WSU vs UCF

[1972Shocker]

Obviously there is next to no interest in Shocker baseball at this point.

UCF only outhit the Shocks 13-9 today but they outscored the Shocks 8-2 to complete a sweep of the Shockers this weekend and extend the Shockers losing streak 9 straight and 14 of their last 15 games. The Shocks fall to 13-27 overall and 2-10 in AAC play maintaining their hold on last place.

Chuck Ingram was 2-4 and Brock Rodden was 3-4 including a home run out the top 2 spots in the lineup. But the rest of the teaml only managed 4 singles in 27 at bats (0.147 batting average and slugging percentage).

Payton Tolle, after missing a couple of starts gave up 4 runs on 8 hits with all 4 runs, 6 of the hits and 1 of the Shockers 2 errors in the 2nd inning.

Will Stevens came on for Tolle to start the 5th inning. An infield single, a walk and a sacrifice bunt put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Steven got out #2 on a stirke out before giving up a 2 run single. After walking the nex batter HCEW pulled Stevens and brought in Caden Favors. A triple down the right field line scored 2 more runs giving UCF their second 4-rund inning.

Over the final 4 innings Favors, Grayson Jones, Creighton Hansen and Nate Adler allowed no runs on 2 htits and 1 walk vs 4 strikeouts.

So two bad innings of pitching and a lack of offense outside of Ingram and Rodden did the Shockers in today.

BTW, to add insult to injury, Shane reported that UCF came to town missing 3 or 4 key players due to injury or illness including their #1 pitcher and their top home run and RBI guy.

It will be interesting to see what kind of a crowd shows up for the Oklahoma State game downtown on Tuesday.

[WstateU]

Obviously there is next to no interest in Shocker baseball at this point.

UCF only outhit the Shocks 13-9 today but they outscored the Shocks 8-2 to complete a sweep of the Shockers this weekend and extend the Shockers losing streak 9 straight and 14 of their last 15 games. The Shocks fall to 13-27 overall and 2-10 in AAC play maintaining their hold on last place.

Chuck Ingram was 2-4 and Brock Rodden was 3-4 including a home run out the top 2 spots in the lineup. But the rest of the teaml only managed 4 singles in 27 at bats (0.147 batting average and slugging percentage).

Payton Tolle, after missing a couple of starts gave up 4 runs on 8 hits with all 4 runs, 6 of the hits and 1 of the Shockers 2 errors in the 2nd inning.

Will Stevens came on for Tolle to start the 5th inning. An infield single, a walk and a sacrifice bunt put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Steven got out #2 on a stirke out before giving up a 2 run single. After walking the nex batter HCEW pulled Stevens and brought in Caden Favors. A triple down the right field line scored 2 more runs giving UCF their second 4-rund inning.

Over the final 4 innings Favors, Grayson Jones, Creighton Hansen and Nate Adler allowed no runs on 2 htits and 1 walk vs 4 strikeouts.

So two bad innings of pitching and a lack of offense outside of Ingram and Rodden did the Shockers in today.

It will be interesting to see what kind of a crowd shows up for the Oklahoma State game downtown on Tuesday.

I'm going to go cry all over "My Pillow" and "Giza Dream Sheets"...
this is turning into a nightmare!

[ShockerFever]

Beyond embarrassing.

This program is now approaching apathetic levels, which of course, is the bottom stage in program level status.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Trying not to sound too much like cold, but let’s keep in mind Sigrist and Kocsis have both battled injuries. And others have also have had knicks.

We are at step 2 of 5. Have patience.

[1972Shocker]

Watching the replay of today's game. It could very easily have been 4-1 in favor of the Shocks after 2 innings instead of UCF leading 4-1.

Some bad luck. For example, with runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 outs in the Shocker 1st Jordan Rogers ripped a line drive down the left field line that was just foul. That would have easilly scored both base runners. Jordan than grounded into the hole at short for an infield single and loading the basis. Andrew Stewart after ripping ball foul into the left field corner reached on a swing bunt on which the 3rd baseman had no play as Chuck Ingram, who had walked to lead of the inning score from 3rd. Couper Cornblum then ripped a hard line drive to left but right at the left fielder who only had to take a few steps back for the final out of the at bat.. Yesterday that ball may have carried to or over the fence. Not sure Couper can hit any harder.

