Tyler Lockwood emerged as the staff ace in 2008.
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
FORT WORTH, Texas – The TCU baseball team is just days away from opening the 2009 campaign Friday night at No. 5 Cal State Fullerton. Gofrogs.com takes an in depth look at the team heading into their sixth season under head coach Jim Schlossnagle. In this edition, we will break down the pitching staff.
Starting Rotation
Entering the 2008 season, the Frog pitching staff was somewhat of an uncertainty. Having lost the entire 2007 rotation to either graduation or the MLB draft, the 2008 starting weekend rotation featured a sophomore and two freshmen. 2009 will bring the return of those same pitchers, now a year older, combined with the return of Steven Maxwell, who missed the majority of 2008 after elbow surgery.
Maxwell was off to a fantastic start in 2008 before being sidelined with the injury. In just three strong performances vs. No. 14 Cal State Fullerton, No. 2 Ole Miss and Pepperdine, he was 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA.
The start of the 2008 conference season marked the beginning of Tyler Lockwood’s (7-2, 2.75 ERA) move to the rotation. He immediately stepped into the No. 1 role and excelled, earning first-team all-conference accolades.
Greg Holle (1-2, 4.50 ERA) and Freshman All-American Sean Hoelscher (7-3, 5.02 ERA) rounded out the starting rotation for the Frogs. Both should be solid components of a staff that finished fifth nationally in ERA last year.
Paul Gerrish (4-3, 5.35 ERA) made six midweek starts for the Frogs and led them to a 5-1 mark in those contests. 2008 was Gerrish’s first experience at the Division I level and Coach Schlossnagle is excited about his ability to pitch in a variety of roles with the experience that he now has.
While the Frogs returned a lot of quality pitchers, the coaching staff added a number of talented arms to the staff; ones that could push for some starts as they get their collegiate careers off the ground. Kyle Winkler and Kaleb Merck are both highly-touted recruits that chose college over the professional ranks.
The Bullpen
The bullpen could be one of the biggest strengths in 2009 as it returns four of its inning-eaters from a year ago. The addition of four freshmen will bolster an already strong group.
With Lockwood’s move to the rotation, Trent Appleby (6-1) stepped up and took the reigns as the long-reliever. He was tremendous, finishing with a 2.31 ERA in 66.1 innings pitched.
Always a reliable option for the staff is Taylor Cragin (1-0, 1.61 ERA). Cragin has been outstanding the past three seasons with a 3.06 career ERA.
Eric Marshall (3-0, 4.91 ERA) made a career-high 16 appearances in 2008 and enters his fourth year in the program.
Derek VerHagen (1-0, 4.50 ERA) and newcomer Walker Kelly will provide the coaching staff with options from the left side.
Another incoming freshman who impressed in fall practices was Erik Miller, who is on the radar for some playing time out of the bullpen. Merck and Winkler could also eat up some innings.
Closer
The coaching staff faced a similar dilemma in 2008 following the departure of two-year closer Sam Demel, but an ingenious move by the staff saw the emergence of former starter, Andrew Cashner.
Orginally slated to be part of the starting rotation, Cashner used his assets in a different setting, racking up a 9-4 record with nine saves. Replacing Cashner, who led the team in both saves and wins, will be no easy task.
Schlossnagle and staff hope to a hit another home run this season as they try and fill the void following Cashner’s move to professional baseball. While Cashner was a junior with collegiate experience, it seems more than likely that this season’s go-to guy in the ninth will be a freshman.
Miller and Winkler both have electric stuff from the right side, while Kelly has a winning attitude and comes at hitters from the left side. Miller tallied 10 saves in his high school career.
Both Cragin and Marshall picked up saves a year ago if the coaches elect to go with a more experienced pitcher in the late innings of ballgames.
