TCU wins regional opener to set up Saturday showdown with Arkansas

Texas Christian third baseman Brayden Taylor celebrates Friday, June 2, 2023, after hitting a 3-run home run during the first inning against Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — The two highest-seeded teams at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional will meet in the winner’s bracket Saturday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

TCU recorded 17 hits and cruised to a 12-4 victory over Arizona on Friday night. The Horned Frogs (38-22) have won seven consecutive games and will play Arkansas on Saturday at 8 p.m. 

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Third baseman Brayden Taylor, a first-round prospect for next month’s MLB Draft, went 4 for 5 with 6 RBI and scored twice to power TCU. Taylor drove in five runs during the first two innings as the Horned Frogs built a 6-2 lead. 

Arizona (33-25) led 2-0 in the top of the first inning on a home run by Kiko Romero, but TCU answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Taylor’s three-run home run gave the Horned Frogs a 4-2 lead. It was his 22nd home run of the season. 

Taylor also had a two-run single in the second inning and an RBI single in the fifth. 

Every TCU starting position player had at least one hit. The Horned Frogs homered twice. 

All of Arizona’s home runs came via home runs. Romero homered twice to bring his season total to 21, and Mason White homered in the top of the fourth inning to cut TCU’s lead to 6-3. 

That was as close as Arizona would get. 

TCU scored twice in the fifth inning to go ahead 9-3 and eliminated any chance of a comeback with a three-run eighth. 

Starter Kole Klecker and reliever Luke Savage each pitched four innings for the Horned Frogs. Arizona starter Cam Walty allowed 6 runs on 8 hits in 1 inning. 

The Wildcats will play Santa Clara in an elimination game Saturday at 2 p.m.