TCU Baseball Head Coach Kirk Saarloos talks about the positives and negatives he saw throughout the weekend.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 >> Well, I think we did a lot of things really, really well from a team aspect.
00:15 We got some stuff that we have to clean up, and that's why you play.
00:18 That's why we're playing.
00:19 So opening weekend, I thought everybody did a pretty good job.
00:25 The pitching this weekend wasn't what we expected.
00:28 And I'll take 100% blame on that deal.
00:31 We're a good pitching staff, and we'll show that.
00:36 And we had a lot of guy, Moe Ziello again, another guy that hasn't pitched since
00:41 2022, so we're gonna get the people in the right roles.
00:44 And I still 100% bet on our pitching staff.
00:48 And once that happens, I think you got a pretty good combination.
00:53 And we'll clean up, I think we made four errors today.
00:56 So there was some sloppiness on the weekend, but the resiliency and
01:02 the offense was the calling card on the weekend.
01:05 On an offensive weekend, weather-wise,
01:10 Coach Bruce and Coach DeLaura had them ready to go.
01:14 And very easily could have been a little bit different feeling today if it wasn't
01:19 for how they performed in the box.
01:20 So really happy on that end, and we'll get the pitching figured out.
01:25 >> Brody Green came in and then he seemed to stabilize the third base.
01:28 What do you think about him today?
01:29 >> Well, baseball's a funny game because as soon as you put a guy in there,
01:32 then he gets tested with back-to-back ground balls.
01:34 And I think he had three ground ball outs,
01:37 which was probably more than the whole weekend combined.
01:40 There was a lot of fly outs, so there wasn't a ton of ground ball outs.
01:43 So he was prepared, like we said, he had a great fall.
01:47 And it's all about opportunity, and he's gonna continue to get those.
01:53 But that was a definite stabling defensively.
01:57 And then the big thing is he came in, his first step out and goes, how you doing?
02:00 And drops a drag butt down to start the inning.
02:03 And then does a really good job in the ball in the dirt read to score that inning.
02:06 So you can't say enough in terms of,
02:09 he didn't start the first two games, first three games.
02:14 And then comes in mid-game and is a difference maker for us offensively,
02:18 defensively.
02:19 So it just tells you a little bit about the character of Brody.
02:24 >> It feels like you'll play an offensively complete game,
02:26 play some small balls and throw some bases and share the power.
02:31 How do you feel about that as a hitting coach?
02:34 >> The fun thing for a hitting coach is when you do push buttons,
02:38 like when Luke puts down a great drag bunt.
02:42 When the game comes calling and there's opportunities and
02:44 the situation calls for it, he was there and got it done on the first pitch.
02:47 So and then some days you're probably not gonna give up a lot of outs by bunting,
02:53 because of the way the ballpark was playing.
02:55 But in that situation to get two guys to score in position being down one
03:00 was what it called for.
03:01 And then we opened up a couple more runs to have a good inning.
03:05 But I think like I said, the resiliency, it's tough to lean on your offense and
03:10 feel like you gotta come back all the time.
03:12 And they just kept answering the bell.
03:14 And that's a good characteristic of a really good team is that when your
03:19 pitching is not up to par, you have other areas to help pick the team up.
03:24 And so that was a nice sign.
03:26 And it was fun to watch our guys play offense for sure.
03:29 >> You mentioned resilience.
03:31 How reassuring as a coach is it that that line up can get hot at any point in
03:36 the game, starting with any player in the starting nine?
03:39 >> For sure, we talked a lot about being a pack of wolves and
03:44 really how do wolves go on the hunt for big game hunting?
03:50 And they do it by just wearing down their prey.
03:53 And I think that's what we saw this weekend was the fact that they
03:58 can wear down some opponents, not just by the home runs, but
04:02 by being tough outs, being tough two strike outs.
04:05 Even if they're not getting hits, them in two strike situations
04:10 are really tough to get them out and to finish them off.
04:13 So, and I think it just gives length of the lineup and
04:17 it's fun when you can just keep passing the baton and you don't feel like, well,
04:21 if this guy doesn't get the hit, we gotta wait another X amount of players before we
04:25 feel comfortable again.
