TCU Baseball: What Did We Learn This Week?

Welcome back to another weekly "What Did We Learn" baseball edition. As the TCU Horned Frogs begin conference play at home against the Arizona State Sun Devils, I thought it was apt to discuss who the season's success will depend on this year: the talented freshmen, the grizzled veterans on the team, or the transfers who made TCU their home.

Last season, the Frogs finished under .500 in conference play for the first time since 2019, and this season, with a favorable schedule draw, the 2025 team hopes to right the ship. Now, on the heels of a six-game winning streak, there are still many questions as to what the backbone of this team is, particularly the pitching staff.

This weekend is no different and perfectly captures what I want to discuss this week, as Head Coach Kirk Saarloos is going with a brand new weekend rotation. Tommy LaPour will be the Friday night starter, replacing Caedmon Parker, who exited last Friday's win over Fresno State with an injury. Mason Brassfield, the freshman who has been nails recently, will make his debut weekend start on Saturday, replacing Trever Baumler in the rotation. Sunday is still TBD, as Saarloos hopes to have Parker ready but will have Braedon Sloan available.

Where does the pressure lie? LaPour, who was one of the country's most sought-after transfers? Brassfield, the freshman who continues to turn heads? Or Parker or Sloan, who have spent their time in the program as they have redemption season?

The 2025 team has seven seniors—SEVEN. This is a young team; even looking at the players in the lineup, such as Noah Franco, Nolan Traeger, or Sawyer Strosnider, there are impact freshmen at nearly every place on this team. As with first-year players, there will be growth pains and struggles. Look at Strosnider, who was batting .180 after the second weekend of the season and now has the highest batting average on the team as we start conference play. So, no, they get their chance to grow and to struggle.

LaPour, despite being highly sought after, is only a sophomore. Again, an underclassmen who is not the only one being asked to play a significant role for this season. Chase Brunson, Sam Myers, Isaac Cadena, Jack Bell, and Trey Newmann are also second-year players. While they are more experienced and are considered "vets" on an otherwise young team, they are still not fully entrenched in their collegiate careers.

To me, this team's success will depend on its true veterans, whether that be the older transfers such as Cole Cramer or Gianluca Shinn or the players from the 2023 team who played in Omaha at the College World Series, such as Anthony Silva, Karson Bowen, Braedon Sloan, Kole Klecker, or Louis Rodriguez.

I say that because those five players who played in Omaha were freshmen who played at an elite level, much like Franco, Strosnider, and Brassfield are doing now. They couldn't have done it without their veterans, such as Tre Richardson, Brayden Taylor, or Sam Stoutenborough, playing at an elite level.

This is their time. This is their season to give back to the players before them who helped them accomplish their goals in '23 and become what they looked up to that season. The time is now to step to the plate and lead TCU back to Omaha.