In the first of three offseason coaching moves, TCU baseball announced it has hired Thomas Eshelman, a former Cal State Fullerton and Baltimore Orioles pitcher, as the program’s next pitching coach. Eshelman, who joined the Orioles as an upper-level pitching coordinator in February, was recruited to Cal State Fullerton when TCU head coach Kirk Saarloos was the team’s pitching coach. Prior to joining the Orioles, Eshelman spent four seasons with the San Diego Padres, serving as pitching coach for Single-A
Lake Elsinore in 2023 before moving up to High-A Fort Wayne in 2024. Eshelman replaces Dave Lawn, who has retired from the TCU staff.
A second-round draft pick in 2015 by the Houston Astros, Eshelman played at Cal State Fullerton for three years. The right-hander started 47 games and posted a 27-10 record with 11 complete games and four shutouts. In 352.1 innings pitched, Eshelman struck out 303 batters and allowed only 17 walks while holding opponents to a .210 batting average. He set the Cal State Fullerton career record with a 1.65 career ERA and his 0.43 walks per nine inning were an NCAA record. He was a three-time All-American and a three-time All-Big West Conference pick.
