AAC Conference Tournament

[Shockerman]

So if we are in this to win it I think you have to sit Jace tomorrow right? I know it's an elimination game but the goal is to win this damn thing, not win a game or 2.

[WuDrWu]

I can’t remember a WSU event where I was that disappointed from the get go with the effort across the board, and by across the board I mean from the President on down to the last fan including yours truly. We were just butt ****ed like Evansville’s red headed step sister in every way shape and form. We looked like the begging child, please sir may I have some more?

I realize I’m using hyperbole, but today, success seems so far off it might never exist.

hopefully tomorrow is a little brighter.


I’m not saying we should win this tournament or that I expected us to, but this was not what I expected, in any way.

Gotta rest and recharge for the Cougars.

Go Shocks!

[ShockRef]

I can’t remember a WSU event where I was that disappointed from the get go with the effort across the board, and by across the board I mean from the President on down to the last fan including yours truly. We were just butt ****ed like Evansville’s red headed step sister in every way shape and form. We looked like the begging child, please sir may I have some more?

I realize I’m using hyperbole, but today, success seems so far off it might never exist.

hopefully tomorrow is a little brighter.


I’m not saying we should win this tournament or that I expected us to, but this was not what I expected, in any way.

Gotta rest and recharge for the Cougars.

Go Shocks!

Just do not understand the thought process in not starting your best pitcher in the first game. Win, stay in the right side of the bracket and do not play again until Wednesday.
Lose and well, turn around playing again today and chance you go two and 'que'.
The thought of 'saving' your best pitcher for the 'big' game is fine - if you have decent starting pitching depth. Not the case with this team. Case in point - Eddy was brutal last night.
Win the first game (or at least use your best to try!) and go from there.
Now they are digging out of a hole the entire time in Fla.

That is all.

[WuDrWu]

So if we are in this to win it I think you have to sit Jace tomorrow right? I know it's an elimination game but the goal is to win this damn thing, not win a game or 2.

Read my comments on the ECU game and their decision.

Play your best players, pitch your best pitcher.

[SB Shock]

So if we are in this to win it I think you have to sit Jace tomorrow right? I know it's an elimination game but the goal is to win this damn thing, not win a game or 2.

If you get eliminated, you have no chance of winning anything. I am just flabbergasted that they WSU chose to start Eddy.

But this is WSU season in a microcosm - nobody can be trusted. Hitters show up sometimes, sometime they don't. Seem like there is always one pitcher who is off his game and just burns the place down.

[Wuzee]

If you get eliminated, you have no chance of winning anything. I am just flabbergasted that they WSU chose to start Eddy.

I'm not flabbergasted. Eddy went 7IP and gave up 5 hits and 2 ER striking out 6 against USF in a win way back on May 14. A similar performance against the same lineup gives you a shot at Jace v. Tulane in the winners bracket game and a chance to sit back and rest with a ton of arms. Liam has been inconsistent (for his whole career, really) but so has every starter on the staff, Jace excepted. When you don't trust your staff -- and have to win a multi-day tournament to advance to the NCAAs -- this was a reasonable risk to take, IMO.

Even though today is do or die, I wouldn't be surprised to see him take the same approach and hold Jace out.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

What a dumb move starting Eddy. Unbelievable. Why try and get cute or overthink it? I’d be pissed if I were Jace.

[Shockm]

I'm not flabbergasted. Eddy went 7IP and gave up 5 hits and 2 ER striking out 6 against USF in a win way back on May 14. A similar performance against the same lineup gives you a shot at Jace v. Tulane in the winners bracket game and a chance to sit back and rest with a ton of arms. Liam has been inconsistent (for his whole career, really) but so has every starter on the staff, Jace excepted. When you don't trust your staff -- and have to win a multi-day tournament to advance to the NCAAs -- this was a reasonable risk to take, IMO.

Even though today is do or die, I wouldn't be surprised to see him take the same approach and hold Jace out.

You probably nailed the thinking involved to start Eddy. Jace just got bombed a couple of weeks ago by S. Florida. Reasonable people can disagree with it but it’s easier to make a decision with hindsight.

[1972Shocker]

I concluded before the starter was announced that if it was my decision I would go with Jace. However, I also made a case why you might want to go with LIam.

https://shockernet.net/forum/wichita-state-athletics/wichita-state-baseball/1299763-aac-conference-tournament?p=1299865#post1299865

However, now that the game is over and the decision to go with Liam did not work out I am not going to say HCEW made a dumb decision or a bad decision. There certainly was a case to be made for going with Liam. In addition, I suspect you have a Head Coach who understands what kind of talent he has and that if he is going to win this tournament he may have to roll the dice a little bit. In any case, there is absolutely no way to know if Jace could have won a game against USF's pitching where his team only put up 2 runs on 4 hits and committed 4 errors. Probably 50-50 chance AT BEST he would have won that game.

But second guessing goes with the territory.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

Pitcher #1:

• 5-8
• 6.14 ERA
• 1.47 WHIP
• .296 Opp Batting Avg

Pitcher #2:

• 7-1
• 2.52 ERA
• 1.23 WHIP
• .238 Opp Batting Avg.

Who you going with? Eddy was not good in his last start at Memphis either.

[ShockerFever]

You probably nailed the thinking involved to start Eddy. Jace just got bombed a couple of weeks ago by S. Florida. Reasonable people can disagree with it but it’s easier to make a decision with hindsight.

Jace has been more consistent than Eddy. Eddy having a good start with South Florida only meant he was due for a shellacking, which happened last night.

You go with your BEST pitcher on day 1. No excuses. And there is no question who the best pitcher is on the staff.

And now Jace can’t come back for the championship if we happened to make it there. Now we get him for a very winnable game against Houston, and have to win 4 in a row to make the NCAA’s.

Definitely a swing and a miss here. If it was mostly MP’s call or encouragement to go with Eddy in game 1, it further proves my trepidation with him as the pitching coach.

EDIT: We have to win FIVE in a row, not four.

[WuDrWu]

Conner Norby is sensational. Probably should have walked him to load the bases and take your chances with Francisco, which is still a terrible option.

But 2-0 to Norby and grove a FB and guess what? 3 run HR. 5-0 ECU over Cincinnati, top 3.

In this tournament, the home team is the higher seed, no matter how many times. For instance, ECU will be the home team every time until they win the tournament or are eliminated.

[RoyalShock]

11-6, ECU in the top of the 6th. The Pirates have now used six pitchers in the 5th and 6th and Cinci is still going with no outs and a runner on 1st.

[Shockerman]

Keep burning those arms up ECU! And just to restate my case...we need to sit Jace and save him for Tulane game 1 and pray the bats show up tonight!

[Wuzee]

It’s Jace tonight