TCU baseball nearly pulled off a stunning comeback during the Big 12 Conference tournament on Friday morning. The Horned Frogs erased a nine-run deficit and hit five home runs, but ultimately fell 11-10 to the Kansas Jayhawks. TCU (33-21, 14-16 Big 12) now awaits its NCAA Tournament fate after the close loss.
Kansas took an early lead, scoring nine runs in the first inning and driving TCU starter Chase Hoover from the game. Reliever Kole Klecker did not fare much better, allowing three earned runs on four hits over one and one-third innings.
The Horned Frogs' comeback began in the top of the second inning with Jack Basseer's solo home run and Karson Bowen's two-run homer off the left-field foul pole. Kurtis Byrne then hit a three-run blast in the third inning, bringing the score to 9-6. Byrne continued his hot streak with a solo home run in the fifth inning, narrowing Kansas' lead to 10-7.
TCU tied the game in the top of the seventh inning. A double-play grounder brought one run home, and Luke Boyers' towering two-run home run to right field evened the score. Despite escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, TCU fell behind again in the eighth inning due to a Kansas solo home run.
In the top of the ninth, TCU's hopes were high with back-to-back singles, but a double-play grounder and a flyout ended their tournament run. TCU finished the tournament with a 2-2 record, having defeated West Virginia and K-State.
As they await the NCAA Tournament selections, the Horned Frogs can reflect on their resilient performance and near-miraculous comeback against Kansas.
