MCWS 2023 - Can Tre Richardson give TCU a necessary boost of energy against Oral Roberts? - ESPN

OMAHA, Neb. — There are T-shirts, tank tops and hoodies for sale that commemorate the biggest day in Tre Richardson's career. The apparel features a cartoon image of Richardson, his fingers curled into the Horned Frogs' hand sign, with the words «TRE DAY, June 4, 2023.»

Richardson doesn't have a shirt yet, but he's been assured it's in the mail. It's been two weeks since the TCU second baseman hit three home runs — including two grand slams — in a 20-5 regionals win at Arkansas, and Richardson doesn't need any keepsakes to remind him of what he did.

He hears it from his teammates every time he comes to bat, and from the crowd, which chants his name.

«Honestly, I don't think he's sick of people talking about it,» TCU shortstop Anthony Silva said with a laugh. «He loves it. It was kind of surreal because I'd never seen that happen before, not even on TV.

»Even though we can tell he loves the attention, he's a very humble guy. He hasn't mentioned it since. Because everyone knows what he did in the whole state of Texas. I think maybe even the country, too."

Richardson's 11 RBIs tied a record for an NCAA tournament game, and he hit another home run the next day. He is 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, and had hit just two home runs during the season. He hasn't homered since that day in Fayetteville.

TCU coach Kirk Saarloos said Monday that postseason baseball is known to inspire out-of-body experiences, but then Saarloos stopped himself. This whole season for the Horned Frogs has been an out-of-body experience.

They'd lost five in a row in late April and were hovering near .500 when Richardson called his dad, crying, wondering if it was him, because he couldn't make it to the postseason when he was at Baylor, and now his new team was