Shox @ Dirtbags (2-17, 2-18, 2-19)

[WuDrWu]

Shocks open up the 2023 season in Long Beach vs the Dirtbags. 3 game set Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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

As of Monday, LBSU has not updated their spring roster as they still show 44 names listed (you have to be around 35 depending on Covid holdovers).

I'll be hitting up D1 Baseball for a scouting report and update when I get a chance.


LBSU is picked 3rd in the Big West preseason poll.

https://bigwest.org/news/2023/2/10/uc-santa-barbara-predicted-to-go-back-to-back-as-the-big-west-unveils-2023-baseball-preseason-poll-and-first-preseason-team.aspx

Their team has experienced a large turnover from last season, most importantly their entire weekend rotation entered the portal and ended up in the SEC and B12.

This will not be an easy series. LBSU is always tough and they will have much more time outside plus the home field advantage.

[Onegreatracer]

Any video for Saturday? Paid from LBSU maybe?

[SB Shock]

Any video for Saturday? Paid from LBSU maybe?

Friday and Sunday games are on ESPN+

LBSU doesn't look to have any type of coverage for Saturday game beyond live stats.

[ShockerFever]

Doc always gets me excited every year and then I get disappointed by March 1st. No slam on you Doc, I love the optimism. I just hope you hit the nail this time.

So I'm gonna keep my expectations low and not expect much and see what happens.

[WuDrWu]

Doc always gets me excited every year and then I get disappointed by March 1st. No slam on you Doc, I love the optimism. I just hope you hit the nail this time.

So I'm gonna keep my expectations low and not expect much and see what happens.

Guilty as charged.

And I certainly understand keeping expectations down. I often remind others that the other guy wants to win as well. Yet I forget to apply that to my own thinking.

This team can be good. From what I have observed, they go about their business in a much different manner than other recent teams. They also seem to BE an actual team instead of a group of players.

Time will tell. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good start. They don't need a reason to get down on themselves.

[Kung Wu]

Well it does seem like this team has chemistry, the way the upperclassmen held it together and propped up the newcomers during the coaching transition.

But can they pitch?

[WstateU]

Well it does seem like this team has chemistry, the way the upperclassmen held it together and propped up the newcomers during the coaching transition.

But can they pitch?

… and hit a D-1 curveball?

[WuDrWu]

Well it does seem like this team has chemistry, the way the upperclassmen held it together and propped up the newcomers during the coaching transition.

But can they pitch?

One thing that hasn't gotten a lot of run but deserves mentioning, especially in this day and age, is exactly this.....in a time where kids are transferring at the drop of any hat, and every school with any interest (or money) at all will push every boundary (or just out and out cheat) to get someone to campus, Scooter/Pelf/Siri lost exactly zero players. None. Everyone stayed when literally a dozen or more could have left.

And we lost one '23 (I think, could have been '24) commit but that was due to A&M cheating (essentially). Of course time will tell how the future plays out with that. But the staff kept the group together and that says a lot for the coaches AND the players. As much as ever can be expected (today) these guys are committed to this program.

And I think that means something.


Can they pitch?

Definitely the $64 question.

I am guessing we'll see Tolle (solid, not great freshman campaign then a strong summer), Candiotti (decent juco with really strong summer and dynamite fall and spring so far) and Bye (All Conference last year and preseason this year) this weekend. Grant Adler also had a very strong fall. Those 4 seem ahead of most others for rotation spots.

From the little I've seen, Robert Cranz has improved a bunch. I'd guess he's starter #5 or long reliever based on need. Almost everyone else is going to get a chance and repeat chances I'm sure will be based upon performance. Caden Favors, Nate Adler, Matt Boyer, Jace Miner, Parker Dillhoff, Carter Rost with Matt Wilkinson closing will all get chances. Current wildcards are freshman Nate Snead and Michael Mulhollon. Both have shown flashes and have huge upside. Maybe they get thrown to the wolves early or don't even see the field, I have no idea.

