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GoFrogs: TCU And USC Set To Battle At Lupton
No. 7 TCU (10-2) vs. USC (6-5)
Date | Time Friday, March 11; 6:30 p.m. | Saturday, March 12; 2 p.m. | Sunday, March 13; 1 p.m.
Location Lupton Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas
TV FOX Sports SW (Sunday only)
Radio Listing KTCU 88.7 FM, FrogVision
Live Audio Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Radio Talent Chuck LaMendola
Live Video Friday | Saturday
Live Stats Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Game Notes TCU Game Notes
FORT WORTH –Â TCU’s season-long eight game homestand comes to a close this weekend as the Horned Frogs play host to USC in a three game series set to open on Friday.
TCU NOTABLES
• TCU stretched its winning streak to three games with a 5-1 win on Tuesday against UT Arlington.
• TCU’s pitching staff remains tops in the country with their 1.12 ERA.
• TCU has not allowed an earned run in 23 1/3 innings.
• TCU’s .324 average is 17th nationally, while the nine triples are tied for first.
• The Horned Frogs have amassed 45 extra base hits this season, ranking 19th nationally with a .496 slugging percentage.
• TCU’s 19 stolen bases are one off the Big 12 lead.
• Evan Skoug was named to the initial Johnny Bench Award watch list.
• Brain Howard’s three wins are tied for third in the country.
• Luken Baker was named the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week after leading the team with a .538 batting average last week.
• Elliott Barzilli continues to swing a hot bat, ranking 11th nationally with his .500 batting average.
• Elliott Barzilli and Luken Baker have reached base safely in all 12 games this season.
USC NOTABLES
• The Trojans are coming off a 1-2 showing in the Dodger Stadium College Classic this past weekend.
• USC’s lone win was a 5-4 victory over Oklahoma.
• Eight of USC’s first 11 games have been decided by one run. The Trojans are 4-4 in those games.
• David Oppenheim paces the USC offense with a .432 batting average, while Timmy Robinson leads the group with nine RBIs.
• Adalberto Carrillo has three of USC’s seven home runs.
• On the mound, the staff has a combined ERA of 3.38.
• Brooks Kriske has appeared in eight of the first 11 games this season.
• Four different pitchers have notched a save.
• Defensively, the Trojans have committed 17 errors for a .963 fielding percentage. They have surrendered just eight stolen bases.
SERIES HISTORY
• Friday’s meeting against USC will be the sixth in the all-time series.
• USC will be making its first trip to Lupton Stadium.
• Four of the previous five meetings have taken place in California.
• USC took a 3-2 series lead with a 7-6 victory at Dedeaux Field last year.
• The Frogs also traveled to Dedeaux Field in 2013 and took 2-of-3 from the Trojans May 2-4.
• USC also defeated TCU 8-3 on March 8, 2002 as part of the Express College Classic at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.
POWER ALLEY
Extra bases have been flowing out of the Horned Frog bats this season. Approximately 34% of TCU’s total hits this season have gone for extra bases.
Elliott Barzilli leads the team with seven extra base hits while newcomer Josh Watson is right behind him with six.
TCU boasts a .496 slugging percentage. The Frogs haven’t put up a slugging percentage of .400 since the 2011 campaign.
COMING INTO HIS OWN
Used as a spot starter and a bullpen guy his first two seasons, Brian Howard has been a bright spot in the Horned Frog rotation this season.
Howard had tossed 59 career innings heading into the season over the course of 26 appearances with four starts. TCU was 4-0 in his starts in 2015.
Moving into the rotation has seen Howard shine. He’s 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings pitched. TCU is a perfect 7-0 in games started by Howard in his career.
STINGY STAFF
Over the last 2+ seasons, no team in the NCAA has produced a better ERA than TCU. The Frogs ranked No. 1 in 2014 with a 2.22 ERA and No. 2 in 2015 with a 2.45 ERA. Early on this season, TCU leads the nation with a 1.23 ERA. Combined over the last 2+ season, TCU has the nation’s lowest ERA at 2.28.
NO RUNS FOR YOU
TCU’s new-look pitching staff picked up where it left off a year ago. After surrendering five runs in the season opener, the group has allowed just 13 runs over the last 11 games.
They have notched four shutouts this season. TCU’s 28 shutouts since the start of the 2014 season are tops in the NCAA.
TCU has limited opponents to two or fewer runs 88 times over the last 144 games played. The staff has surrendered five or more runs just 34 times.