The Flying Frogs begin the outdoor season hosting the inaugural Horned Frog Invitational at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Lowden Track and Field Complex.It’s the first of two home meets TCU will have this year, the most in school history.

Competing at the meet will be the UTA Mavericks, the UNT Mean Green Eagles, the Illinois Fighting Illini and the St. Gregory’s University Cavaliers.

Head coach Darryl Anderson said the team has to focus on competing with itself, not just the other schools.

“I don’t get caught up in the team that poses the most problems because the biggest thing for us is not posing a problem for ourselves,” Anderson said.

The last action the Frogs saw was March 10 at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., when the women’s 4×400-relay squad broke a school record to receive All-America honors.

Players and coaches said, at this point in the season, practices don’t focus as much on physical conditioning.

“Training now is just fine tuning,” All-American junior sprinter Che Chavez said. “I think we’re ready for Saturday.”

Anderson said the team’s preparation for the meet is like trying to “get into a groove.”

“We’ve been racing indoors bottled up with the weather,” Anderson said. “Now it’s about adjusting to the outdoors and finding our groove.”

Anderson said sprints will be TCU’s strongest events but that a goal for Saturday is to have a balanced performance.

“We need to get everybody working and meshing together,” Anderson said. “I feel we can have a good all-around performance.”

Anderson said season’s end, the men’s team should be one of the best teams in the Mountain West Conference and the women’s team should be the best in the conference.

“If we can put it together and grow up with everybody taking care of business, our women have an opportunity to have an outstanding season,” Anderson said.

He said the men’s team is younger and will need more time to reach its potential.

The Frogs will host the second home meet April 21.