TCU baseball heads to Los Angeles for a Top-10 clash with No. 1 UCLA, highlighted by strong pitching and a fast start at the plate.
FORT WORTH - TCU baseball gets its first true measuring-stick weekend of the season as the No. 7 Horned Frogs travel west to face top-ranked UCLA in a marquee Top-10 series.
The three-game set marks the only ranked-versus-ranked matchup in college baseball this weekend and provides an early glimpse at Omaha-caliber competition.
The Horned Frogs (2-2) opened the season at Globe Life Field, splitting four games but earning statement wins over No. 23 Vanderbilt and No. 7 Arkansas. That performance vaulted TCU into the top 10 of multiple national polls.
Left-hander Mason Brassfield will get the ball Friday night, followed by right-hander Lance Davis on Saturday and southpaw Uli Fernsler in Sunday’s finale.
The Frogs will look to clean up their defense after committing seven errors in the first weekend, miscues that led to nine unearned runs.
At the plate, Chase Brunson has been red-hot, with four doubles already - tied among the national leaders. Lucas Franco, Kyuss Gargett and Sawyer Strosnider each launched a home run for their first hit of the year, while Noah Franco earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors after a dominant outing.
UCLA (3-1) enters the series swinging a confident bat. The Bruins are hitting .302 as a team and have already blasted 10 home runs, ranking near the top nationally in long balls.
Rock Cholowsky and Will Gasparino pace the offense with three home runs apiece, and the Bruins have yet to commit an error through four games.
The series carries added intrigue for TCU, which features nine California natives on its roster. Historically, the Frogs have enjoyed success in this matchup, winning five straight against UCLA and holding a 6-4 edge overall.
Under head coach Kirk Saarloos, TCU has consistently competed on the road, boasting a winning record in multiple seasons away from Fort Worth.
This weekend offers more than bragging rights. It’s a chance for TCU to prove its early Top-10 ranking is no fluke ... and perhaps send a message that the Frogs belong in the national title conversation.