2021 Roster posted

[Wuzee]

They've got the roster posted now on GoShockers. There are 41 on the roster. No surprises that I'm seeing, which is great. Everybody on the 2020 roster at the end of the season is back.

Of the expected newcomers (walkons excluded), the only changes from fall are the departures (or omissions) of touted freshman middle infielder Hunter Cramer and juco pitchers Treshon Paschal and Casey Day.

https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster

[WuDrWu]

Stoked for the season to start. Love the makeup of this team. Solid front 4 starters, talented closers and enough middle guys to get by.

Should be able to play defense. Can we hit enough? Got some average guys, got some speed guys and some power guys.

Just the chance that VanVooren might not be a starter, and might have been the most talented player here when Wedge was hired, says a lot for everyone else (and btw says nothing negative about DVV, it's just that others have improved and we've brought in the right guys).

Outfield of Cornblum (Freshman AA), Stroh (not to sound like FHCTB but 6'4" 207 freshman CF) and Gibby shouldn't surprise anyone. And Corrigan Bartlett is going to play SOMEWHERE. And DVV.

I'll grant you that the infield is a little unsettled. Hopefully Wallace is healthy, that would make SS and 2B with Sigrist damned solid. That leaves options at 1st, 3rd & DH with Kocis, Marsh, Shaver, Clemons and Jackson all fairly known quantities (and Kocis is going to put up some monster numbers this year, mark my words). Cooper Elliot is much improved as well.

Kaminska, Eddy (much improved), Snavely & Hamilton as your 4 weekend guys probably. There aren't going to be a lot of teams going with guys like Snavely and Hamilton as their 3-4 starters I promise you.

Live long relief (possible starters) with Peters, Stumpy, Lindemann and Barnhouse then turn it over to Bechtel, Gifford et al and finally Bye who is a freak and Haase who has become ridiculous since last year. Dude is mid-high 90s with an improved 12 to 6 curve (which was already good) and new slider that's all but unhittable. IF he's got the control down, look out.

If we play every game (doubtful every year with weather and fill in games other than KCAC will be all but impossible) we'll have in the range of 32 conference games and I'm thinking four 4 game series and a couple fillers. 52 games......this team is probably oh, I don't know, somewhere around 46-6 if healthy.

I kid....I think we're better than Memphis, USF and Cincy, and competitive with Houston, a little behind UCF and Tulane and looking up at ECU. The 8 games with Houston to open the season will likely say a lot about where we end up. I will feel pretty good if we're 5-3 after that home and home start to the conference.

Go Shox!!!!

[Wuzee]

Stoked for the season to start. Love the makeup of this team. Solid front 4 starters, talented closers and enough middle guys to get by.

Should be able to play defense. Can we hit enough? Got some average guys, got some speed guys and some power guys.

Just the chance that VanVooren might not be a starter, and might have been the most talented player here when Wedge was hired, says a lot for everyone else (and btw says nothing negative about DVV, it's just that others have improved and we've brought in the right guys).

Outfield of Cornblum (Freshman AA), Stroh (not to sound like FHCTB but 6'4" 207 freshman CF) and Gibby shouldn't surprise anyone. And Corrigan Bartlett is going to play SOMEWHERE. And DVV.

I'll grant you that the infield is a little unsettled. Hopefully Wallace is healthy, that would make SS and 2B with Sigrist damned solid. That leaves options at 1st, 3rd & DH with Kocis, Marsh, Shaver, Clemons and Jackson all fairly known quantities (and Kocis is going to put up some monster numbers this year, mark my words). Cooper Elliot is much improved as well.

Kaminska, Eddy (much improved), Snavely & Hamilton as your 4 weekend guys probably. There aren't going to be a lot of teams going with guys like Snavely and Hamilton as their 3-4 starters I promise you.

Live long relief (possible starters) with Peters, Stumpy, Lindemann and Barnhouse then turn it over to Bechtel, Gifford et al and finally Bye who is a freak and Haase who has become ridiculous since last year. Dude is mid-high 90s with an improved 12 to 6 curve (which was already good) and new slider that's all but unhittable. IF he's got the control down, look out.

If we play every game (doubtful every year with weather and fill in games other than KCAC will be all but impossible) we'll have in the range of 32 conference games and I'm thinking four 4 game series and a couple fillers. 52 games......this team is probably oh, I don't know, somewhere around 46-6 if healthy.

I kid....I think we're better than Memphis, USF and Cincy, and competitive with Houston, a little behind UCF and Tulane and looking up at ECU. The 8 games with Houston to open the season will likely say a lot about where we end up. I will feel pretty good if we're 5-3 after that home and home start to the conference.

Go Shox!!!!

I'm psyched, too. I'm 100 percent in alignment on Kocis. He and the health of Wallace are the two biggest keys -- but the depth and experience everywhere is impressive. The move to four-game weekend series is going to be awesome for us this year because we have the arms.

