FORT WORTH — TCU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jeremiah Donati has announced the promotion of Kirk Saarloos to be the Horned Frogs’ new head baseball coach.
Saarloos, the 20th head coach in program history,has been at TCU throughout its nine seasons in the Big 12. During that time, the Horned Frogs have totaled six conference regular season and tournament championships, double the total of the next-closest schools, as well as four College World Series appearances. Hired initially as pitching coach in Summer 2012, he was promoted to recruiting coordinator the following year.
“I am thrilled that Kirk Saarloos has accepted our offer to become TCU’s next head baseball coach,” Donati said. “It became very apparent from our meetings with numerous current and former baseball student-athletes that this program is about the family-like atmosphere and amazing culture that exists among the players, coaches and staff. One of the biggest objectives in this search was finding a coach who would make preserving these values a priority.
“We have an elite baseball program at TCU. We set out to find a coach in the search process that had a vision and a plan to elevate this program even higher. In Coach Saarloos not only did we find a great coach with a tremendous plan, we found someone who is a perfect fit for this baseball program and university.”
Saarloos was named the 2016 D1Baseball.com National Assistant Coach of the Year. Under his direction as recruiting coordinator, TCU’s recruiting classes have consistently ranked among the nation’s best. The 2021 edition was rated 13th in the country with the 2019 class being No. 4 in the nation.
“One of the main ingredients in the secret sauce of the success of our baseball program over the past nine seasons has been having Coach Saarloos on our staff,” TCU Chancellor Dr. Victor J. Boschini Jr. said. “We were blessed the year that Kirk and Kristen came to TCU and Fort Worth. Megan and I are excited to be able to watch as Coach Saarloos takes our baseball program to that proverbial next level.”
Over the last nine seasons under Saarloos, the Horned Frogs rank fourth nationally in team earned run average (3.26) and seventh in shutouts (53).
Saarloos made an immediate impact upon arriving at TCU in 2013 as the Horned Frogs produced their lowest team ERA (2.78) since 1968. Among the TCU pitchers he mentored were eventual major leaguers Tyler Alexander, Brandon Finnegan and Alex Young. Finnegan went on to make history in 2014 as the first player to appear in both the College World Series and Major League Baseball World Series in the same year when he pitched in the Fall Classic with the Kansas City Royals.
In 2019, Nick Lodolo became the highest draft selection in TCU history when he was the seventh overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds. Brandon Williamson was the second Horned Frog taken on Day 1 of the draft that year as he was selected in the second round by the Seattle Mariners.
Saarloos has mentored a host of All-America pitchers at TCU that include Finnegan, Young, Durbin Feltman, Riley Ferrell, Haylen Green, Jared Janczak and Preston Morrison. Additionally, Ferrell, Finnegan, Morrison and Sean Wymer earned spots on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
Saarloos’ tenure as TCU’s pitching coach has been marked by school records and national acclaim. The 2014 College World Series squad led the nation in ERA at 2.22 while setting program and Big 12 records with 14 shutouts. A school record 574 strikeouts were also recorded, a mark that stood for one year before the 2015 squad set a new standard with 643. The 2015 team also finished second in the nation in ERA at 2.45 while leading the country in WHIP (1.04) and ranking second with 10 shutouts and a 3.94 K:BB ratio.
In TCU’s 2017 run to its fourth consecutive College World Series appearance, Saarloos guided a pitching staff that allowed three or fewer runs in all 10 NCAA postseason contests.
As a student-athlete at Cal State Fullerton, Saarloos was one of the more decorated players in the country. He totaled a school record 127 appearances over his four seasons in a Titans uniform. His first three years were spent as a reliever before moving into a starting role as a senior in 2001. He was a first-team All-American and was named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year after putting together a 15-2 campaign. Among the highlights of his senior season was tossing a no-hitter against Pacific on April 8, 2001.
Saarloos was 33-12 with a 2.96 ERA as a collegian. In two appearances at the College World Series (1999, 2001), he recorded a save and allowed just two runs in 15 1/3 innings pitched.
Saarloos was drafted in the third round, the 86th overall pick, in 2001 by the Houston Astros. He spent seven seasons pitching in the major leagues with Houston (2002-03), the Oakland Athletics (2004-06, 2008) and Cincinnati Reds (2007). He made 165 appearances, including 73 starts. Saarloos was part of history on June 11, 2003, as he was one of a major league record six Astros pitchers to combine for a no-hitter against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Following his professional career, Saarloos returned to Cal State Fullerton and served two seasons (2011-12) as pitching coach. The Titans were 77-38 (.670) and won a pair of Big West titles during that time.
Saarloos and his wife, Kristen, have a son, Brady, and two daughters, Emery and Lane.
