-States Come Back
Kansas State responded in an attempt to come back from the deficit. They would do so by putting up four more scores to bring it up to seven for the Wildcats. Still ahead 10-7 with a slight lead than before, the Horned Frogs had to come out to play in the eight.
The Horned Frogs held off the Wildcats with zero runs in the final inning by coming out and playing solid defense. On the other side of the ball, the Frogs came out firing and scored seven runs to win 17-7. In the game’s final inning, the Frogs enforced the run rule and ended the game. The win would propel the team to advance to the championship game and take on Oklahoma State.
Game Five to Win the Big 12
In the fifth and final game for the TCU Horned Frogs of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament, the team took care of business. The team was slated to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who also took care of business to reach the championship. The championship game was played Sunday, May 30th at 5 pm and would be the tournament’s conclusion.
Like many other games in the tournament, this game started slow. Both teams in the first inning would go scoreless, but then TCU would then respond in the second inning with two scores. In the third inning, the Cowboys would respond with an answer of their own. That answer being able to score five runs in the third inning compared to the Horned Frogs’ two scores.
TCU’s Final Moves to Win the Big 12
Now down 5-4 in the contest, TCU responded with a single score in the fourth to tie the Cowboys 5-5. With the Big 12 Tournament Championship on the line, the Horned Frogs reacted enormously. Runs on the board went up five scores in the fifth to launch the Horned Frogs ahead 10-5. With a cushion, the team would go into the sixth inning and play solid defense, not allowing the Cowboys to score in the inning.
Now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the Horned Frogs just had to hold off another charge from the Cowboys. In a comeback attempt, the Cowboys scored twice. Once in the seventh inning and once in the eighth, and would not score again. By doing so, the Horned Frogs were able to hold off the Cowboys to go on to win the contest and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament 10-7.
Overview
Overall, the TCU Horned Frogs had an excellent Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament by overcoming adversity to win the title. The Horned Frogs beat Kansas State twice, a top ten ranked Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. The tournament took place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in Bricktown Ballpark. Now ranked No. 15 in the nation with a Big 12 Conference regular-season title and now a Big 12 Conference tournament title under the belt, the team will begin their road to Omaha. Of course, with the road coming through Fort Worth, TCU and Lupton Field are a Regional host.
Tickets for the Fort Worth regional go on sale Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Buy tickets here.
Written by Campus Live Intern Trinity Porter
