Fall World Series - 2023

[ShockBand]

[1972Shocker]

So there does appear to be a Fall World Series planned. According to the Tweet this will be a 5 games series. 5 Games in 5 days is pretty aggressive. I wonder if they will make these 7 inning games. In any case, everyone will get to play it would appear.

Novermber 1st through the 5th will be a Wednesday through a Sunday.

[WuDrWu]

I think Sunday's game was a 5 inning affair and that length seems more usual these days than not.

I also believe a lot of the "length" of the games has to do with the schedule for pitchers. Unless there's a problem with injuries or otherwise, they're going to have a set schedule for the pitchers and it's unlikely either team is going to yell to pen to get Connor Holden warmed up (for example). MAYBE they'll extend a guy, most likely someone that's slated to be a starter, an extra inning because of a low pitch count, but for the most part, no. In fact, if a guy hits his pitch count number, they are more likely to just end the inning instead of bringing in a new guy.

[1972Shocker]

I think Sunday's game was a 5 inning affair and that length seems more usual these days than not.

From what I have gathered I think most of the scrimmaged have been about 5 innings. So it would not surprise me at all of that was the length of the FWS games.

Speaking of scrimmages I definitely am planning on taking in Saturday's scrimmage and if things break right for me I might even be able to catch the Friday afternoon scrimmage as well.

[1972Shocker]

Nice short, direct to the ball swing for Seth. The challenge for him will be to improve his consistency and cut-down on the strikeouts. He sitll is most-likely to be platoon against right-handed pitchers. But we will see.

[1972Shocker]

Was able to make out to Eck this afternoon.

Met Daniel Zang' s parents. Very nice people from Minnesota..

Daniel started the game for the yellow squad. Impressive arm.

Jaden, who looks much bigger and stronger than last year, led off for the Black team with a rocket at Under Armour logo about 40 feet to the right of dead center. Nice running catch by whoever was playing center. Zang then struckout the next 2 guys.

Caden Favors started on the mound for the Black team. Look to br throwing okay but hid control not as good as Zang's. Gave up a couple of runs but has a bit of bad luck. Hurt himself with a lead off walk then gave up 3 singles, 2 of which did not leave the infield The one that did was a hard hit liner over the SS.

Very nice defensive play at 3rd by Holden Pantier (if the rosrer is correct) in the inning.

In the top of the 2nd Zang hit the lead off batter then got 4-3 DP ona high nouncing 2- hooper. Probably a baserunning mistake for the runner first to allow himself to be tagged out on the front end. The final out was a waist high frozen rope just to the left of SS thar was caught. Not sure it changed elevation at all. I think that was hit by Jake Rice.

Caden gave up a big fly that left the yard out by the Coleman pavillion. Darnell Parker I think. Then gave up a hard hit double to right center. A ground single through the into right resulted in a play at the plate with the throw right on target and easily getting the runner from 2nd. Might have been Jaden in right. Not sure.

Yellow 3 - Black 0 after 2.

[1972Shocker]

Very nice catch by the Yellow LF to open the top of the 3rd.

[1972Shocker]

Caden struggling with his command in the bottom or the 3rd

Walked the leadoff batter. Then got a 6-4-3 DP on a very hard hit one hop liner to the left of the SS by Derek Williams. I was surprised how close Derek made it at first for a power guy considering how hard the ball was hit.

The he hit the next 2 guys before walking the next batter to load the bases before striking out Parker who looked like he wanted to hit a grand slam.

Still 3-0 Yellow after 3.

[1972Shocker]

Zang set the side down in order to start the 4th..

Lefty Braden Luikart in to pitch for the Black squad. 3-up, 3 down. Luikart may be a 2-way player.

Still 3 - 0 Yellow.

[1972Shocker]

LHP Tyler Dobbs in to pitch for the yellow team.

Opens up with a line single past a diving #18 (listed as Jordan Rogers ?) art 3rd followed by a walk.

2 groundball outs to SS plate a run. Runner on 3rd.

A weak grounder to 3rd ends the at bat

Yellow 3 - Black 1 into the bottom of the 5th.

LHP Hunter Holmes on to pitch for the Black squad.

I have to head out to the Friday night lights.

[1972Shocker]

Just as I was leaving when Seth Stroh doubled off the right center wall in a left on left matchup.

BTW, about 25 people in attendance.

[1972Shocker]

Was able to hang around for the entire scrimmage today which went a full 9 innings. Not sure how long they ended up going Friday. Unlike Friday, with Coach Claggett calling balls and strikes from behind the pitching mound and the coaches making safe and out calls they did have a 2-man umpire crew for today's scrimmage. About 30 fans in attendance. Not sure you are going to pull very many fans away from their recliners and big screens watching college football in the comfort of their air conditioned homes to come out for an intra-squad scrimmage in 95 degree weather but there were a few of us idiots there.

I did not take any written notes. Just followed the action and focused on trying to identify and learn the the players not an easy task. And the rosters are not 100% accurate. Although I think the rosters were mostly correct. You don't get a black squad roster and a yellow squad roster. Just one team roster. So everything I am reporting is from memory and I am not a youngster.

The game ended in a 4-4 tie with most of the scoring coming late against perhaps the bottom the pitching depth chart.

The Black team was the home team and the Yellow team was the visitors. As best I recall the following were the pitchers that appeared"

6-6 Jr. LHP Gavin Oswald started for the Black team.and 6-3 Sr. RHP Nate Adler started for the yellow team each going 3 innings I believe. Neither pitcher allowed a run and I think there was only 1 base hit by they Black team although backup and perhaps on 3 hard hit balls total in the first 3 innings. Oswald struggled a bit with his command I thought but made the pitches when he need to. Pretty decent arm. Not sure how effective his offspeed stuff will be. Nate looked good his first 2 innings. Had a little trouble with his command in his 3rd inning. His slider looked pretty sharp.

