It's a great weekend to be a Dallas-Fort Worth sports fan. Of course, everyone aside from those living under a rock for the past week know that the Dallas Mavericks are attempting to bring home the team's first NBA title in a rematch of the Miami Heat. But they're not alone in the North Texas sports world. Across the Metroplex, the TCU baseball team will begin the quest to get back to the College World Series for the second time in team history. But regardless of how easy they made last season's success seem, the road looks a lot more difficult this time around.
For the third straight year, the Horned Frogs will host a regional round in Fort Worth as the first round of the NCAA baseball tournament. This season marks the eighth straight tournament appearance for the Frogs. Along with TCU, Oklahoma, Dallas Baptist and Oral Roberts will also make participate in the double-elimination tournament. As the top-seeded team of the four, the Frogs will play fourth-seeded Oral Roberts. The winner will face the winner of OU and DBU while the losing the losing team will play the other loser in an elimination game.
This field of opponents for the Frogs looks extra difficult though because they went 1-4 against these teams this season. Fans shouldn't let that bring them down too much though. There is plenty of silver lining to look at.
For starters, the starters work in favor of the Horned Frogs. All five games were weekday games and were not necessarily complete reflections of TCU's playoff capability. The best possible starting matchups will be on display this time around, but then again the same can be said for the other three teams as well. *It should be noted that Friday's starter Andrew Mitchell did start TCU's second loss to OU this season. But, there remains a good chance he won't start against them this weekend. Matt Purke and Kyle Winkler are expected to pitch, order depending on the matchup, Saturday and Sunday.
Secondly, take a look at that lone win. It came against opening opponent Oral Roberts, whom the Frogs have not lost to since doing it twice in 2004 in the regionals. Since then, TCU has reeled off five straight wins over the Golden Eagles and those two losses in '04 are Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle's only two losses to them during his time at TCU.
Finally, think of the pitching staff. As previously mentioned, Mitchell will toe the rubber in game one and despite being a freshman, he finished the regular season with a 5-1 record and a 3.13 earned run average. That's impressive enough of a season that Schlossnagle told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he has complete faith in the youngster's chance to win game one.
So while the Mavericks and Heat take a night off to travel to Texas, why not take a trip out to Lupton Stadium and watch the Frogs begin the road to Omaha? There's a good chance to see something special.
But those that can't make it don't have to fear, either. All tournament games will be available for free online via ESPN3.com and the radio play-by-play can be heard on 88.7 FM, KTCU. Fans outside the area can also listen live online to KTCU.
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