College Confidential

TCU takes MWC title

TCU won its fourth Mountain West Conference tournament title in five seasons with a 2-0 victory over New Mexico Friday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego.

Tyler Lockwood pitched the final 2 2/3 innings after starter Steven Maxwell was ejected for jawing with New Mexico's third base coach after getting out of a sixth-inning jam

Taylor Featherston made an excellent catch on a pop up in shallow centerfield to get the first out. After Chris Juarez singled up the middle, Lockwood struck out Willett and then forced Cameron Smith into a grounder to Featherston who ended the game with a throw to Schultz at second.  

Frogs three outs away from title

Another double play ball, this time 3-6-3, ended the eighth inning with the Frogs still leading 2-0. Tyler Lockwood forced Rafael Neda to groundout to Curry at first who threw to Featherston at short. Curry then dug out Featherston's throw in the dirt to end the inning. 

Lockwood ends threat with double-play ball

Tyler Lockwood, working in a bases-loaded jam after Trent Appleby put two runners on with a walk and hit batter, forced Daniel Gonzalez into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play. Aaron Schultz took the choppy grounder, threw to Taylor Featherston, who spun around 360 degrees and fired to Matt Curry at first.

Maxwell escapes the sixth

New Mexico had runners at second and third with one out with one of the top hitters in the country Justin Howard at the plate in the sixth inning but Steven Maxwell got him swinging on a high fastball. Ryan Honeycutt grounded out to first to end the inning.

Howard entered the game hitting .455, third best in the nation.

Holaday ends threat with his arm

Bryan Holaday threw out Max Willett at third to end the top of the fifth inning. The Lobos had runners on first and second with two outs after two singles off Steven Maxwell.

After a wild pitch bounced several yards behind Holaday, he threw down to Jantzen Witte at third and caught Willett, who appeared to beat the throw but slid past the bag. Witte was there to tag him out. The Frogs lead 2-0 headed to the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Holaday has thrown out two runners and Maxwell picked off a runner at first. Through five innings Maxwell has faced just one over the minimum, 

Frogs take 2-0 lead in third

Jantzen Witte drove in Aaron Schultz from second with single up the middle in the second inning. Schultz led off with a single and stole second.

Meanwhile, Steven Maxwell is rolling through three innings. He's allowed one hit, but has faced the minimum after he picked off the lone base-runner at first. 

Holaday puts Frogs up, 1-0

Bryan Holaday doubled to deep right-center to score Brance Rivera in the first inning to give TCU a 1-0 lead after one inning of play. Steven Maxwell forced three flyouts in the top of the inning.

Frogs will face lefty Oatman tonight

TCU will face New Mexico left-hander Jason Oatman (0-1, 6.48 ERA) at 9 tonight. Oatman, a senior, hasn't started a game this season. He made two starts last season.

TCU to face New Mexico in tonight's final

TCU (45-11) will face No. 2 seed New Mexico at 9 p.m. Friday in the Mountain West Conference tournament title game. Frogs' right-hander Steven Maxwell (9-1) will face the Lobos' Willy Kesler (6-3). If New Mexico (37-19) wins tonight, the two teams will meet at 3 p.m. Saturday for the title.
New Mexico defeated UNLV 10-3 to advance to tonight's final.

Winkler goes nine, Frogs win 5-2

Kyle Winkler pitched all nine innings to improve to 10-1 as TCU defeated UNLV 5-2 to advance to the Mountain West Conference title game at 9 p.m. Friday in San Diego.