2024-25 Off-Season/Fall Ball Discussion and News

[1972Shocker]

On his segment of the Shocker Sunday at the Kansas State Fair podcast Coach Green said that all Shocker intra-squad scrimmages are open to the public although you might need to use the side gates. Scrimmages are usually at 3:30 to 4:00 on Thursday and Friday and at 1:00 on Saturdays (except scheduled Saturday scrimmages with Cowley and Dallas Baptist).

The 14-inning scrimmage with DBU is at Eck Stadium at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 19th. Let's hope mother nature cooperates with the weather.

[WuDrWu]

Even though they lean too hard into the SEC (and yes, a lot of it is deserved), I mostly like the information from D1 Baseball.

The listed the top 85 or so transfer pitchers and again, a WSU name appears prominently. No surprise to find Tommy LaPour at #12. What is more surprising, to me at least, was to find 2 other AAC pitchers above him. I wouldn't trade Tommy for Zach Root (nice pitcher, no way has Tommy's upside) who is at #2 from ECU to Arkansas or even more egregious, Chandler Dorsey (USF to LSU) at #6.

Rugar Riojas (UTSA to Texas) was the only other AAC departure that I remember. ECU picked up Nick Moran from Liberty, and also Brett Antolick from Texas A&M.


They are again doing their top 100 program list (every 2 years). I get we've been down and haven't been postseason. But it's criminal, if you're looking at a total package (dollars, talent, results, facilities, support etc) AND you willingly discuss how you think the teams will be better in the future (as they do with several other programs) to exclude WSU from the top 100 when you have the following:

LBSU 100
Cincinnati 96
Kansas 95
Xavier 93
Columbia 90
Penn 89
Houston 86
FAU 79
Tulane 75
Charlotte 73
Iowa 72
Gonzaga 71
SEMO 68
UCF 66
USF 62
KState 61
ORU 55

Top 50 haven't been revealed yet. But they have at least 5 programs (USF, Charlotte, FAU, Tulane and eventually ECU) in our 10 team baseball conference ahead of WSU.

Wrong.

I'm not saying we should be 39 or 64 or 97. But we're on there somewhere, especially if those other clunkers are.

[WuDrWu]

Checking some of my notes from the scrimmage. I want to repeat that Caleb Anderson looked great. FB up to 93 and then a leg breaking change at 78. Hopefully in the spring we'll have better depth and won't have to rely on Caleb, Hunter Holmes and (likely) Nick Potter to close every single game thereby allowing those 3 to remain fresh all season.

Jerry gave up the first hit of the game in the 6th. He wasn't as dynamic as the first 3 pitchers (Hamilton, Dobbs & Anderson) but I love how he goes about his business. Efficient, works quick, kept it down and moved it around. That will work every time. His FB say low 90s and I thought, to me at least, that his changeup was sneaky and nearly impossible to recognize.

Nick Potter was as high as 97. Gangly and dangerous on the mound, he will keep guys from digging in for sure. He's going to have to get better with control and not just throw hard, but it's tough to teach that kind of velo.

I thought Camden Johnson looked super at short. He looks stronger but also leaner and he can really move. I suspect he'll be our SS from day 1.

Mo and Jordan look like men out there. They'll be excellent leaders on and off the field.

Grant Adler was ok. Just good to see him throw. He has some work to do to get back to '23 form but I'm not concerned. He's a total gamer and he was still 86-90 with his FB and putting the ball just about anywhere he wanted with the one exception that he left up and was punished with the solo bomb.

Jace Miner was super. No 2 ways about it. Maybe he didn't get along at OU, I have no idea, but I don't care who they brought in, JM would have helped them next spring. Glad he's back here.


If I remember correctly, we get 40 on the roster. We'll need at least 21 of those to be pitchers. Hamilton, Miner, Adler, Anderson, Holmes, Dobbs, Potter, Mulamekic, Arnett, Iverson and likely Mulhollon (he didn't have a great outing but the talent is there) is a good group with which to start. Need 10 more. To be really good though, we'll need a couple of the more talent arms, guys like Zang, Seo, Langbehn & Umbarger for example, to develop and become important pieces of the puzzle.

