TCU baseball added former MLB pitcher Thomas Eshelman as pitching coach, giving Kirk Saarloos a familiar voice in arm development.
FORT WORTH - TCU baseball is making a serious move on the mound, and Kirk Saarloos didn’t have to search far into his past to find the right fit.
The Horned Frogs announced the addition of Thomas Eshelman as their new pitching coach, bringing a former Major League arm and rising player-development voice to Fort Worth.
Eshelman arrives after working in the Baltimore Orioles organization as an upper-level pitching coordinator, where he helped guide arms at Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Chesapeake.
“We are so thrilled to be adding such an elite pitching coach in Thomas Eshelman,” Saarloos said.
“He's authentic, incredibly competitive and committed to player development. Thomas is going to have a major impact on our program.”
This hire has some real full-circle bite. Saarloos recruited Eshelman to Cal State Fullerton when he was the Titans’ pitching coach, making Eshelman one of his earliest signature recruits.
“Kirk has been with me since the beginning of all this,” Eshelman said. “I was his first recruit at Cal State Fullerton. So, when he called, it was like going back in time and doing it all over again.”
Eshelman also made it clear he understands the standard at TCU.
“To be able to get an offer like this, to be able coach at TCU is something that I don't take likely. It's a humbling offer. At the same time, I'm hungry to be able to help this program have the success that it deserves.”
Before coaching, Eshelman built a monster college resume.
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At Cal State Fullerton, he went 27-10 with 11 complete games, four shutouts, 303 strikeouts and only 17 walks across 352.1 innings. His 1.65 career ERA set a program record, and his 0.43 walks per nine innings became an NCAA record.
He later pitched parts of three MLB seasons with Baltimore, posting 49 strikeouts in 98.1 innings. Now, he’s back in college baseball with a staff to shape.
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