Worth the wait: Former big leaguer Saarloos leads TCU to win in head-coaching debut

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Kirk Saarloos turned and shook hands with those around him. He received hugs. He high-fived his players, and he shared smiles with his family.

The reason for celebration? Saarloos had just notched a win in his first game as a head coach after spending the previous 11 years as an assistant in the college ranks, including the past nine as the pitching coach/recruiting coordinator at TCU.

Now the head coach of the Horned Frogs, Saarloos began his tenure with a 5-3 victory over San Diego State on Friday night at the 2022 MLB4 Tournament at Salt River Fields, the Spring Training home of the D-backs and Rockies. TCU trailed by one run heading into the ninth inning, before it orchestrated a three-run rally to complete a come-from-behind win in its season opener.

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For Saarloos -- who was a Major League pitcher for seven seasons from 2002-08, for the Astros, A’s and Reds -- the wait to become TCU’s head coach was well worth it. From 2013-21, he served under former Horned Frogs head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who left the program last summer to take the job at Texas A&M.

Now, it’s Saarloos’ turn to lead a TCU program that will be looking to make its third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and trying to reach the College World Series for the first time since four straight trips from 2014-17.

“I always wanted to stay here, and I had a great job as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator here, so it wasn’t like I needed to do something else,” Saarloos said. “I love Fort Worth, I love TCU and this is where I always wanted to be.”

That’s part of the reason why Saarloos didn’t mind waiting for his chance to become the Horned Frogs’ head coach. Talented players continue to come through the program, and expectations are high again for the 2022 season.

Saarloos had a large role in assembling TCU’s current roster, having been the recruiting coordinator. In recent years, he’s worked with strong groups of pitchers, including junior left-hander Austin Krob, who struck out seven over four scoreless innings in Friday’s win.

The Horned Frogs have solid players up and down their roster, which was showcased during their ninth-inning rally against Aztecs junior right-hander Robert Brodell. Sophomore third baseman Brayden Taylor tied the game with an RBI double to right field, then TCU took a 4-3 lead on an RBI single by freshman first baseman David Bishop.

It was a string of hits that impressed Saarloos, who has high expectations for his well-rounded squad -- and for good reason after Friday's late heroics.

“It’s college baseball, man,” Saarloos said. “The difference between winning and losing a ballgame is super small.”

Saarloos is already making a strong impression on new players to TCU’s program like Bishop, who reached base three times and had two RBIs from the cleanup spot in his college debut.

“Even as a pitching coach and me being an infielder, he’s there,” Bishop said of Saarloos. “He’s a guy that you can rely on, fall back on in case something goes wrong, he’s just there for you to pick you back up.”

Saarloos isn’t the only former MLB pitcher turned college head coach at this year’s MLB4 Tournament. Cal’s Mike Neu was in the big leagues from 2003-04, and he’s now in his fifth season as the Golden Bears’ head coach.

Like Saarloos, Neu started the 2022 season with a thrilling win, as Cal scored a pair of runs in the 10th inning to top Houston, 4-2, on Friday afternoon. The four schools at this event play one game against each of the other teams. Cal and TCU will meet on Saturday afternoon.

“This is as good as you can get of an opening weekend, to get a chance to play here against some really good teams,” Neu said. “Obviously, it’s exciting just because it’s opening weekend, but I think the tournament, the opponents, the venue, all those things make it that much better.”

Saarloos shared a similar sentiment. TCU played in the MLB4 Tournament in 2019, so it knew what to expect upon its return to the desert this weekend.

“This is a great event and it always has great teams in it and it gives us a chance to come out to Arizona and play in some pretty good weather,” Saarloos said.

And for Saarloos, he can now also recall the event as the site of a memorable first head-coaching win.