Can't wait to see the final schedule (which, clearly, you already have since neither Houston nor WSU has released its schedule yet. ;) ) I'm not sure I would've chosen to start with Houston in most seasons, but they're actually ranked below us in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason poll (45 to 48), so pitter patter, let's get at 'er.

Incidentally, the CB poll has five AAC teams in its Top 50, including #16 ECU, #32 UCF and #43 Tulane. That's in addition to #31 Stetson, who we'll play twice at their place, and (maybe) #17 OSU and #41 OU. In the "Others Receiving Votes" category were fairly regular opponents Missouri State, Creighton, KSU, Northwestern State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Grand Canyon, Missouri and Nebraska.

[Shockm]

I'm psyched, too. I'm 100 percent in alignment on Kocis. He and the health of Wallace are the two biggest keys -- but the depth and experience everywhere is impressive. The move to four-game weekend series is going to be awesome for us this year because we have the arms.

Can't wait to see the final schedule (which, clearly, you already have since neither Houston nor WSU has released its schedule yet. ;) ) I'm not sure I would've chosen to start with Houston in most seasons, but they're actually ranked below us in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason poll (45 to 48), so pitter patter, let's get at 'er.

Incidentally, the CB poll has five AAC teams in it's Top 50, including #16 ECU, #32 UCF and #43 Tulane. That's in addition to #31 Stetson, who we'll play twice at their place, and (maybe) #17 OSU and #41 OU. In the "Others Receiving Votes" category were fairly regular opponents Missouri State, Creighton, KSU, Northwestern State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Grand Canyon, Missouri and Nebraska.

It sounds like the schedule is already out but goshockers doesn't have it yet. Is there anywhere we can see it?

[WuDrWu]

Schedule is not finalized or out but hopefully this week. I heard a rumor (can't remember where) about the Houston series, kind of taking it for granted. Honestly I was hoping we'd open with ECU.

I did use Google though and found Dixie State (where the hell is Dixie State?) is coming to Wichita and Stetson has us in Florida for 2 and we also play Florida International twice that weekend.

[Shockm]

Stoked for the season to start. Love the makeup of this team. Solid front 4 starters, talented closers and enough middle guys to get by.

Should be able to play defense. Can we hit enough? Got some average guys, got some speed guys and some power guys.

Just the chance that VanVooren might not be a starter, and might have been the most talented player here when Wedge was hired, says a lot for everyone else (and btw says nothing negative about DVV, it's just that others have improved and we've brought in the right guys).

Outfield of Cornblum (Freshman AA), Stroh (not to sound like FHCTB but 6'4" 207 freshman CF) and Gibby shouldn't surprise anyone. And Corrigan Bartlett is going to play SOMEWHERE. And DVV.

I'll grant you that the infield is a little unsettled. Hopefully Wallace is healthy, that would make SS and 2B with Sigrist damned solid. That leaves options at 1st, 3rd & DH with Kocis, Marsh, Shaver, Clemons and Jackson all fairly known quantities (and Kocis is going to put up some monster numbers this year, mark my words). Cooper Elliot is much improved as well.

Go Shox!!!!

Are you sure that Wallace is a SS? He seems more like a 3rd or 1st Baseman to me.

[WuDrWu]

Are you sure that Wallace is a SS? He seems more like a 3rd or 1st Baseman to me.

No I'm not, but that's where he was playing 16 months ago before got was banged up. He has a cannon for an arm. The thing is, if he doesn't play there, where does he play?

I don't want to sound like we have 17 1st rounders in the infield, but I think it's pretty cut and dried that we want Paxton's bat in the lineup. Listed, generously, at 6'0", we have better targets at 1st than PW. I suppose you could put him at 3rd too.

Also I didn't, outside of Stroh who appears to be a special talent, talk about any of the newcomers. Andrew Stewart is here for a reason (although given his heritage one kind of has to assume that KU would have been his first choice) and was more than serviceable as a juco guy. We're basically 2 years out from last getting after it....tons of changes have probably happened, and most of them we don't know about.

I just can't see NOT having Wallace, Cornblum, Kocis & Gibby being every day guys. They are men. That's 4 of the 8 positions (Infield minus catcher, outfield and DH) that are up for grabs in my opinion. And from what I saw in the fall, Stroh and Bartlett are going to command, if not demand, playing time. I just don't know what HCEW is going to do. I suppose it's a good problem to have and admittedly, lots of things can still change. Hell, if you would have told me 2 seasons ago that DVV would be anything less than a complete lock to play CF every day and that we would not have an obvious position for Alex Jackson, I would have deemed you criminally insane, but that's where we are.

[Shockm]

No I'm not, but that's where he was playing 16 months ago before got was banged up. He has a cannon for an arm. The thing is, if he doesn't play there, where does he play?

I don't want to sound like we have 17 1st rounders in the infield, but I think it's pretty cut and dried that we want Paxton's bat in the lineup. Listed, generously, at 6'0", we have better targets at 1st than PW. I suppose you could put him at 3rd too.

