FORT WORTH — As an old English proverb says, it is an ill wind that blows no good.
Hitless before Saturday, TCU catcher Zach Humphreys can now attest to that.
Humphreys broke out of his 0-for-11 drought in a huge way, riding a rare afternoon of favorable gusts at Lupton Stadium for two homers as the Horned Frogs beat Grand Canyon 17-9.
How windy was it?
It was so windy, you could smell Amarillo . . .
It was so windy, the outfielders had to wear seat belts . . .
It was so windy, eight home runs left Lupton Stadium. Five were hit by the Frogs.
OK, the first two were jokes. But if you know anything about Lupton Stadium’s past and its prevailing zephyrs that always seem to be blowing in hitters’ faces, the third so-windy might be the hardest to believe.
It is true that TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle hinted before the season that he may have the makings of a powerful lineup.
“I do think we’re definitely a more physical team,” Schlossnagle said after Saturday’s game. “I don’t know, though, if we’re a home run-hitting team. I think a lot of teams are home run-hitting teams on days like today.”
The most home runs ever hit by a TCU team at Lupton Stadium is six — April 24, 2010 against UNLV.
Which is an amusing footnote, perhaps, considering Saturday brought back windy memories to Schlossnagle from his previous coaching stop.
“I had to coach two years in Las Vegas,” he said. “I loved being at UNLV, but this is what most games are like when you’re playing in a wind tunnel.”
What’s the old expression? If you pitch in Vegas, the ball sometimes doesn’t stay in Vegas?
The Frogs’ first homer Saturday was a three-run shot by center fielder Johnny Rizer that erased what had been an early 5-0 Grand Canyon lead.
Third baseman Conner Shepherd opened the TCU fourth inning with a home run, and two innings later second baseman Austin Henry and Humphreys hit solo shots.
That’s what kind of day it was.
“I felt like every single run was important,” Schlossnagle said. “I didn’t feel really great about the game until Humphreys’ second home run.”
That homer came in the seventh and was a grand slam, pushing the Frogs’ lead to 17-5.
His roommate said he saw it coming.
“This is your day, I told him,” said pitcher/roomie Jake Eissler, who had a pretty fair day of his own. “He’s one of those guys – he doesn’t let his highs get too high or his lows get too low.
“After it’s been four or five games, and he doesn’t have a hit yet, you’d think he may be pressing a little bit, but instead he’s the same guy on and off the field.
“It finally paid off for him. He had that coming today.”
Schlossnagle was happy to see one of his team leaders finally reap some rewards.
“I feel good for Zach because he’s a really big part of our team,” the coach said. “Sometimes people fall in love with the new guy, you know? Alex Isola is going to be a good player for us, too, and he’s going to play tomorrow.
“I know some people were down on Hump, but he’s one of our holdovers from the College World Series team. He’s a great defender. And he’s a good offensive player, so I was glad to see him get some positive results today.”
Humphreys is a junior from Midlothian and started 46 games last season. Isola started his college career at Utah and also played one season at Yavapai College in Arizona before transferring this year to TCU.
The plan is for Humphreys to be the starter, with Isola getting regular stand-in duty behind the plate.
It’s a luxury that Schlossnagle hasn’t often enjoyed – two good, experienced players at the catching position.
A brief history:
On the 2010 TCU team that went to Omaha, Bryan Haladay started all 68 games at catcher. Bless his heart.
Catcher Kyle Bacak started 59 of the 2014 team’s 66 games.
The Frogs played 201 total games during catcher Evan Skoug’s outstanding three-year career. Skoug started 171 of them. And it showed down the stretch in 2017.
Schlossnagle feels having a talented backup in Isola will keep both fresh during the four-month college season.
Humphreys was happy Saturday to finally do his part.
“Just to get on base feels good,” he said. “Maybe I’m turning the corner, getting out of a slump. I’d rather have it at the beginning of season than the middle or end of the season.”
Don’t expect a lot of two-homer days, Humphreys cautioned.
“I think of myself as a strong guy,” he said, “but I don’t think of myself as a power guy. I like to get on base, but I’ll run into a couple every once in awhile.
“[Jake] Guenther is a power guy. Austin Henry s a power guy. I would say Josh Watson is a power guy…there’s probably more.”
TCU has scored 48 runs total in its four victories this season. But the Frogs have scored only one run in the two they’ve lost.
The Cal State Fullerton pitcher, Tanner Bibee, who shut out TCU in the season opener has now started twice and has yet to be scored upon over 13 innings. Grand Canyon’s Kade Mechals, who held the Frogs to three hits over 6 1/3 innings Friday, has allowed only one run in his two starts.
The moral: Good pitching stops good hitting, especially in February.
But this TCU team is showing that it won’t have very many run-less days and nights. The Frogs hit five homers Saturday, but they also walked seven times and put 17 runs on the board.
On a team with many new faces, make note of these two: Henry, a junior college transfer, and freshman Porter Brown.
Henry had two more hits Saturday and raised his RBI total to nine. Lead-off man Brown had a 10-pitch walk that ignited TCU’s six-run third inning and has now reached base 15 times in 28 trips to the plate.
Yes, the uncommon mistrals at Lupton Stadium on Saturday clearly aided the Frogs hitters, blowing mostly good.
But the lineup, including catcher, looks fit for any weather. Let it snow.
