Opening Weekend Shocks at Northwestern State Demons

[Cdizzle]

Who is 'we' and how long have 'we' been keeping track of WSU recruiting classes? This program didn't start 4 years ago.

And for as talented as you are making it out to be, there are roughly 30 MLB talent departments in addition to one former MLB manager and talent development official who didn't seem to think a whole hell of a lot of it.

It's a bummer that it didn't work out at WSU for you or for whomever you are related to. WSU is a great place to play collegiate ball. The time to buckle up and do what was necessary to keep this great recruiting class together was about 8 months ago. Obviously some folks weren't up for that. Which to some, including me, pokes further holes in just how great a recruiting class it really could have been.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

I listened to Eric on the show and I thought he was impressive and definitely setting up a culture change. We may have had talented recruits in the past and we couldn't win with them with our previous coach. I think he is on the right track to recruit talented players and also players who are mentally tough baseball players.

Curious as to how you come to this overall conclusion?

[shockfan89_]

Curious as to how you come to this overall conclusion?

I assume you are asking about Shockm's last sentence? I would say the first sentence has quite a few data points to support the change in culture, and I believe the second sentence is generally accepted as fact.

[molly jabali]

I listened to Eric on the show and I thought he was impressive and definitely setting up a culture change. We may have had talented recruits in the past and we couldn't win with them with our previous coach. I think he is on the right track to recruit talented players and also players who are mentally tough baseball players.

Loved his show...loved him talking about catchers' calling their own game...

[Cdizzle]

NSU won all 4 this weekend against what is likely a very poor North Alabama team.

[Sadshocker]

I sense a lot of personal bias. From your name to every post being a negative.

I’ll say this, if you or your son/nephew/cousin/uncle/brother wasn’t kept, I would look in the mirror as to why. Did you/they control everything in your/their power to be a Shocker. If HCEW decides no, then that is on you/them. Talent does not equal winning.

No affiliation at all. Great insight I guess if you were right but I believe these kids are STUDENTs first, athletes second. Why bring them in to cut them. We are down another one today. Mid second semester. Will lose some eligibility and need to go to a JUCO now. Not ok.

BTW. SAD are my initials. I haven’t been all negative but I haven’t drank the kool aid either because I know what a family goes through to get a kid committed and how many other opportunities pass them by when they do sign their name. So no, not my son/nephew/cousin but still kids that are people and I’m not impressed with how they are being handled. I have a right to that opinion as much as you do for assuming where my stance comes from

[Shockm]

No affiliation at all. Great insight I guess if you were right but I believe these kids are STUDENTs first, athletes second. Why bring them in to cut them.

I believe your statement ..........“Why bring them in to cut them”? Is a question instead of a statement. How do you know he was cut? Some of the players have left of their own volition and not been asked to leave. Others just couldn’t cut the expectations and were asked to leave. If anyone knows the particulars, please let us know. But I think Sadshocker is a critic and knows nothing about this situation. Regardless, Wedge continues to change the “losing culture” that has been the norm the past 5+ years.

[Sadshocker]

I believe your statement ..........“Why bring them in to cut them”? Is a question instead of a statement. How do you know he was cut? Some of the players have left of their own volition and not been asked to leave. Others just couldn’t cut the expectations and were asked to leave. If anyone knows the particulars, please let us know. But I think Sadshocker is a critic and knows nothing about this situation. Regardless, Wedge continues to change the “losing culture” that has been the norm the past 5+ years.

Who do you want to know about? I’ll tell you what the deal was regarding their departure. The only one I don’t k ow is Munsch yet.

[Shockm]

Who do you want to know about? I’ll tell you what the deal was regarding their departure. The only one I don’t k ow is Munsch yet.

No. I don’t need to hear from you. You are driving an agenda and it doesn’t care about the baseball program.

[Sadshocker]

No. I don’t need to hear from you. You are driving an agenda and it doesn’t care about the baseball program.

Sorry that I’m not sipping the kool aid. I believe in treating kids as humans first and student athletes second. All I have seen is regurgitated Tony Robbins speeches and a whole lot of kids who have left, been fired, whatever you want to call it from a program they committed to. I don’t need your approval. My opinion stands until I see a more human approach to this program. Until this program is about the Shocker culture that Gene built and not Wedge or Pelfrey’s self stroking egos, my opinion will not change.

[pogo]

I know FHCTB over recruited and many kids were cut loose long before they had the opportunity to become successful student athletes. It would be reasonable to assume that the cultures between the two coaches were very different and would take some adjusting to and some were probably told there would be no room moving forward. I'm sure most on here wish that every young person that comes to WSU can be successful and get a degree. When one transfers or moves on most on here always hopes it is for the better of the individual. Life has no guarantees that every endeavor will end the way we envision it at the start but you can't let that define you. You pick it up and move on.

[Shockm]

Well I will say one last thing. The kids scholarship can’t be taken away if they had one. They are still students in school and can continue their classes. Whether their effort is poor or whatever the reason, they only lose being on the team and sitting on the bench. I can see where Wedge wouldn’t want players who aren’t vested in the program to hang on. Whether the player or coaches decide that doesn’t really matter imo.

[Cdizzle]

I'll ride with the dudes that want to win for WSU. Self-stroked ego or not, I guarantee you that includes Wedge, Pelfrey and Hibbs. They have lived it. Everyone else is a question mark. Sure looks like a lot of folks got on board and drank the kool aid, as the play the first 2 weeks has been a complete 180 from the last 10 years.

[Top of the Shock]

The kids that aren't here any longer either weren't good enough, didn't want to work hard enough, or didn't want to play a position that wasn't promised to them by Butler. Butler waaaaay over-recruited in an attempt to save his job. In that sense, he took players who simply don't belong and made promises he couldn't keep. Some of these kids should have realized that they are not D1 players (at this time anyway). They might develop and move on to better situations, but it won't be at WSU. In fact, some or most will end up in a better place if they learn from this tough life lesson. The world ain't fair, in fact if Butler was still here he would be cutting many of these same kids because there weren't enough roster spots. He created this problem and Wedge is cleaning it up. It's not fair to Wedge either. Judge Wedge on what he does with players HE brings in and how he improves those he has on the roster. Sad song, but a song it is.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Well I will say one last thing. The kids scholarship can’t be taken away if they had one. They are still students in school and can continue their classes. Whether their effort is poor or whatever the reason, they only lose being on the team and sitting on the bench. I can see where Wedge wouldn’t want players who aren’t vested in the program to hang on. Whether the player or coaches decide that doesn’t really matter imo.

This isn't football or basketball dude. These "kids" are paying for the privilege to play baseball at Wichita State. I recall Brady Slavens graduating HS early just come to Wichita. Next time you or anyone of you dweebs out here want to start in with the "they weren't vested" or "They didn't want to be here" probably should remember that then go **** yourself with your opinion.

The Butler years were terrible. I realized he's loathed and I'm not here to change anyone's mind about him. Baseball recruiting had taken a HUGE hit nationally after the Ben Christiansen incident. The next blow was the class that never came (Watkins/Kozma/Norris). Butler has had some absolute dudes on campus that he couldn't coach to save his life. He was getting that major in-state talent to stay home.

As happy as I am to have Eric Wedge back in Wichita that still doesn't change the fact that he gutted 2 recruiting classes and a full roster. That's highly irregular. I'm all for setting the tone but its certainly okay to say "This is weird wtf is going on"