Others pitching for the Black squad in order (I think) were: 6-4 Fr. RH Luke Agnew, 6-2 Fr. RH Ryan Geraghty, 6-4 Fr. RH Tommy La Pour, 6-2 Jr. RH Jack Mount and 6-2 Sr. RH Matt Wilkinson

Others pitching for the Yellow squad were: 6-4 Fr. LHP Drew Iverson, 6-3 Jr. RHP Mason Munoz, 6-0 RH So. Caleb Anderson, 6-3 Fr. FH Brady Hamilton, and 6-1 Jr. RH Ronald Zayas.

No doubt there are some good arms in there but most of the freshman looked like freshmen.. Who will rise to the top will probably who can develop the best command and pitch-ability. Overall a few too many walks and too many hit batters. I thought the best strike throwers were the Black's Luke Agnew and the Yellow's Ronald Zayas although the sample sized are very small.

Agnew was interesting. Didn't look like he was one of the harder throwers but I think he was the won who hides the ball pretty good behind his head on his delivery so probably seems a little quicker than he otherwise might.

The yellow squad's Drew Iverson, a lefty, and Mason Munoz, a righty, both had pretty much side arm deliveries. I thought Iverson was a little more effective but he did make a mistake ahead in the count to Jordan Rogers her launched a not doubter over the bleachers in left field to give the Black team a 1-0. Based on what I saw today, if these guys make the team I see them as situational pitchers with Iverson being used mostly against LH hitters and Munoz against RH hitters.

I was least impressed with Caleb Anderson gave up a 2-spot in an inning where he hit 2 batters and was lucky to escape giving up only 2 runs. But the Black took a 3-0 lead. I believe it was the top of the 8th when Jake Mount gave up 4-spot capped by a long 3-run home run from J-Gus that landing on the fly inside the Coleman Pavillion. Matt Wilkinson came in to finish the top of the 8th but was a little shaky with his command but was able to the Black team into the dugout without further damage but the Yellow team was on top 4-3.

The Black team scored the tying run in the bottom of the 8th on a Josh Livingston RBI single and probably should have had more but the freshman Hamilton was able to wiggle out of it.

Wilkinson set the Yellow squad down in order in the top of the 9th but didn't fool anyone giving up a long fly out to the warning track in right, a solid line drive out pretty much right at the center fielder, and 1-hop screamer that was snagged nicely by the 3rd baseman who had plenty of time to make the throw to first for the out.

Ronald Zayas set down the Black team in order in the 9th. Looks like a guy who won't overpower you but can pitch and generally will try to let you get yourself out.

Overall thoughts on the pitching I saw this weekend. Some positives but also quite a few questions remain. Keep in mind very small sample size,

This post was primarily about the pitching. I will post some observations about the position players/hitting later.

[1972Shocker]

Some observations on the position players/hitters.

Mo Millan and Alex Birge both look very solid behind home plate. With Mo a right-handed hitter and Alex a lefthanded hitter I think we could see some platooning at catcher. At the very least I don't think Mo will be catching every game this year. As far as calling pitches I did not pay too much attention to that until later in the game. I think the Coach Claggett was comunicating with some kind of walkie-talkie witht through an ear piece the catchers were wearing. Some pitches he would use the transmitter and on some he would not. The catchers were definitely not looking to the coaches for pitching calls.

The hitters got off to a slow start overall but came on more as the got deeper into the bullpen. I was probably most impressed with Jordan Rogers. Here is his no-doubter home run to left that cleared the left field bleachers and staked the Black team to a 1-0 lead:

Jordon added a frozen rope single to center in the and was later hit by a pitch after which he scored in each instance. So he scored 3 of the Black's 4 runs. I don't recall Jordan having that kind of power, an you tell he knew it was gone. IIRC he used to choke up on the bat 2 or 3 inches. Today he was pretty much down to the knob on the bat.

J-Gus had the clutch hit of the game in the top of the 8th after the Yellows scored 1 to make cut the Black's lead to 3-1 delivering a 3-run bomb that land smack dab in the middle of the Coleman Pavillion to give the Yellows a 4-3. As I said yesterday J-Gus looks bigger and stronger to me this year which you expect, or at least hope, to be the case.

Remains to be seen how many home runs this team will hit this season. I get the feeling the coaching staff is stressding line drive hitting and making consistent hard contact and let the home runs come as they may.

Freshman Darnell Parker Jr. looks made to order for the shortstop position at least defensively. However, I am not sure he is ready for D-I pitching. I guess time will tell on that. He certainly struggled at the plate today.

Generally, the defense was pretty solid today with a number of double plays turned. However, there was one exception. Not sure who it was in left field but he misplayed a single that took a high bounce over his out-stretched glove allowing the hitter to make it all the way to 3rd. One of the pitchers, I can't recall which one made a wild throw to first on a pickoff attempt.

Not sure how much the Shocks will run this year but today Mo and Alex along with the pitchers kept that well under control.

What does it all mean? That's kind of hard to say based on such a small sample size. I don't think we know until we see this team in action for several weeks into the regular season.

But I do think there is some decent talent but the lack of D-1 experience on this team may make this first year under Coach Green somewhat of a challenge.

[1972Shocker]

Too bad the weather turned cool and windy for the Cowley CC scrimmage. Shocks prevail 19-6 in the 14 inning scrimmage. No box score is available.

I think the above highlight was actually a bases loaded double for Josh Livingston

[Kung Wu]

Stroh's 109 EV would put him somewhere between the 185th and 215th hardest hit ball in the MLB in 2023.