By Wendell Barnhouse
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
TULSA, Okla. – One of TCU's goals in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship was to get its pitching staff ship shape for NCAA play. The Horned Frogs also wanted to combo its regular-season title with a second consecutive post-season trophy.
Thanks to No. 8 seed Baylor, neither plan is off to a good start.
The Bears twice rallied from two-run deficits, experienced an unexpected power surge and befuddled TCU stud closer Riley Ferrell to post a 6-5 victory in Game Two Wednesday at ONEOK Field.
"Anything can happen in baseball," Baylor coach Steve Smith said. "Any team can win on a given day."
It's the ninth time a No. 8 seed has knocked off the No. 1 seed. TCU was 40-0 when leading after seven innings. Baylor was 0-22 when trailing after seven. Both of those streaks ended.
Baylor came into the game with 12 homers but went deep three times against TCU, the Big 12's top pitching staff. The Bears twice trailed by two runs – 4-2 and 5-3 – but scored single runs in the last three innings for the win.
"It shows the resilience this team has," said Baylor senior outfielder Logan Brown. "We don't want to go home any sooner than we have to. Anybody has a shot to win the tournament. It doesn't matter who the best team is, it matter who plays the best."
TCU swept Baylor in March and allowed a total of four runs in the three games. Game Two of the Big 12 Championship showed what can change between March and May.
Freshman Kameron Esthay hit a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the first. In the fifth No. 9 hitter Jonathan Ducoff hit his first dinger of the season over the wall in left to make it 4-3. Brown's first round tripper of the season in the top of the seventh pulled the Bears to within 5-4.
TCU lost for the first time in 37 games when leading after seven innings. Relievers Trey Teakell and Riley Ferrell, who typically stifle opposing hitters, combined to pitch two innings and allow three runs. Ferrell walked three and uncorked two wild pitches and catcher Evan Skoug was charged with a passed ball when he couldn't handle a Ferrell delivery. Baylor scored its last two runs on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.
"I'd put my money on Trey Teakell and Riley Ferrell any time," TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said. "I'd rather it happen now than next weekend (NCAA regional).
"Baylor competed. This is a good conference and if you don't play well, you're going to get beat. I hate having to learn a lesson; we'd rather win.
The Horned Frogs won the Big 12 Championship last year and were officially presented with the regular-season trophy before the game. TCU is trying to become the fifth team to win both the regular-season and post-season championships.
Baylor will take on fifth-seeded Texas at 4 p.m. Thursday while TCU will face No. 4 seed Texas Tech at 9 a.m. Thursday. The Longhorns prevailed over the Red Raiders, 2-1, in Game One.
"Our goal is to win (Thursday). We need to play better baseball," Schlossnagle said. "That's all I care about."