Also I didn't, outside of Stroh who appears to be a special talent, talk about any of the newcomers. Andrew Stewart is here for a reason (although given his heritage one kind of has to assume that KU would have been his first choice) and was more than serviceable as a juco guy. We're basically 2 years out from last getting after it....tons of changes have probably happened, and most of them we don't know about.

I just can't see NOT having Wallace, Cornblum, Kocis & Gibby being every day guys. They are men. That's 4 of the 8 positions (Infield minus catcher, outfield and DH) that are up for grabs in my opinion. And from what I saw in the fall, Stroh and Bartlett are going to command, if not demand, playing time. I just don't know what HCEW is going to do. I suppose it's a good problem to have and admittedly, lots of things can still change. Hell, if you would have told me 2 seasons ago that DVV would be anything less than a complete lock to play CF every day and that we would not have an obvious position for Alex Jackson, I would have deemed you criminally insane, but that's where we are.

I don't disagree that Wallace's bat is important. So who do you see as the first and third basemen? I would imagine you think Kocis would be one. Who would be the other? We still have a DH for a hitter too.

[Wuzee]

I don't disagree that Wallace's bat is important. So who do you see as the first and third basemen? I would imagine you think Kocis would be one. Who would be the other? We still have a DH for a hitter too.

My guesses ...

Kocis at first with Marsh backing him.

Third is likely much less settled. I would say Shaver, but in fall you also saw Clemons, Jackson, Elliot, Marsh and even Cadena there sometimes. If Stewart shows out at SS, Wallace could move back there. It may come down to getting the most productive bat into the lineup.

[Shockm]

My guesses ...

Kocis at first with Marsh backing him.

Third is likely much less settled. I would say Shaver, but in fall you also saw Clemons, Jackson, Elliot, Marsh and even Cadena there sometimes. If Stewart shows out at SS, Wallace could move back there. It may come down to getting the most productive bat into the lineup.

Shaver and Clemons also play SS and it would seem that if one of them and Wallace earn starting positions, then Wallace would be better at 3rd. They have better range than Wallace does.

[WuDrWu]

I don't disagree that Wallace's bat is important. So who do you see as the first and third basemen? I would imagine you think Kocis would be one. Who would be the other? We still have a DH for a hitter too.

Have to think Kocis is 1B or DH unless he proves he just can't hit lefties (for instance). Derek Shaver would probably be my first choice for 3rd unless, like you said, Stewart can take over SS and Wallace at 3rd. But man, I think Shaver is a player and sitting on a complete breakout season. I'd personally like to see him at least get a shot at regular innings.

[Shockm]

Have to think Kocis is 1B or DH unless he proves he just can't hit lefties (for instance). Derek Shaver would probably be my first choice for 3rd unless, like you said, Stewart can take over SS and Wallace at 3rd. But man, I think Shaver is a player and sitting on a complete breakout season. I'd personally like to see him at least get a shot at regular innings.

So Shaver isn’t a SS or Wallace is more of a SS than Shaver?

[Wuzee]

So Shaver isn’t a SS or Wallace is more of a SS than Shaver?

I think the latter -- but a lot depends on how well Wallace is recovered from his back injury.

Both guys are more natural third basemen, IMO. Last year, Wallace would have started at SS over Shaver if he hadn't been hurt. I was skeptical when they moved Wallace over, but he showed in the fall of 2019 that he was solid at that position. I thought Shaver was serviceable at short, but he had errors in three straight games late in Feb. and Cade Clemons started there more in the last half of the season.

If Wallace's back problems are ongoing -- or if they just want to protect his back now that it's healthy -- 3B or 1B would be a better choice in that neither require the speed, flexibility and torsion that shortstop does.

They've got lots of options with solid dudes.

[Shockm]

I think the latter -- but a lot depends on how well Wallace is recovered from his back injury.

Both guys are more natural third basemen, IMO. Last year, Wallace would have started at SS over Shaver if he hadn't been hurt. I was skeptical when they moved Wallace over, but he showed in the fall of 2019 that he was solid at that position. I thought Shaver was serviceable at short, but he had errors in three straight games late in Feb. and Cade Clemons started there more in the last half of the season.

If Wallace's back problems are ongoing -- or if they just want to protect his back now that it's healthy -- 3B or 1B would be a better choice in that neither require the speed, flexibility and torsion that shortstop does.

They've got lots of options with solid dudes.

I'm not sure about Shaver. I just don't think that Wallace has the range for a good defensive SS. He's a relatively short (6'0) compact, and stocky guy (215 Lbs.). We have some good defensive options like Stewart, Elliott, and Clemons who have good range and gloves, but they aren't offensive minded, and Siegrist hasn't proven to be a really top notch hitter either. We will have to see which way Wedge goes.

One thing's for sure, we don't have any SS's the caliber of Lansing or Wimmer on this team who can run, field, throw, and hit, but they don't grow on trees.