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Originally posted by WuDrWu
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I wonder if the Elliot kids ever ran out of baseballs.Comment
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Originally posted by Cdizzle View Post
Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!Comment
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Wonder why we didn't go after Elliot in some form, at least as a walk-on. Maybe something to do with his brother not working out here.Originally posted by WuDrWu View PostBrummett throws, STRUCK HIM OUT! THE SHOCKERS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! AN UNBELIEVABLE STORY!Comment
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I think he went to Johnson County out of HS. Doesn't mean he wasn't talented enough. I haven't seen Terry at the yard in a couple of years or more (doesn't mean he hasn't been there) but I'm pretty sure he was still around after Cooper left. The years run together sometimes. Mike and Mike were recruiting at a pretty high level for awhile and if you weren't up there, legacy signings probably weren't part of the picture....whether that's good or bad, right or wrong, I'll let someone else decide.Comment
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Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!Comment
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. SeussComment
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RH: Green's Zoom Call Reassured New Shockers They Had A Place
In early June, Wichita State coach Brian Green spoke on a Zoom call with 16 or so incoming freshmen for Wichita State baseball. Almost all the new Shockers wanted to be Shockers, but they weren't sure how the new coaching staff regarded them.
"He said 'I want all of you all,'" outfielder Lane Haworth said. "I was like 'OK, I'm on board.' He's not just going to tell us all to go kick rocks and find another spot."
Wichita State announced Green's hiring on June 5. He needed baseball players. He wanted to start his tenure with upbeat vibes and trust. The vibes started with the Zoom call to the freshmen recruited and signed by interim coach Loren Hibbs and his assistants.
"I was in the mode of 'Let's get a really positive atmosphere back here,'" Green said. "With all the guys in the portal we had some of that negativity going on. Even though it was a Zoom, with their parents, it was still really positive. That felt really good."
That mood started with a recruiting visit the freshmen made in the fall of 2022 as high school seniors. Almost the entire group came to Wichita with their families. They got to know each other over pickle ball (they remember former assistant coach Mike Pelfrey winning a lot), a fall series scrimmage, eating in the Farah All-American Club at Eck Stadium and chilling at Braum's.
"We all got to bond for a full weekend," Durnin said. "It was all one big friend group right from the jump. That was a good start."
The coaching change in late May put the group on edge. Had the new coach cut them loose, their options would be limited. Most scholarship money, in June, would be spoken for at NCAA Division I schools.
"Panic," Haworth said. "Group chat was going crazy. Everyone was trying to figure out what everyone else was doing. Once we figured out (Green) was going to be the coach, we were like 'We like this guy.'"
Green's quick move to Zoom and then call each person helped. The incoming freshmen saw the potential for playing time. While the coaches who recruited them moved on, the school and baseball program remained attractive.
"That gave me some peace, that he communicated early," Durnin said.
Green saw the first days of his tenure as time to make a good impression and build loyalty.
"We knew we had good players coming in," he said. "I thought we had a chance to grab some trust with them. They were all probably terrified, as well, that they were all going to get let go in June. We didn't have a lot of guys wobbling. Guys were excited to still come here. I thought it spoke to the power of Wichita State."
The group came to WSU in August. The freshmen felt connected by the events of the past few months and the consensus to stick together. Eleven Shockers returned from 2023 and veterans such as Seth Stroh, Jordan Rogers and Caden Favors helped smooth the transition. And the freshmen – joined by a junior-college class of 14 – weren't the only newcomers to NCAA Division I baseball at Eck Stadium.Comment
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Color me very surprised that Caleb Anderson is getting the start. That would seem to imply the Shocks are splitting this one up into bite size pieces.Comment
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Millan seems a little short to play center, but whatever works.Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!Comment
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I have not been on the Stroh train. But the arguments made here lately that our best chance is just to hope he runs into several timely ones over the next 5 weeks has convinced me that it's probably our best option. If nothing else, he's demonstrated being a more competent outfielder than most on the roster. With that in mind, I like this lineup construction. Gustafson ends up as odd-man out, but could be useful platooning in spots.
I understand trying to not have Millan catch every game. But I have been super frustrated with continually running out a .150 hitter when there are EIGHT guys hitting .290 or better. And a 9th guy that leads the team in RBIs. Really, looking at the stat sheet, we should probably be getting more runs per game than we are. Some pretty solid hitting numbers by a lot of guys.
Go ShoxComment
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