[WuDrWu]

There are six other freshmen according to Taylor's article.

James Umbarger & Nate Langbehn are two pitchers I am confident are here. Hunter Carlson is a freshman catcher.

Charlie Anderson, Brock Lulewicz, and I believe Anthony Alvarez round out the freshmen class. Charlie and Anthony I'm a tad iffy on until I see them at Nebraska.

To update, based on the roster that was available at the scrimmage this weekend, Brock Lulewicz, Hunter Carlson, Nate Langbehn, James Umbarger, Parker Morris, Melvin Blocker, Nico Rodriguez & Carson Beavers are all listed. Lulewicz, Blocker, Rodriguez and Beavers all saw limited action Saturday. Technically you can add transfer MJ Seo (redshirt FR) to the class and AJ Rasmussen who redshirted here last season.

10 in the freshman class.

12 are listed as sophomores. 12 juniors and 15 seniors.

There are currently 49 listed. Only 40 can be on the roster to start the spring.

As I suspected, Charlie Anderson and Anthony Alvarez are not listed and I assume are elsewhere.

[WuDrWu]

We'll need at least 21 of those to be pitchers. Hamilton, Miner, Adler, Anderson, Holmes, Dobbs, Potter, Mulamekic, Arnett, Iverson and likely Mulhollon (he didn't have a great outing but the talent is there) is a good group with which to start. Need 10 more. To be really good though, we'll need a couple of the more talent arms, guys like Zang, Seo, Langbehn & Umbarger for example, to develop and become important pieces of the puzzle.

Based solely on my opinion of what we saw last spring, what we've heard from various sources and what can be gleaned from the recruiting trails, I would assume that Munz, Mount, Seo, Langbehn, Umbarger & probably Zang are likely to be the next 7 leaving 3 or so open spots to be filled by the other nine or so listed pitchers. That's assuming everyone listed is healthy.

[1972Shocker]

[1972Shocker]

RH: Podcast with Nick Potter, James Umbarger on Shocker Baseball

Listen to the podcast

Wichita State pitchers Nick Potter and James Umbarger give us a look into their first months at a new university and new baseball program. They talk about their roots in baseball and their journey to Wichita State. Both are former catchers, so we discuss how playing that position helps them on the mound.

They reveal their best days fishing and Potter shares his story about the bass that escaped. Potter is a transfer from Crowder (Mo.) College. Umbarger is a freshman from Lansing High School.

---

Thought both guys did well in their Shocker interview debuts.

[Old School "Shocker"]

Nick Potter had a 12+ ERA with a 2.4 WHIP in 7 innings at Crowder. I hope for our sake he’s not one of our main guys unless he figured out how to throw Ks cuz if we are counting on him to contribute in the American it will be a long season.

[WuDrWu]

Nick Potter had a 12+ ERA with a 2.4 WHIP in 7 innings at Crowder. I hope for our sake he’s not one of our main guys unless he figured out how to throw Ks cuz if we are counting on him to contribute in the American it will be a long season.

He was sitting 94-97 on Saturday. He's going to get the first chance to be the closer. If he could dot his FB outside black at the knees, he'd be at Tennessee or KC. I'm not saying he's going to have 20 saves and a 1.41 ERA, but he's going to get THE chance and Claggs will do everything possible to find him some control.

[Old School "Shocker"]

I agree if Claggs came get him to figure out his control it is a GameChanger. If anyone can it’s Claggs. I king of like Arnett or Anderson as guys I would want to see with the game on the line.

