TCU offense explodes for 25 runs at New Mexico

TCU uncorked a scoring barrage Friday to win a slugfest at New Mexico 25-16.
The Horned Frogs (39-15, 19-3 in Mountain West) close out the regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday against the Lobos. The Mountain West Conference tournament begins Tuesday at San Diego State. The top-seeded Frogs play the lowest-seeded team to advance at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Tenth-ranked TCU had a season-high 26 hits, including six from Jantzen Witte, four from Jason Coats, and three from Joe Weik and Taylor Featherston Friday. Only four of the 26 hits went for extra-bases, including home runs off the bench from Aaron Schultz and Zac Jordan. TCU scored 26 runs in a game at New Mexico on May 9, 2010.
TCU scored five in the first, three each in the second and third innings and scored in every inning but the seventh. The Frogs scored four runs in the eighth and finished with a run in the ninth on Schultz's solo shot. It was the first time Schultz has played since injuring a hamstring May 8 at Oklahoma State.
The Lobos (16-38, 10-13) collected 21 hits and scored seven runs off Frogs' starter Andrew Mitchell, who pitched only 3 2/3 innings. Trent Appleby (4-1) allowed three runs in the 4 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win, and Teddy Nowell allowed two runs on three hits in the ninth. Five TCU errors led to four unearned runs for New Mexico.
The two teams combined for 41 runs, 47 hits and eight errors.
-- Stefan Stevenson