2024 College Top 25 Preview: No. 6 TCU
Image credit: Anthony Silva (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
Last season: 44-24 (13-11), reached College World Series
Final ranking: No. 4
Coach (record at school): Kirk Saarloos (82-46, two seasons)
The good news: TCU last season hit its stride late in the season, going 21-4 in May and June. During that run, the Horned Frogs won the Big 12 Tournament, made their first trip to Omaha since 2017 and reached the bracket final before falling to Florida. They did so with a relatively young team—they used a freshmen at catcher (Karson Bowen), shortstop (Anthony Silva), atop their rotation (Kole Klecker) and to anchor the bullpen (Ben Abeldt). TCU’s now-sophomore class is set to be the engine of the 2024 team and gives it a strong core to build around. Saarloos during the offseason hit the portal for a few key additions, led by two-way All-American Payton Tolle (Wichita State) and second baseman Peyton Chatagnier (Mississippi). The combination of veteran experience and star sophomores makes for an exciting upside.
The bad news: TCU returns a lot from last year’s team, but it also lost some key pieces like Brayden Taylor, the 19th overall draft pick, and first baseman Cole Fontenelle, the team’s leading hitter. Those losses will be especially noticeable in the lineup, as the Frogs must replace more than 60% of their home runs and more than 70% of their stolen bases. Tolle’s addition will help make up some of the power, Chatagnier brings speed and it’s reasonable to expect growth from the returners, but this offense is going to have to find some new sources of dynamism. TCU also needs to find the right combination in the rotation. Klecker and Tolle should bookend the weekends and TCU will look to transfers Zack Morris (Arkansas) and Ben Hampton (West Virginia) to round it out. Morris has bigger stuff but little experience as a starter, while Hampton last season had nine quality starts for the Mountaineers. No matter who starts, TCU’s bullpen depth and the length its top relievers offer should ease the pressure on the rotation.
Player to know: Payton Tolle, SP/DH. Tolle last season at Wichita State hit .311/.361/.538 with 13 home runs and went 9-3, 4.62 with 97 strikeouts and 19 walks in 85.2 innings. He’s now set to step into the lineup and rotation for TCU, bringing both a powerful lefthanded bat and a solid fastball-slider combination on the mound. As a two-way talent, he could be the most impactful transfer in the sport this season.
Path to Omaha: TCU was a .500 team at the end of last April before finding another couple gears to power its way to the CWS. That’s not an easy path nor one the Frogs will be eager to repeat. But with a more experienced team in place, TCU should be able to this season hit the ground running. Pitching—especially the bullpen’s depth—and defense should be the strengths of this team. If TCU’s offense can replace the power it lost—either through new ways to create offense or new sources of pop—it won’t be hard to dream about its upside.
| Pos. | Name | Year | AVG | OBP | SLG | AB | HR | RBI |
| C | Karson Bowen | So. | .350 | .420 | .502 | 217 | 6 | 46 |
| 1B | Kurtis Byrne | R-Sr. | .285 | .343 | .487 | 193 | 10 | 48 |
| 2B | Payton Chatagnier | R-Sr. | Transfer—Mississippi | |||||
| 3B | Brody Green | Jr. | .125 | .222 | .188 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| SS | Anthony Silva | So. | .330 | .416 | .471 | 227 | 7 | 50 |
| OF | Logan Maxwell | Jr. | .300 | .418 | .460 | 100 | 2 | 18 |
| OF | Chase Brunson | Fr. | HS—San Clemente, Calif. | |||||
| OF | Luke Boyers | Sr. | .231 | .401 | .405 | 173 | 7 | 27 |
| DH | Peyton Tolle | Jr. | Transfer—Wichita State | |||||
| Pos. | Name | Class | W | L | ERA | IP | SO | SV |
| SP | Kole Klecker | So. | 10 | 4 | 3.72 | 97 | 72 | 0 |
| SP | Ben Hampton | Sr. | Transfer—West Virginia | |||||
| SP | Peyton Tolle | Jr. | Transfer—Wichita State | |||||
| RP | Ben Abeldt | So. | 3 | 4 | 3.60 | 55 | 71 | 2 |
| RP | Chase Hoover | So. | 1 | 1 | 5.14 | 35 | 34 | 0 |
| RP | Louis Rodriguez | So. | 2 | 1 | 4.53 | 48 | 49 | 3 |
