MVC Day 2 - WSU vs SWMO (Elimination Game)

[SB Shock]

Game time 1230pm

Who would have thought - Top 3 MVC seeds lose. Somebody bubble gets busted tomorrow.

[ShockerFever]

Would love to send the Bares home 2 and cue at their own park in front of 30 fans tomorrow. I just don't think this team has the fundamentals and desire to make it happen. Here's to hoping though.

[shocker3]

After today's losses, Warren Nolan shows our RPI at 45 and SWOMO at 39, so the winner of tomorrow's game ought to still be in pretty good shape.

Indiana State is probably in a must win situation tomorrow as their RPI is at 46 (although winning the regular season title in the sixth ranked conference might save them should they lose tomorrow).

[WSUwatcher]

Reporting from Pumperville: I will not be optimistic -- not hopeless, but pessimistic nevertheless -- if the Shocks go out in two games. If they manage to win today, I'll feel better, because it should give WSU a decent RPI boost to beat MSU on their home field. I'm guessing that these are being treated as home games for MSU -- as in reality they obviously are -- but even if they aren't, MSU is still a good team to beat (not to mention that it's the only way to keep playing at this point).

[KC Shox]

This program has done absolutely Jack Squat the past 4 seasons. Asking them to suddenly turn things around and do the unthinkable is well, asking too much. There's hope for next season, but this season will end with a thud as other teams want it more and it shows.

[Ta town]

There's hope for next season

You know I thought this about a month ago, now I don't know.

I do have hope that with the Eastern Oklahoma pitcher WSU will have 3 really solid weekend guys along with Gardner and Ladwig. Albert has proven to be a heck of a middle reliever and should stay there. Who knows with Zack Beringer, one can only hope. Hopefully Foster is just worn down and not injured. I pray Cale comes back one more season. Vail and Bouman showed enough this year to be encouraging. Hopefully Brummett can be one of those freshman pitchers that contributes immediately like this year.

It's the hitting that has me concerned. I feel like Mucha, Parker, Doggett, Gillespie, Green, heck even Harbutz should all be better next year but will it be enough with Coy being gone from the middle of the lineup.

Whats the schedule like next year? Will the SOS drop big time and so even though they win say 40 games next year they miss out sort of like two years ago? I just don't know, it's f-ing sad though that this will be 3 years in a row and really should have been 4 years in a row that WSU hasn't been to a regional.

[ShockTalk]

This program has done absolutely Jack Squat the past 4 seasons. Asking them to suddenly turn things around and do the unthinkable is well, asking too much. There's hope for next season, but this season will end with a thud as other teams want it more and it shows.

Regardless of whether this is true or not, I don't hold the players at fault. If certain players shouldn't be in the lineup, it's on the coaching staff. If the team has little fire, it's on the coaching staff, whether they no longer know how to relate, care, or provide the atmoshere to instill that fire properly or it's the type of players they have recruited. The buck stops with the coaches, particularly if they have had a long history of past success.

There may be hope for the Shocks next year, but I will continue to pull for THIS team to have success (not implying you don't KC), as limited as it may be, even if that means making it more difficult to get coaching staff changes that I feel is needed for a brighter future.

[1972Shocker]

I haven't given up all hope that the Shocks will still win 2 or 3 games in this tournament. OTOH, I don't have a lot of faith that they will get it done.

I think Kris Gardner is going to have to be very good today for the Shocks to have a chance.

I assume we will see Jr RH Cody Schumacher on the hill for the Bares since he pitched Game 2 in the Indiana State series. I actually I think I prefer that over Pierce Johnson. OTOH, Cody is from Topeka so he will probably have his best game of the year.

[1972Shocker]

If the team has little fire, it's on the coaching staff.

I think the fire and enthusiasm has to come primarily from the players. If they don't have it in them, then there is nothing the coaches can do to extract what isn't there. OTOH, I think coaches can cause fire and enthusiasm to be doused. Not sure if that is the case with the Shockers or not. It may very well be that Gene's dour, glass is half-full (at most) demeanor does sap the enthusiasm out of these guys. However, very hard for me to say if that is the case or not.

[Ta town]

Kris needs to keep that ball down and really he has been pretty good with location. It's not the pitching I'm worried about today.

[ShockTalk]

I think the fire and enthusiasm has to come primarily from the players. If they don't have it in them, then there is nothing the coaches can do to extract what isn't there. OTOH, I think coaches can cause fire and enthusiasm to be doused. Not sure if that is the case with the Shockers or not. It may very well be that Gene's dour, glass is half-full (at most) demeanor does sap the enthusiasm out of these guys. However, very hard for me to say if that is the case or not.

We're saying the same thing, just differently. If they don't have it in them, the coaches are the ones who recruited and signed them. Personally, I find it hard to believe a staff could sign so many players like that, so, if the fire isn't there.......

[Ta town]

Well we are just a few minutes from the start of the end of 2012 shox baseball.

Heres to hoping they luck into a win somehow today but I doubt it.

[Ta town]

Per Paul Sullentrop twitter: Mucha is hitting leadoff and Doggett is in the line up as well.

[Ta town]

Gardner seems to be struggling a bit, hopefully he can get thru the 1st without damage and settle in.

[1972Shocker]

Oh crap!