04:26 We feel great one through nine and with how they're playing offense.
04:31 >> Okay, got some questions about your pitching.
04:34 Just went out for
04:35 the conference this weekend with the Eagles, I think.
04:37 >> Yep. >> Boy, you're about to get out.
04:39 You just got some big moments coming up in the Podges.
04:42 >> Yeah.
04:43 >> A couple of the guys, you feel like the talent is there.
04:47 >> The pieces are there.
04:48 Yeah, I definitely think the pieces are there.
04:51 Again, I think we got, what did we get, about ten innings out of our starting
04:55 pitchers, so that gives opportunities in the bullpen.
04:57 And so we have to start better and we'll do that.
05:02 Zach Morris, I thought threw the ball good today.
05:06 I thought he threw the ball good today and again,
05:07 I think his best baseball and pitching is ahead of him.
05:12 And same thing with Plecker, same thing with Tole.
05:17 Tole hadn't been in that environment, to be honest with you.
05:20 And talking a little bit with him,
05:22 I really never played in front of that many people.
05:24 And so now everyone's kinda got their feet wet and understands what it's like.
05:29 And I'm just proud overall of how even the guys that didn't play,
05:34 what our dugout was like.
05:35 That's something that as a head coach,
05:38 you look at all the peripheral things a lot of times, not just the on-field things.
05:43 And that was, for me, something that was really special on the first weekend, and
05:47 not really having to coach that.
05:49 If there was a little lull in here, or we felt like we were a little bit flat,
05:53 you had some returning guys voicing it, and not just the coaching staff.
05:57 Which, for me, shows a lot of what we desire.
06:00 >> Is there anything different you may have learned about your team after this
06:06 first weekend of May you didn't know before?
06:09 >> I mean, yes and no.
06:13 Some of those things we learned, I thought, like you said,
06:16 Coyier was, for me, a star on the weekend.
06:20 Being able to come back Sunday after pitching on Friday and
06:24 giving us quality, quality innings.
06:27 And I think on Tuesday, there's gonna be a lot of opportunities for
06:31 the guys that didn't get in today.
06:33 And so with Ben Hampton starting, and then having a lot of guys that we trust down
06:38 there, and give them opportunities on Tuesday against a really good Texas State
06:41 team, so I don't think we really were shocked by anything.
06:48 I think, like with any season, you're figuring yourself out.
06:52 And that's why you play non-conference the first three weekends.
06:55 It's by the time the fourth weekend conference rolls around,
06:58 you wanna know which buttons to push with different personnel and
07:03 stuff like that.
07:04 So I'm excited.
07:06 Sammy Meyer's probably gonna get a start on Tuesday,
07:08 see him out there for the first time.
07:10 So we're getting a lot of people out there for their first time and
07:12 looking forward to what they do with their opportunity.
07:14 >> In that same vein,
07:15 the ball of the opportunity is on Tuesday, how nice is it to have a guy who's
07:20 gonna be able to run a kick, throw a smart, run around for eight minutes?
07:24 >> I'll sleep a lot better on Monday night knowing that he's pitching on Tuesday.
07:28 So I think that that is a unique thing to have someone with that much experience.
07:33 You can't teach experience.
07:34 And so to have someone like Ben ready to go on Tuesday, I think hopefully we get
07:40 a nice quality start where we don't have to put too much pressure on our bullpen.
07:45 That'd be priority number one for
07:48 me is get a good quality start out of our starting pitcher.
07:51 >> How impressive has Chase Brunson been, being a true freshman coming in?
07:54 >> He's a good player.
07:56 He's a good player.
07:57 And we knew that coming in, but you never know again.
08:01 Under the bright lights, starting as a freshman, center field, and
08:06 even in the last inning here, gets behind in two strike count and
08:12 does a really good job of not giving in, spitting on breaking balls down, and
08:16 gave us a great quality of bat in his last at bat.
08:18 So I think that's fun to watch, knowing that you have a young guy like that,
08:24 that from the get go had himself a really good opening weekend.
08:27 And it's pretty business as usual for him.
08:30 So I'm glad he's on our team.
08:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:35 You bet.