TCU baseball keeps rebuilding its pitching staff, adding Oklahoma transfer Michael Catalano as the Horned Frogs attack the portal with force.
TCU baseball isn’t being shy with the transfer portal.
The Horned Frogs are attacking it, and Oklahoma right-hander Michael Catalano is the latest arm to join the rebuild in Fort Worth.
Catalano, a sophomore from Frisco, Texas, gives TCU another experienced pitching option with Big 12 innings already on his resume.
The 6-0, 200-pound righty spent two seasons at Oklahoma, appearing in 30 games with eight starts. Across 56 innings with the Sooners, Catalano posted a 4-5 record, a 6.11 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 23 walks.
Those numbers come with some turbulence, sure. But there’s also plenty to like.
Catalano has shown swing-and-miss stuff, averaging more than a strikeout per inning during his Oklahoma career.
As a freshman, he worked strictly out of the bullpen and showed promise, finishing 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in 19 relief appearances.
He struck out 29 hitters and walked only eight across 22.2 innings, flashing the kind of command and competitiveness that made him a valuable portal target.
The Horned Frogs have been busy stacking arms through the portal, adding Oregon’s Collin Clarke, Tennessee’s Taylor Tracey, Saint Mary’s Cam Staton, Grand Canyon’s Nicholas Robb, Rhode Island’s Manny Santos, Mount St. Mary’s JB Manarchuck and McNeese’s Jaden Bahl.
Catalano now joins that growing group as TCU looks to reload its pitching depth and create real competition before next season.
The key will be finding the right role. Catalano has starting experience, but his freshman numbers suggest he could also bring value in relief if TCU wants to use him as a power arm out of the bullpen.
Either way, the message is obvious: TCU isn’t waiting around for answers. The Horned Frogs are building a new-look pitching staff, and Catalano is another piece in a portal class designed to change the tone fast.
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