Recruiting - Class of 2020

[pogo]

Thank you. That was very informative on how some of these metrics come about. Hopefully some of these kids turn out to be a lot better than they look on paper. I just remember guys like Hooper and Audley that came into the program without a lot of accolades.

[Shockm]

I just remember guys like Hooper and Audley that came into the program without a lot of accolades.

Other lightly recruited Shox who were on smallish side from different years, who made it to AA, AAA, and/or the Majors. Please add to the list.

Pat Meares
Mark Standiford
Zach Sorenson
Kevin Hooper
Jim Audley
Charley Giaudrone
Don Heinkel

Just to name a few

[WstateU]

Other lightly recruited Shox who were on smallish side from different years, who made it to AA, AAA, and/or the Majors. Please add to the list.

Pat Meares
Mark Standiford
Zach Sorenson
Kevin Hooper
Jim Audley
Charley Giaudrone
Don Heinkel

Just to name a few

PJ Forbes

[ShockTalk]

Other lightly recruited Shox who were on smallish side from different years, who made it to AA, AAA, and/or the Majors. Please add to the list.

Pat Meares
Mark Standiford
Zach Sorenson
Kevin Hooper
Jim Audley
Charley Giaudrone
Don Heinkel

Just to name a few

Arnie Beyeler

[1972Shocker]

Blake Blasi played 4 games in AA.

[pogo]

As I alluded to, back in the day before these show case events the current coaching staff was familiar with the idea of actually looking at kids and recruiting the kids with heart and looking past the metrics of the kid. What do they say about you can't teach height well the same goes for heart. All of those guys mentioned above had more heart and would outwork anyone.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

How many players in MLB do you think are under 6’? What 15%? 20% tops?

Its true you can’t teach heart or height, but both are key to high level success.

[1972Shocker]

How many players in MLB do you think are under 6’? What 15%? 20% tops?

Its true you can’t teach heart or height, but both are key to high level success.

The key point I take from this is not how many smaller guys make it successfully to the Majors but how many have been outstanding collegiate baseball players at Wichita State. No doubt the bigger, stronger, faster athlete generally is starting with an advantage but that does not preclude HCEW and staff from finding at least some small guys who can still be quite productive players at the college level.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

The key point I take from this is not how many smaller guys make it successfully to the Majors but how many have been outstanding collegiate baseball players at Wichita State. No doubt the bigger, stronger, faster athlete generally is starting with an advantage but that does not preclude HCEW and staff from finding at least some small guys who can still be quite productive players at the college level.

I don’t disagree that we have had a handful of players smaller than 6’ contribute greatly over the years. But to go back over the 42 years since Gene revived the program and pull out a few dozen players does seem to paint the picture that getting big, talented guys with heart is a better recipe to success than little talented guys with heart.

That said I will always remember watching Tanner Dearman (all 5’7 of him) crushing a ball over the netting at Tulane a few years back. Both teams had been giving him **** all weekend about his size. Shut them all up with one swing.

[Shockm]

I don’t disagree that we have had a handful of players smaller than 6’ contribute greatly over the years. But to go back over the 42 years since Gene revived the program and pull out a few dozen players does seem to paint the picture that getting big, talented guys with heart is a better recipe to success than little talented guys with heart.

That said I will always remember watching Tanner Dearman (all 5’7 of him) crushing a ball over the netting at Tulane a few years back. Both teams had been giving him **** all weekend about his size. Shut them all up with one swing.

Now that you brought him up, who recruited Tanner Dearman to WSU in 2012 because Gene S. was still here. He made All MVC Tourney and was a good hitter. He wasn't quite as successful as the other Shockers we have mentioned.

Who cut him before his Senior year? He ended up at Southwest Oklahoma State.

Tanner Dearman

[Diggum]

How many players in MLB do you think are under 6’? What 15%? 20% tops?

Its true you can’t teach heart or height, but both are key to high level success.

If you throw out pitchers, and just look at hitters the number of players on MLB rosters that are 6' or under is actually around 35-40% in a given year. The range goes between 15% - 50%. It is easy to see which organizations value what guys look like getting off the plane and which ones place a lot less value on that. Both ends of the range have teams that win consistently and lose consistently.

I like to throw out pitchers because they are 11% of the players on the field and about 5% of the hitters in a game. So are they really baseball players or are they guys playing baseball every few days?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

If you throw out pitchers, and just look at hitters the number of players on MLB rosters that are 6' or under is actually around 35-40% in a given year. The range goes between 15% - 50%. It is easy to see which organizations value what guys look like getting off the plane and which ones place a lot less value on that. Both ends of the range have teams that win consistently and lose consistently.

I like to throw out pitchers because they are 11% of the players on the field and about 5% of the hitters in a game. So are they really baseball players or are they guys playing baseball every few days?

Whatever way you need to twist the data to support your point.

We recruit Pitchers, MLB drafts pitchers, so excluding them seems deceiving.

[Shockm]

Whatever way you need to twist the data to support your point.

We recruit Pitchers, MLB drafts pitchers, so excluding them seems deceiving.

I've heard Wedge (and I think that Geno said it before him) say many times that our team will build around being able to pitch, and play good defense. That is the way to set the tone of your team and have a winning philosophy. Forget about spending too much of your time recruiting giants and recruit baseball players.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I've heard Wedge (and I think that Geno said it before him) say many times that our team will build around being able to pitch, and play good defense. That is the way to set the tone of your team and have a winning philosophy. Forget about spending too much of your time recruiting giants and recruit baseball players.

Agreed. See my post earlier, we need baseball players, with heart, who field, hit, and pitch well. We have a long history of great players, and while some great ones under 6’ were part of it, a majority were above.

MLB plays host to the best baseball players on the planet. I know, we aren’t MLB, but hopefully HCEW, who coaches those players, knows how to recognize the ones that have it all, recruits them, and they come to Wichita State.

[Shockm]

Agreed. See my post earlier, we need baseball players, with heart, who field, hit, and pitch well. We have a long history of great players, and while some great ones under 6’ were part of it, a majority were above.

MLB plays host to the best baseball players on the planet. I know, we aren’t MLB, but hopefully HCEW, who coaches those players, knows how to recognize the ones that have it all, recruits them, and they come to Wichita State.

A good example of Wedge’s building blocks is from his first team this year. Alex Jackson played almost exclusively in the outfield for Butler in 2018-19 and prior to that. This year he was moved to 3rd base. He has never proven to be a good hitter for Butler, but he was moved for his defensive abilities at 3rd. He hit 216 last year from the outfield. His hitting seemed to improve this year some but while Butler would play a better hitter at 3rd, Wedge was looking for a better fielder at 3rd and would take whatever Jackson could give at the plate.