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College  | Story | 6/19/2016

CWS: Baker, Chants come up big

Mike Rooney
Photo: TCU Athletics




Perfect Game College Baseball on SiriusXM

SiriusXM’s Braden Gall and Perfect Game’s Mike Rooney will be in Omaha, Neb., for the first four days of the 2016 College World Series. All of the programs can be accessed by tuning in to SiriusXM College Sports, channel 84.

Here’s the schedule of the programming (all times Central):

Monday, June 20: 11:00 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. and 5:00-5:40 p.m.
Tuesday, June 21: 2:00-3:40 p.m.


CWS Day 1 Recap


Baker’s bomb lifts Frogs

OMAHA, Neb. – TCU defeated Big 12 rival Texas Tech on Sunday in a game that felt like a heavyweight fight between two outstanding champions, and this fight went the full 15 rounds. Each team showed both great heart and wobbly legs as they traded the lead throughout the game. In the end, TCU was the last team standing because of a freshman phenom whose moment was the only thing bigger than his enormous frame.

That blast came from Luken Baker, a 2014 PG All-American who starred not only at the plate but on the mound this year, and has been especially hot during the postseason. His three-run blast gave TCU a 5-3 lead, a lead that fellow freshman and team closer Durbin Feltman would not relinquish in the bottom of the frame.

Jared Janczak and Steven Gingery turned in virtually identical starts, battling into the fifth inning, but not out of it, and then turning a one-run game over to their respective bullpens. Relievers Brian Trieglaff and Hayden Howard recorded nine and 10 outs respectively and their outstanding performances handed a 3-2 game to the back of the bullpens.

It was Hunter Hargrove’s two-out RBI double that had given Texas Tech the 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth. The game seemed to be in hand as Tim Tadlock then turned the game over to Super Regional hero Robert Dugger.

Three of the eight runs scored in this game were the direct result of leadoff walks and the one drawn by Austin Wade in the top of the ninth began the TCU rally. In keeping with the fierce competiveness of this contest, Texas Tech seemed to quickly grab the momentum back by way of center fielder Zach Davis’ amazing diving catch that robbed Cam Warner (who followed Wade in the TCU order) of what was certain to be extra bases.

The drama continued as Evan Skoug then turned in the at-bat of the game and his effort culminated with a beautiful line drive single down the left field line. Red Raiders leftfielder Tyler Neslony did an outstanding job running down Skoug’s line drive and his effort seemed likely to have huge ramifications as he prevented Wade from going first to third.

Or so we thought.

Two pitches later Baker became the star of his first career CWS game. Baker, who is a massive 6-foot-4 and 265-pounds, turned on a 1-0 inside fastball and hit a three-run home run to give the Horned Frogs the deciding 5-3 lead.

Baker’s home run provided the most electric moment of the 2016 College World Series to this point and his swing replicated a similar long ball that he hit versus Texas A&M in the Super Regional round. Baker is a dynamic two-way talent but his most impressive attribute may be his baseball IQ. Late in the season, at a time when most freshmen are leaking oil, Baker made the adjustment to take more risks in advantage counts.

TCU head coach Jim Schlossnagle talked about Baker’s progression as a hitter after the game.

“In the fall, he actually didn't hit that many home runs,” Schlossnagle said of his talented freshman. “But he's never really swung at bad pitches. And a guy his size, with his raw power, you've seen that enough in baseball where they pull off the ball, not that he doesn't have holes, but they're susceptible to that breaking ball running away from him or a fastball you can really run in.

“He just never did that. He took his walks. And for a lot of the season he uses the whole field to hit and he wouldn't turn on the ball like we've seen in the last. His maturity as a hitter you've seen just grow throughout the course of the year.”

Baker knew the ball was a home run immediately off the bat.

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Baker said after the game. “(I) hit it, felt the barrel and saw the trajectory, and yeah I knew it was gone. The only question was if it was fair or foul. You know, there was really no question whether it was. I was fired up, obviously fired up from that, but I was fired up coming into the at bat from Evan (Skoug), that stellar at-bat to get me up there.”

The home run was Baker’s second hit of the game in a 2-for-5 performance, and his 10th bomb of the year and pushed his RBI total to 60 with one swing. Baker, who was named the Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week for his four home run performance during the Big 12 Championship, may only just be getting started.

“Just being more aggressive,” Baker added of his refined approach. “Pulling the trigger on pitches I can hit earlier in counts, instead of getting behind in counts and letting pitchers do whatever they want to me. It's just (about) seeing more pitches, it always helps. Everything coach (Schlossnagle) has taught us and me throughout the whole season, I've just been applying it more lately and it's just been working out.”

For as impressive as Baker’s maturity has been, the development of Feltman, who is also a freshman, in the back end of the bullpen has also been notable. He recorded his ninth save of the year with a clean ninth inning, sitting at 92-93 mph with his fastball to go along with a big-breaking curveball. Both Feltman and Baker are just two small examples of why TCU’s future will continue to be bright, and how they’re receiving some incredibly valuable on-the-job training.

“Enjoy the moment, and be in the moment,” Baker said of his Omaha experience. “Go pitch-by-pitch, and try to win every pitch and every moment that you can and whenever you go out there try to have a good time, but know that we're here to win. We're just not out here to participate, we're here to dominate.”


Beckwith gives Gators fits as Chants win

Former Coastal Carolina golfer Dustin Johnson won the U.S. Open on Sunday and he seemingly set the tone for a Chanticleers kind of day. Gary Gilmore’s baseball Chants have been the darlings of Omaha since their arrival and they wasted no time in announcing their presence with authority against the heavily-favored Florida Gators.

Coastal Carolina collected six extra-base hits (compared to Florida’s one) and they chased Logan Shore after just five innings. Third baseman Zach Remillard had two of those extra-base knocks, and both of the RBI – on an RBI double in the third and an RBI triple in the sixth – in staking his team to a 2-1 lead and eventual victory.

While the Chants’ high-energy offense was getting going, starter Andrew Beckwith kept the Gator hitters off balance with his signature assortment of multiple arm angles. The Florida lineup featured just two lefthanded hitters and that seemed to play right into Beckwith’s strengths.

Head coach Gary Gilmore described Beckwith’s unique approach after the game.

“He was very good,” Gilmore said of the Big South Pitcher of the Year. “And like I said all year long, he’s the best bullpen guy in the country but he keeps proving me wrong that he’s a legit starter. He’s a unique young man to be able to change arm angles and command the baseball the way he does.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of guys over my career – we’ve had some true subby guys – but we haven’t had guys be able to move from traditional slot down below and everywhere in between and throw multiple pitches. He’s a unique guy.”

When all was said and done, Beckwith was the dominant force in this game and he needed just 98 pitches to finish off his seven hit complete game. Beckwith earned his 13th win of the season and he induced an astounding 15 groundball outs.

For Florida, there is plenty of pitching depth to get through the losers’ bracket if this offense can regain its footing. Kevin O’Sullivan used five different arms in this game and even Logan Shore may be available in some role after throwing just 84 pitches on Sunday night. Alex Faedo will get the ball on Tuesday, and even though his Super Regional start was a difficult one, he is a first-round caliber arm who has had an outstanding sophomore year.

Coastal lacks the pitching depth that their cohorts in this bracket possess but that doesn’t matter if you stay in the winners’ bracket. This team has some similarities to the 2012 Arizona team that lacked pitching depth but made up for it with a dynamic and uber-athletic position player group.

With the win it is expected that nine-game Chants winner Alex Cunningham will take on fellow nine-game winner Brian Howard, TCU’s most reliable starter, on Tuesday.

All in all, it was a proud day for those wearing teal.
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