Pitchers: 21
Starters for me Adler, Hamilton, Dobbs, Mulameikic
Long: Minor, Mulhollon, Zang,
Short: Holmes, Arnett, Iverson, Munz, Mount, Potter, Seo, Langbehn, Umbarger Reynolds, Rasmussen, Richard, Morris
Closer: Anderson

Position: 19
C: Mo, Dillon, Hunter
1b: Livy, Callahan, Gannon
2b: Washburn, Blocker
SS: Cam, Fernandez, Kam (redshirt)
3B: Black, Brock
OF: Rogers, Haworth, Duncan, JGus, Mauzy, Beavers

[Shockersdad]

I agree if Claggs came get him to figure out his control it is a GameChanger. If anyone can it’s Claggs. I king of like Arnett or Anderson as guys I would want to see with the game on the line.

Pitchers: 21
Starters for me Adler, Hamilton, Dobbs, Mulameikic
Long: Minor, Mulhollon, Zang,
Short: Holmes, Arnett, Iverson, Munz, Mount, Potter, Seo, Langbehn, Umbarger Reynolds, Rasmussen, Richard, Morris
Closer: Anderson

Position: 19
C: Mo, Dillon, Hunter
1b: Livy, Callahan, Gannon
2b: Washburn, Blocker
SS: Cam, Fernandez, Kam (redshirt)
3B: Black, Brock
OF: Rogers, Haworth, Duncan, JGus, Mauzy, Beavers

I believe Roster limit is 34 starting this spring

[WuDrWu]

I believe Roster limit is 34 starting this spring

Not until the '25-'26 season.


This academic year is 40 with the number of possible scholarship student athletes increased from 27-32. Each of the student athletes receiving scholarship assistance must receive at least .25 scholarship assistance with no more than 11.7 total allowed.

In '25-'26 (next academic calendar) the number will change to a roster of 34 with ALL 34 spots available for a 100% scholarship.


There will be a ton of schools that can't afford 34 full scholarships. But that doesn't matter to the schools that can. Also, 34 isn't enough roster spots to take care of 17-23 year old student athletes properly, imho. You need 20-25 pitchers. You just do. That leaves only 9-14 position players. And that's not enough.

It will be a war of attrition, especially among the pitchers. It's moronic, but hey, it's par for the course in the NCAA.

[Shockersdad]

Not until the '25-'26 season.


This academic year is 40 with the number of possible scholarship student athletes increased from 27-32. Each of the student athletes receiving scholarship assistance must receive at least .25 scholarship assistance with no more than 11.7 total allowed.

In '25-'26 (next academic calendar) the number will change to a roster of 34 with ALL 34 spots available for a 100% scholarship.


There will be a ton of schools that can't afford 34 full scholarships. But that doesn't matter to the schools that can. Also, 34 isn't enough roster spots to take care of 17-23 year old student athletes properly, imho. You need 20-25 pitchers. You just do. That leaves only 9-14 position players. And that's not enough.

It will be a war of attrition, especially among the pitchers. It's moronic, but hey, it's par for the course in the NCAA.

Thanks for the update. Think teams will limit mid week games to one? I also read the SEC wants to uniformly cap baseball scholarships in the 20s somewhere. But other conferences (Sun Belt especially) has teams that want to go all in so to speak

[WuDrWu]

I suspect more changes will be forthcoming, sooner than later. I expect the season to be moved to a March start date, playing well into the summer.

I hadn't heard that SEC talk....do you have links or something? I find it implausible that they would limit anything. Those schools are literally lighting money on fire these days to clear room for more money in athletics. They have baseball NILs in the 6 figures and it's only going up. Why in the world would they cap scholarships at less than anyone else?

[Shockersdad]

I suspect more changes will be forthcoming, sooner than later. I expect the season to be moved to a March start date, playing well into the summer.

I hadn't heard that SEC talk....do you have links or something? I find it implausible that they would limit anything. Those schools are literally lighting money on fire these days to clear room for more money in athletics. They have baseball NILs in the 6 figures and it's only going up. Why in the world would they cap scholarships at less than anyone else?

https://d1baseball.com/stories/rogers-uncertainty-remains-on-where-actual-scholarship-total-ends-up/