BIG 12 Championship

Courtesy of: Shafkat Anowa

Victorious: TCU Wins 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship Title

The 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Tournament was held in Arlington, Texas on May 24- May 28 at Globe Life Field. This tournament consisted of eight teams vying for a chance to win the Big 12 championship, but only one team was victorious. This team was the TCU Horned Frogs. TCU went 4-1 in the tournament. Winning this tournament gave the Horned Frogs an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and the Big 12 title.

In the final game, TCU defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 12-5. Winning the championship this year gave TCU their fourth Big 12 Championship title in the last nine years. Attendance for the final totaled 14,673 people, while the entire tournament had a total attendance of 132,291. These attendance records are the second-highest in the history of the league.

Courtesy of: Shafkat Anowa

TCU’s offense stayed hot throughout the game. Getting the jump on Oklahoma State in the second inning with an RBI by Anthony Silva led to Tre Richardson scoring. Then came the three-run home run by Luke Boyers to right center that extended the Horned Frog's lead to 4-0.

In the top of the third four more runs were added to the board extending the lead to 8-0. But Oklahoma State wasn’t ready to give up. With four innings left to play Oklahoma State was in desperate need of cashing in some runs. Courtesy of: Tim Heitman

In the bottom of the third Oklahoma State finally got on the board. A bases-loaded walk and an RBI fielder’s choice led to Oklahoma State's first two runs. Cutting the lead from 8-0 to 8-2.

In the top of the fifth, TCU earned another run making the lead 9-2. Both teams were scoreless up until the top of the seventh inning when TCU’s Austin Davis singled, scoring Kurtis Byrne. Oklahoma State responded in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run by Nolan Schubar making the score 10-5.

TCU wanted a few more insurance runs. So the top of the eighth inning they went and hit a two-run home run to put them up 12-5 for the rest of the game. This home run was hit by Brayden Taylor.

Chase Hoover was the starting pitcher for the Horned Frogs. He pitched the first two innings giving up two hits, two runs, three walks, and struck out four batters. Luke Savage came in for relief. Savage pitched four innings, giving up two hits, no runs, and one walk with two strikeouts. The closer for the Horned Frogs was Garrett Wright and he struck out the side.

Ben Abram was the starter for the Cowboys, pitching two innings, giving up four hits, allowing four runs, no walks, and striking out three Horned Frog Batters.

Courtesy of: Barry Lewis

Taylor was awarded the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship.

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team honored five TCU players:

Catcher: Karson Bowen

Third Base: Brayden Taylor

Out Field: Elijah Nunez

Designated Hitter: Kurtis Byrne

Relief Pitcher: Ben Abeldt

The Frog’s offense scored the most runs in the Big 12 championship since 2013. They scored over 48 runs