Shox vs. Long Beach State Game 2

[WSUwatcher]

I'll put my hex on the baseball Shox, but even 11 runs is asking a lot. Is this just poor pitching and poor hitting, or did the Beach come out infuriated today after what happened yesterday and it's their mission to boat race us?

Apparently the Beach decided that since a five-run lead wasn't safe, they needed to stretch it out a little more today.

The good news is that it's only one loss, and the Niners didn't exactly save a bunch for tomorrow. The bad news is that this WSU team seems to have a knack for three-game losing streaks. Let's hope they break that habit tomorrow.

[ShockerFever]

I need some more "spin" for this one.

[ShockerFever]

BTW, Friday night was a fluke. LBS gave the game away with poor defense and some mysterious and inexplicable need to not change pitchers.

Bingo.

[SB Shock]

When will the madness be stopped???

Based on attendance, the time can't be to far away.

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[1972Shocker]

There just is no consistency with this team.

The concern I have is that the inconsistency is starting to show more in the pitching staff. IMO, this team will go as far as the pitching can carry us.

[shox1989]

The concern I have is that the inconsistency is starting to show more in the pitching staff. IMO, this team will go as far as the pitching can carry us.

The pitching has been very good this year. I know they had a rough day yesterday but no pitching staff is perfect. This pitching staff has been about as consistent as I have ever seen for a college baseball team. They have faced a pretty tough schedule and haven't had that many bad innings. The problem is they don't have much of a margin of error. We need to produce more runs. We are putting too much pressure on the pitchers.

[shocker3]

Our pitching has been very impressive this year. Even the freshman have done very well. Kris Gardner and AJ Ladwig have been really good and more consistent then freshman usually are. Elam (sophomore) is yet to give up a run. Foster Vielock (sophomore) has done a great job in long middle relief. Even with the injuries we have had (TJ McGreevey, Tobin M, and Zach Berringer) it really hasn't hurt us very much at all.

I agree that overall the staff really hasn't had that many bad innings.

[1972Shocker]

Based on attendance, the time can't be to far away.

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Any numbers on Battery Club participation?

Unless Gene decides to hang them up early we are probably looking at 2 more years following this season unless Gene decides to retire before his contract expires. Unless Gene does something really stupid, which is not out of the realm, I don't believe his contract will be terminated early.

[shox1989]

Don't really disagree with much you have said. I just wonder what options you think are better than the ones that are playing. We once again have been besieged by injuries (which is a whole other topic, why we seem to be prone to this year after year) and the bench is not that deep. One guy that comes to mind is Knight, but everyone else has seemed to have had their chances.

Besides just the injuries, Gene really has tried several different line ups this year. It seems like he is trying very hard to give a lot of the new guys opportunities to show what they can do. It is not like he has stuck with the same starting lineup game after he game, he has changed it a lot.

[shocker3]

Besides just the injuries, Gene really has tried several different line ups this year. It seems like he is trying very hard to give a lot of the new guys opportunities to show what they can do. It is not like he has stuck with the same starting lineup game after he game, he has changed it a lot.

I would agree with that. I think Gene has changed the starting line-up about as much as I have ever seen him do. Players are getting chances they just need to take advantage of their opportunities.

[shox1989]

Minnis has not been sharp recently.

I would agree with you. Overall our pitching staff has been pretty good but Minnis has struggled lately.

[Shocker85]

Don't really disagree with much you have said. I just wonder what options you think are better than the ones that are playing. We once again have been besieged by injuries (which is a whole other topic, why we seem to be prone to this year after year) and the bench is not that deep. One guy that comes to mind is Knight, but everyone else has seemed to have had their chances.

There needs to be some rethinking regarding the 3-4-5 hitters in the line-up. Some of the young guys lower in the order (Parker, Rea, Halbert) are getting on base. KHall has put together a nice hit streak and Bayliff 's been decent when he's been able to go, but the Shox aren't scoring runs. Coy drove in a sick number of runs early, but hasn't been especially productive lately. Lambert and Gillaspie need to clear their minds.

Green and Arens haven't gotten much of a chance. Arens was good at the plate today and mostly OK behind it (the force play, notwithstanding).

--'85.

[shox1989]

There needs to be some rethinking regarding the 3-4-5 hitters in the line-up. Some of the young guys lower in the order (Parker, Rea, Halbert) are getting on base. KHall has put together a nice hit streak and Bayliff 's been decent when he's been able to go, but the Shox aren't scoring runs. Coy drove in a sick number of runs early, but hasn't been especially productive lately. Lambert and Gillaspie need to clear their minds.

Green and Arens haven't gotten much of a chance. Arens was good at the plate today and mostly OK behind it (the force play, notwithstanding).

--'85.

Micah Green got a lot of early chances but was replaced when he got into a hitting slump. He hasn't seen much action since then. Arens hasn't had a lot of chances but Hege was getting some good hits early in the season so they were trying to keep him in the line-up and then they were giving Baker a chance behind the plate (he looked good in fall ball).

But for the most part, Gene, has shaken up the starting a line-up a lot. He doesn't seem to be sticking to the same guys everyday. If guys don't produce he has been giving someone else a shot.

[shox1989]

I will add that I though Arens did a good job behind the plate today. He threw out a couple of potential base stealers and he did get a hit. He obviously could have handled the force play better by not trying to tag the guy, but I don't think it should have mattered. Arens was standing on the plate when Elam flipped him the ball well before the runner got there. McQueen should have called the runner out at that point.

[SB Shock]

But he dropped the ball.