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GoFrogs: TCU Set For Series at Penn State
No. 10 TCU (30-12) at Penn State (25-20)
Date | Time | TVÂ Friday, May 6; 5:30 p.m. | Saturday, May 7; 1 p.m. | Sunday, May 7; Noon
Location Medlar Field (State College, Pa.)
Radio Listing KTCU 88.7 FM
Live Audio Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Radio Talent Chuck LaMendola
Live Stats Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Game Notes TCU Game Notes
FORT WORTH -Â TCU takes a break from non-conference action as it hits the road for a three-game series at Penn State. Friday’s series opener is slated for a 5:30 (CT) start.
TCU NOTABLES
• TCU dropped its first home series since falling 2-1 in a series against Oklahoma State March 19-22, 2015.
• TCU sits third in the Big 12, three games out of first place and a game out of second place.
• TCU sits 23rd in the latest RPI rankings.
• TCU leads the Big 12 with a .307 batting average and ranks second in ERA at 3.26.
• TCU’s 62 stolen bases are tops in the Big 12. Six Horned Frogs have seven or more stolen bases this season.
• Saturday’s win over Texas Tech marked the 17th time this season the Horned Frogs have scored in double-figures.
• Luken Baker has reached base safely in 14 straight games.
• Dane Steinhagen carries a six-game hitting streak into the weekend.
• Zack Plunkett made his debut on the mound in Friday’s game against the Red Raiders.
• Connor Wanhanen has reached base safely in 10 straight games.
PENN STATE NOTABLES
• Penn State dropped a 2-1 series decision at home to Maryland over the weekend.
• The Nittany Lions are 10-8 in the Big 10 and sit seventh in the standings.
• Penn State is just 2-6 in its last eight games. The streak comes on the heels of a six-game winning streak.
• In Saturday’s win over Maryland, closer Jack Anderson became the Nittany Lions’ career saves leader. He ranks sixth in the NCAA with 11 saves in 2016.
• Jim Haley, Penn State’s top hitter at .345, is the lone Nittany Lion to have played in all 45 games this year.
• Greg Guers leads Penn State’s running game with 17 stolen bases. As a team it has 60 stolen bases.
• On the mound, Justin Hagenman’s 2.83 ERA and six wins pace the starting staff.
• Defensively, the Nittany Lions have just a .956 fielding percentage. The 76 errors have contributed to 54 allowed unearned runs.
SERIES HISTORY
• TCU and Penn State have never met on the baseball diamond.
• The Nittany Lions are just the second new team TCU faces this season.
• The Horned Frogs squared off against Gonzaga for the first time ever on March 4-6.
• TCU went 2-1 in that series.
• TCU has not played a non-conference game in the eastern time zone since the 2013 season when it played a three-game series at Jacksonville (March 1-3).
FINDING A WAY
Luken Baker enters the weekend carrying a 14-game on-base streak. He’s posted a .389 batting average and a .476 on-base percentage during the streak. Baker has hit safely in 12 of the 14 games and has posted seven multi-hit games. In addition to his 21 total hits during the streak, Baker has worked seven walks and been hit by a pitch twice.
This season, Baker ranks second on the team with a .353 average and boasts a .457 on-base percentage. He has hit safely in 33 games and reached base safely in 39 games.
SPEED DEMONS
TCU leads the Big 12 and ranks 45th nationally with 62 stolen bases. The Frogs have only been caught stealing 10 times this season.
Over the last three seasons, TCU has swiped 273 bases, ranking eighth nationally over that time span.
The TCU lineup features six hitters that have stolen at least seven bases. Austen Wade leads the way with nine stolen bases in 11 attempts. Josh Watson is a perfect 7-for-7.
FREAKY FRIDAY
Six of TCU’s 12 losses of the season have come on Friday nights. TCU has just a +7 run differential on Friday nights and are averaging just 4.6 runs per game. Elliott Barzilli’s .350 average is tops in a lineup that has a .274 batting average on Fridays.
On the mound, the staff boasts a 2.53 ERA, but 16 errors have contributed to 17 unearned runs. In Friday’s loss to Texas Tech, the Frogs allowed four unearned runs in a 7-3 loss.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Since the end of March, TCU has played a road-heavy schedule. Fifteen of the Frogs’ last 23 games have been away from home.
TCU is 10-5 in road games this season. It is 2-2 in series on an opponent’s field. The Frogs are 7.5 runs per game and hitting at a .305 clip. Conversely, opponents are averaging just 4.4 runs per game and hitting at a .256 clip.
Cam Warner paces the team with a .375 road average, while five of Evan Skoug’s seven home runs have come away from home. Dalton Horton is 3-0 in four road starts.
STREAKING
Dane Steinhagen has put together a solid six-game hitting streak that has seen his average climb over .300 to .303 for the season. He is 8-for-22 over the past six games with a double and a home run to go along with five RBIs.
His average has been steadily climbing since March 12. Steinhagen has raised his average 87 points over the last 28 games. He is hitting .347 over that stretch. 24 of his 36 RBIs on the year have come since March 12.
On the year, Steinhagen has hit safely in 31 games and reached base safely in 35. He ranks third on the team with 14 multi-hit games and 10 multiple-RBI contests.
GO EAST, YOUNG MEN
TCU is heading to the eastern time zone in the non-conference since the 2013 season. Since departing Conference USA after the 2005 season, the Horned Frogs have played just 10 games in the eastern time zone. The Frogs are 5-5 in those 10 games.
Under the guidance of head coach Jim Schlossnagle, TCU has played eight series in the east in addition to participating in a tournament in Myrtle Beach. TCU is 7-1 in those series with a combined record of 16-12.