GoFrogs: TCU Wins Big 12 In Dramatic Fashion

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GoFrogs: TCU Wins Big 12 In Dramatic Fashion

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Luken Baker’s MVP performance was capped with a 10th inning home run, his fourth of the tournament, as No. 11 TCU rallied for an 11-10 win over West Virginia to secure TCU its second Big 12 Tournament Championship.

The Rundown
The championship game was full of dramatic comebacks. TCU raced out to an 8-0 lead and held a 9-6 advantage only to see West Virginia storm back to take a 10-9 lead.

West Virginia carried the one-run lead into the ninth when TCU put together a rally of its own. Josh Watson opened the frame with a base hit and moved to third on Dane Steinhagen’s fourth hit of the day. Ryan Merrill tied the game at 10 with his second sacrifice fly of the game.

Durbin Feltman, who entered the game in the eighth, pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning setting up the 10th inning dramatics.

Facing a 3-1 count, Baker got a pitch to hit and launched it over the left field fence for his fourth home run of the tournament, giving TCU an 11-10 lead. Feltman fanned two in a perfect bottom of the 10th to pick up his third win of the season.

TCU exploded for five runs in the first inning. Austen Wade worked a lead-off walk and moved to second on a Cam Warner double. Evan Skoug gave TCU a 2-0 lead with a base hit. RBIs from Baker, Watson and Steinhagen followed.

Two more runs crossed the plate in second. Wade singled home Michael Landestoyand Warner’s second double of the day made it a 7-0. Landestoy’s first career home run in the third pushed the lead to eight.

WVU began its comeback with a trio of runs in the fourth. A two-out, three-run triple in the fifth pulled the Mountaineers within two, 8-6.

TCU pushed the lead back to three, 9-6, on Merrill’s first sacrifice fly of the game in the fifth, but West Virginia once again struck with two-outs in the fifth to take the lead. A Jimmy Galusky double pulled WVU within one, 8-7, and Kyle Davis put West Virginia on top 10-9.

Ryan Burnett held the fort for 2 1/3 innings as the Horned Frogs eventually battled back to tie the game and send it to extras.

Stat of the Game
16 — TCU has won 16 conference championships (8 regular season titles; 8 tournament championships) under the guidance of head coach Jim Schlossnagle.

Notes
• TCU has won a conference championship each of the last three years (2014, 2016 Tournament; 2015 Regular Season).
• TCU improves to 7-0 in tournament championship games under head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
• TCU improved to 2-0 in extra inning games this season.
• TCU has reached double-figures in hits 31 times this season.
• TCU has homered in 35 games this season.
• TCU has scored two or more runs in an inning 101 times this season.
• TCU has scored four or more runs in an inning 37 times this season.
• TCU allowed double-digit runs for just the fourth time this season.
• TCU scored double-digit runs for the 20th time this season. TCU is undefeated in those games.
• Luken Baker has reached base safely in 29 straight games.
• Luken Baker tallied his 20th career multi-hit game.
• Luken Baker collected his 16th career multiple-RBI game.
• Austen Wade has reached base safely in eight straight games.
• Cam Warner posted his 18th career multi-hit game.
• Evan Skoug has hit safely in seven straight contests.
• Evan Skoug collected his 13th multiple-RBI game of the season and the 26th of his career.
• Evan Skoug collected his 15th multi-hit game of the season and the 34th of his career.
• Michael Landestoy registered his fifth career multi-hit game.
• Michael Landestoy’s home run in the third inning was his first career extra-base hit.
• Dane Steinhagen notched his 19th multi-hit game of the season and the 37th of his career.

All-Tournament Honors:
Evan Skoug, Catcher; Cam Warner, 2nd Base; Elliott Barzilli, 3rd Base; Josh Watson, Outfield; Luken Baker, DH (MVP); Brian Howard, Pitcher.

Next Up
With the victory, TCU improves to 42-15 overall. The Horned Frogs will learn their postseason fate Monday at 11 a.m. The team will host a watching party at the Stuart Courtside Club at Schollmaier Arena.


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