Life in the Valley

Indiana State’s level of success in the Terre Haute Super Regional at Forth Worth may very well depend on how much damage the Sycamores offense can do to TCU’s starting pitching, before the Horned Frogs bullpen takes over.

The numbers for TCU’s starters certainly aren’t eye-popping, but given how crazy their offense has been lately, it’s not like their starting pitchers have to be the second coming of Jake Arrieta or Tex Carleton. Nine different pitchers have started at least 1 game for the Horned Frogs in 2023, with Kole Klecker leading the way at 9-4 on the season with a 4.18 ERA in 14 starts. Klecker has worked 79 2/3 innings and struck out 60. Opposing batters are hitting just .215 against him, but he has given up far and away more homers than anyone else on the staff with 16. TCU pitchers have allowed 67 dingers combined.

Klecker last started in TCU’s NCAA Regional opener, a 12-4 TCU win over Arizona to begin the Fayetteville Regional. Klecker allowed 3 runs on 4 hits over 4 innings with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. But true to form, the bullpen was there for Klecker and TCU. Luke Savage went 4 innings and got the win, allowing the Wildcats just 1 run on 3 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Cohen Feser pitched a perfect 9th with 2 strikeouts to end it. With a full week’s rest, if healthy, Klecker likely takes the bump in Game 1 for TCU when the best-of-3 series begins at 5 p.m. Eastern today. The game will air live on ESPNU.

Beyond Klecker, TCU’s next most used starters have been Cam Brown (3-2, 5.50 in 11 starts) and Braeden Sloan (2-3, 6.63 in 10 starts, though he’s only pitched 38 innings this season). In Regionals, TCU (40-22) turned to Sam Stoutenborough in the 1-0 winner’s bracket game against Arkansas. Stoutenborough (4-0, 4.48 in 8 starts, 19 appearances) didn’t have to be Cy Young since TCU scored 20 runs in that game, but he turned in a solid performance against a very good Razorbacks offense, going 6 innings and allowing 4 runs on 6 hits with 0 walks and 5 strikeouts. He certainly saved some of his best for the right time as the 6 innings and 0 walks were a season high and season low, respectively. Stoutenborough has thrown 60 1/3 innings this season, but 22 2/3 of those have come in his last 4 appearances, all TCU wins against Baylor, Arkansas, and twice vs. Kansas State. Over that time, he’s lowered his season ERA from 5.02 to 4.48. He may well have forced his way into a significant spot as this Super Regional plays out.

Brown got the start in TCU’s Regional clincher, where they had a game to play with against once-beaten Arkansas. He struggled, allowing 4 runs on 2 hits, 4 walks, 1 wild pitch, and 2 hit batters over 4 1/3 innings before Ben Abeldt came on to get out of the 5th and go the rest of the way, getting the final 14 outs on 65 pitches (4.64 ppo). Zack Morris took the loss in that game for Arkansas, as the Razorbacks couldn’t be Saved by the Bell and their season ended.

Abeldt is most often the one to get the call to the TCU bullpen, with 28 appearances. He’s fanned 61 in 45 2/3 innings. He 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA. Luke Savage and Cohen Feser have made 34 combined appearances with a total 6-3 record, and 47 strikeouts in 63 2/3 combined innings. TCU isn’t afraid to go to its bullpen early and often and the group has the depth required to get the Horned Frogs out of many a sticky situation. Where Indiana State has a chance to put up crooked numbers against starters in the first 3 innings of games, the Sycamores better take advantage of those opportunities.

As a team, TCU carries a 4.80 ERA, good for 53rd in the nation. Their team strikeout-to-walk ratio is better than 2:1, with 528 Ks and 251 free passes. Brown has the team’s only complete game, but the staff also totals just 10 saves. Course, you don’t need a save most of the time when you’re beating teams 20-5, 16-3, 14-4, 17-5, 18-5, etc. TCU’s offense allows the pitching staff to not have the pressure of being great. It’s a matchup that could work in Indiana State’s favor, but the Sycamores still must slow down TCU’s attack, as well.