TCU run-ruled Kansas 11-1 in eight innings on Friday night to set up a Big XII Championship Game versus Arizona on Saturday. Arizona beat top-seeded West Virginia 12-1 in its semifinal earlier on Friday. Arizona won two out of three versus TCU at the beginning of May.
After Kansas took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, TCU answered with a four-run second to take control of the game. A Chase Brunson double tied the game. TCU took the lead on an Anthony Silva single and a Jack Bell double scored two more to give the Horned Frogs a 4-1 lead.,
The score remained 4-1 until TCU added a sacrifice fly by Cole Cramer in the fifth to increase their lead to 5-1. TCU scored six runs in the eighth inning, with the biggest hit a bases-loaded triple by Bell to make it 10-1 Horned Frogs. A run-scoring single by Cramer put TCU up 11-1 and in position for the run rule win.
Bell had three hits in five at-bats with one run scored and five runs batted in. Brunson had three hits in five at-bats with two runs scored and one RBI. Cramer and Nolan Traeger each added two hits for TCU. Mason Brassfield and Louis Rodriguez shut down Kansas, combining to allow one run on five hits, with three walks and nine strikeouts.
TCU is 38-17 overall and finished 19-11 in the Big XII during the regular season, a game ahead of Arizona. TCU beat Houston 7-1 in their quarterfinal on Thursday. Arizona and TCU have both allowed one run in each of their wins in the Big XII Tournament. TCU has been more consistent offensively in their two games.
Arizona beat TCU 6-3 and 5-4 before the Horned Frogs avoided the sweep with a 13-6 win in the final game of the series in the first weekend of May. The winner of the Big XII Tournament will put itself in position to be in the discussion to potentially host an NCAA Tournament regional.