In the 2nd, UCF lead off with a clean single to right and a nice push bunt past Payton on the mound that Brock Rodden charged and fielded but had no play. UCF than attempted to sac bunt the runners over and bunted to 3rd with Sawyre Thornhill fileding the ball cleanly but having no one to throw to at first as Xavier Casserilla had come in to far and could not get back. That loaded the bases with no outs. The Shocks then turned a 6-4-3 double play very nicely scoring the tying run but giving the Shocks a chance to get out of the inning with no further damage. The next batter hit a fuzzy little looping line drive up the middle and Andrew Stewart looked like he had it but it bounce off his glove driving in the go ahead run. I was a bit suprised Andrew did not haul that one in. Payton thought he had the next guy struck out as did I and quite few other folks but the ump failed to ring him up. Really good pitch by Payton. I think that may have put Payton in a bad place mentally. A couple of pitches later that guy lined a ball to left that landed just inside the left field line with the runner who was on 1st scoring. That brought the lead off hitter to the plate. Payton got ahead of him 1-2 then left a fastball up in the middle of the plate and gave up solid single to right. Pelfrey made a visit to the mound to settle Payton down but I think he also wanted to chat with the home plate ump and you tell he wasn't too happy with him.

But that is the way things are going for this team.

[Kung Wu]

Cursed, I tell ya.

[1972Shocker]

Cursed, I tell ya.

The Shockers had a few bounce go their way with the infield hits. They just can't or don't take advantage of the good bounces they do get. At this point not sure they believe they can win. Not only about bad luck. Some of it is the Shocks just can't get out of their own way.

Payton was upset about a stirke call that didn't go his way in the 3rd. It was a close pitch but I think the ump got that one right. But Payton isn't going to get the benefit of the doubt if he conitnues to show the umps up.

I assume they took took Payton out after 4 innings beause he was up to 75 pitches and probably did not want to push him after coming off a sore shoulder.

[NCAABound]

That's the good thing about baseball...you play plenty of games to see who you truly are. Luck is minimized.

[ShockerFever]

Trying not to sound too much like cold, but let’s keep in mind Sigrist and Kocsis have both battled injuries. And others have also have had knicks.

We are at step 2 of 5. Have patience.

LMFAO

[ShockerFever]

13-27, 2-10, with a 9 game losing streak is not “bad luck”. More like bad suck.

[1972Shocker]

13-27, 2-10, with a 9 game losing streak is not “bad luck”. More like bad suck.

Who said that streak was bad luck? I think the Shockers had a little bad luck in Sunday's game but as NCAABound pointed out over the course of a season the bad luck and the good luck tend to even out.

There were a few good things Sunday. But the Shocks simply don't seem capable of doing the good things consistently or they do enough bad things to more than offset the good stuff.

I do think it is important that the team does start playing better and winning a few games heading into next season. Not expecting any kind of a major win streak. I think going 6-6 over our remaining 12 AAC games is possible. Although the odds are probably against that happening. I don't expect any wins in the final 3 mid-week games.

And then maybe getting 1 win in the AAC Tournament.

That would give the Shocks 20 wins on the season. Somehow that just sound less disastrous than a win total in the teens. Either way your right though, it has been bad. The last time the Shocks won fewer than 20 games (excluding the Covid-shortened 2020 season) was in 1970. That was the last year before suspending the program for 7 years. Even if the Shocks do manage to win 20 games that will still be the lowest total of wins since 1970 with only the 21 wins in 2016 under Todd Butler being close.

It will be hard not to be better next year plus it wouldn't surprise me if they lighten up on the strength of schedule a little. Some have posted that help is on the way. Again, may not be that hard to bring in some better players. We will just have to see how much better next year.

Right now it is a real challenge being a Shocker fan.

[shoxlax]

Wedge basically started playing for next year after the Houston series. He needed to see how the guys that will be eligible to return next year performed over a long stretch. As painful as it is to watch, it is the absolute certain way to find out who has the right approach to play for him and where he needs to look for help in the portal.

[Shockm]

Wedge basically started playing for next year after the Houston series. He needed to see how the guys that will be eligible to return next year performed over a long stretch. As painful as it is to watch, it is the absolute certain way to find out who has the right approach to play for him and where he needs to look for help in the portal.

2020 and 2021 showed improvement in the AAC (3rd place in 2021) and non-league too. 2022 is a step backward. Two steps forward, and one step backward. 2023 will be an important year.

[1972Shocker]

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