And we're all just holding our breath until Austin Henry gets cleared to play, sometime late in the season hopefully. He might never play or he might throw a 2 hitter in Clearwater that sends us to the championship game.

Bye, Favors and Tolle all were mostly really good last season. Maybe not great, but really good most of the time. I don't think there's much question Candiotti and Grant Adler are going to be good. There's a ton of evidence for both. Gotta find the fillers after those 5.

[shocks02]

Preview is out on GoShockers. Friday - Candiotti. Saturday - Tolle. Sunday - Grant Adler.

Cameron Bye possibly going to close this season?

LBSU will go with Graham Osman on Friday. 9 ERA in 25 innings for Arizona State last year. Nico Zeglib on Saturday, 5.5 ERA in 30 innings for Gonzaga last year. TBD Sunday.

Needless to say there won’t be any seasoned D1 starters on the mound this weekend.

[WuDrWu]

Osman was a guy we looked at over the summer. He has a live arm and had a good summer. Big upside. Believe me when I tell you the coaches were pleased to get Candiotti.

LBSU hasn't updated their roster as of today. I won't check it again until game time.

I expect our lineup to look something like this:


CF McDonald
SS Rodden
3B Thornhill
1B Pennington
DH Tolle/Ingram
LF Rogers
RF Stroh
C Millan
2B Herring

Bye was banged up in the fall and I'm guessing not naming him in the rotation is probably just being safe and giving him a little extra time to get 100%.

If we are forced to go long out of the pen, I would expect to see Favors first, possibly Robert Cranz. If we can get into the 5th or later, I would expect to see some combo of Nate Adler, Parker Dillhoff, maybe Matt Boyer and Carter Rost before handing off to Matt Wilkinson to close.

I have no idea how they plan to use Jace Miner, Nate Snead or Michael Mullhollon, but I will be surprised if they aren't given a shot at some point to get their feet wet and see how they do. Now that I think about it, maybe the plan is to use Bye in relief to build up some innings. IDK. Not everyone made the trip west (saw a couple at the basketball game tonight).

[Romans116]

I love the optimism too. I used to go to several games a year when Gene was coach. I have only been to a couple of games since then. It just isn't the same. But I am going to make an attempt to go to a few games this year. I enjoyed watching Scooter when he was a player, hopefully he can begin the rebuilding of this once great program.

[Kung Wu]

Heeeeeeeere come the SHOX!!!

Bump bump bump, BAAAAH, bump bump bump, BAAAH, bad-dah-dah-DAH dah DAAAAAH!

[Shockm]

It sounds like Scooter is planning a new strategy this year, with speedy talent on the team.

Wichita State baseball team hopes to play faster this year. Kyte McDonald brings speed

“The more athletic that we can be, I think the better off we’re going to end up being in the long run,” Hibbs said. When the Shockers went searching to upgrade their athleticism, they feel like they hit the jackpot with Kyte McDonald, who is expected to start the season in center field. The San Antonio native owns his high school’s 100-meter dash record, fast enough to earn a scholarship offer to run track at Duke, and was a standout running back on the football field. Those two sports help describe the way McDonald plays baseball: track-star speed with the aggressiveness of a running back. “He would run through the wall if you asked him to,” Hibbs said. “He’s like the Energizer Bunny, going 100 mph all the time.” McDonald isn’t just a speedster on the diamond, however. Coming out of high school he earned a 9 grade by Perfect Game, which designated him as a “highest-level college prospect.” He signed with Mississippi State and was a redshirt freshman on its national championship team in 2021, hitting .389 in 12 games.

https://www.kansas.com/sports/colleg...272526917.html

[WuDrWu]

Anybody catch Kemnitz's tweet at Tom Kosich's vulgar display of real estate superiority with Darren Dreifort and ADKS doing work?

[WuDrWu]

I just think we've hit a home run with Kyte. Dude is at least a 4 tool guy if not 5. And he goes about his work like a total professional.

With all that's happened, and the way they've reacted, these young (and older) men deserve a good turn.