TCU Baseball’s Sawyer Strosnider is Eyeing Omaha in Year 2

Sawyer Strosnider’s athletic foundation began with early exposure to gymnastics and soccer before he committed to baseball. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

By the end of his first Horned Frog season in 2025, Sawyer Strosnider had established himself as one of the country’s most dynamic offensive threats. He set a single-season program record and led the nation in triples, becoming only the fourth player in the past 24 years to collect a quadruple-double with 13 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs and 10 stolen bases. The 6-foot-2 outfielder was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman Hitter of the Year and a second-team All-American. He earned All-Big 12 first team honors as a 19-year-old.

Things didn’t start out that way. Strosnider struggled at the plate through the first three games of the season’s opening series at San Diego, but he broke out in the fourth. The momentum carried into the following week during the Amegy College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and the rest is history.

The early surge set the tone for a season in which his resilience showed up in more ways than one, his toughness evident after he lost a tooth running into the right-field fence attempting to catch a fly ball in April. Strosnider enters his highly anticipated sophomore season intent on leading the team to Omaha for what would be his first — and the Frogs’ seventh — College World Series appearance.

What role did baseball play in your life when you were a kid?

My father played baseball at Morehead State, so I knew when I was younger that I was going to be a baseball player. My dad actually bought me a right-handed glove when I was born, but I turned out to be left-handed. That was tough for him because he was a catcher, and lefties don’t catch. But we figured it out.

When I was younger, I always played with older kids. When I was 9, I was playing with 12-year-olds and so on. But after moving from Ohio to Texas when I was 10, that’s when it was like, you need to take the next step, and I started playing summer ball.

I didn’t know what I was going to do for college, but the goal was baseball. In high school, I started getting looks from colleges, and then I really knew, this is legit and I can play for a career.

If we were shadowing you for a ‘perfect baseball day’ when you were a kid, what would that look like?

There would definitely be a Saturday morning game — get breakfast with the fam, play and then go to a Reds or Rangers game. That was always the best; we’d play in the morning and then go watch our favorite players.

Did you have a favorite player?

It was always Ken Griffey Jr. My dad was always like, ‘Watch this guy.’ So I was always watching his highlights. 

You lettered in three sports as a high schooler. What’s your attitude about kids growing up playing a variety of sports? Do you think that experience helped you round out your skill set as an athlete?

When I was younger, I always did gymnastics and soccer. I think those have been the best sports for my development. I weeded them out towards third or fourth grade, but I think those were two really big sports that helped me become aware of my body and make me athletic.  

I played football in junior high, but it took up too much time, and I wanted to be able to do basketball, baseball and track. Then, when it got serious with baseball, I had to cut down on some sports. But, for sure, play everything you can.  

How have your parents and younger twin brothers supported you through your baseball journey?

My parents were always taking me everywhere I needed to go, no matter what the cost was or where I had to be. They were gonna be there. They were gonna get me there. Flight, drive, anything.

And then my brothers: One, Seth, has Down syndrome. That’s a thing for me, knowing he can’t do what I can do. So I need to be my best at everything and make sure I show him, this is what it looks like. And he never has a bad day. So I don’t let things affect me, either.

My other brother, Sutton, is setting a good example for him, too, showing that if you work hard at everything you do, this is the stuff that comes with it.

How has your family’s involvement with the Miracle League of Parker County and supporting your brother Seth’s games shaped your perspective about sports?

I love being around those kids. It makes your day better, it makes your week better. I don’t get to do it as much, but in high school I would go every Saturday to Seth’s game and be a “buddy” and pick a kid just to hang out with throughout the game. And it really shows you how hard life can be and the things that you can’t take for granted. We have it easy, and they know how to have a good day no matter what they’re going through: illnesses, struggles. Our struggles are very minor compared to theirs.

What’s one challenge off the field during your time at TCU so far that’s surprised you, and how did you handle it?

Sleep and time management. We have class for maybe three hours a day, but team lifts start at 6 a.m., four days a week. To get the sleep you need, you’ve got to finish your homework and be in bed by 9:30 — otherwise you’re not getting the recovery you need. 

Sawyer Strosnider says his brother Seth never has a bad day, a perspective shaping how the sophomore approaches baseball and life. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

Is there a professor, class or campus activity that has had a notable impact on your TCU experience thus far?

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes — that’s every Monday. I like going there; a lot of the baseball guys go. It’s a group of all athletes. God plays a big part in my life, so it’s just making sure I know that he’s first.

What’s something about your first year with the program in 2024-25 that surprised you?

I think being a freshman doesn’t really mean much. Yes, you’re younger, but you’re treated like the older guys. You’re expected to lead when you need to lead. So, freshman, really, just indicates your age. It doesn’t determine your rank on the team.

Is there something about this team’s culture that an outsider would never guess unless they were in the clubhouse?

I think we do a pretty good job of showing it out on the field, so I don’t know if it’s something you wouldn’t guess, but we’re family. We’re with each other all the time, no matter what. We’ve always got each other’s backs.

What’s a hobby off the field that you enjoy?

I’m attempting to play the guitar right now. Attempting to play the guitar, just for the past couple of months. I got a couple of songs, but not many.

Baseball players are famous for superstitions. Do you have one that you’ll admit to?

This one’s a little weird, a little gross, but when I get to the facility, I do not wash my hands before a game. No matter what I do, I’m not washing my hands. ‘Don’t wash the luck away.’

“You gotta really make sure you’re focused on the little things because one little thing can screw up a lot. It could be a bunt that either wins you the game or loses you the game.”
Sawyer Strosnider

Looking back on your first collegiate season, what’s the moment that makes you most proud?

Getting through those first couple of weeks of the season. I struggled a lot at first, thinking I needed to do too much and not staying within myself. Being a freshman, I felt like, “I’ve got to prove I belong here,” but the coaches already said I had proved myself in the fall. Getting through that and moving forward is something I’m proud of, because failure’s tough and can get to a lot of people. I just stuck with the process and got through that.

How would you say your perspective on baseball or life in general has changed since arriving at TCU?

You gotta really make sure you’re focused on the little things because one little thing can screw up a lot. It could be a bunt that either wins you the game or loses you the game.

What’s one goal on or off the field you’re focused on for this upcoming year?

Just having another great season. We came up a little short last year because we didn’t do too well in that regional, but a goal that I’m excited for is getting to Omaha. We have to make sure we take care of the business now, but I think we have a good shot of getting there.

Editor’s Note: The questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

— As told to Corey Zapata-Smith