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**shocker3** · May 9, 2013, 10:51 PM

Originally posted by 1972Shocker View Post

The Shocks will host the Creighton Bluejays in the Shock's final conference series of the 2013 season. Creighton still has one series remaining with MSU in Omaha. This, of course, will also be the final series with Creighton as a member of the MVC.

Probable starters per goshockers.com are:

May 10 — Cale Elam (RHP, 5-2, 2.26) vs. Tommy Strunc (RHP, 6-2, 4.05)
May 11 — A.J. Ladwig (RHP, 4-4, 5.37) vs. Nick Musec (RHP, 1-5, 5.19)
May 12 — Garrett Brummett (RHP, 2-0, 1.59) vs. Austin Groth (RHP, 2-0, 4.26)

It will be interesting to see if Gene and Brent make any adjustments to this rotation. If it were me I would give serious thought to moving Garrett to Saturday and A.J. to Sunday with the thought of pulling A.J. at the first sign of trouble and be ready to go with Johnny Wholestaff at that point as necessary.

Winning the Valley regular season title is not a huge benefit this year. The guys are basicially playing for pride, Valley tournament seeding and All-Sports Trophy points.

1 win over the Blujays will clinch 2nd place for the Shocks. Their magic number to clinch a tie for the title and the #1 seed is any combination of 3 Shocker wins and Illinois State losses. The Shocks clinch an outright regular season championship with any combo of 4 Shocker wins and Illinois State losses. Illinois State is at Evansville this weekend and at SIU next weekend. It would be nice not to have to follow the ILS-SIU series next weekend.

Sounds like this may well be the nicest baseball weather weekend we have had all spring so might as well take advantage of that and help the Shocks kick some Bluejay butt.

I am glad to hear that Wichita is suppose to have nice weather this weekend. It will be nice to go to some baseball game this year without having to wear layers of clothes. It will also be kind of weird that this is the last time that we will be facing the Jays at home (at least as a member of the Valley).

**DwShock** · May 10, 2013, 08:22 AM

For your reading pleasure

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130509/BLUEJAYS/705099837/1070#jays-get-one-last-raucous-wichita-state-welcome

**Shoxbaby** · May 10, 2013, 10:25 AM

Even though the crowds have been small this year. The weather looks good and the shockers are STILL playing for something this weekend. It'd be nice to make this weekend a great environment like they talked about in that article!

**1972Shocker** · May 10, 2013, 10:45 AM

Sounds like pitching decisions will be made on a day-by-day basis this weekend:

WSU’s lack of consistency can be traced to a starting rotation that is unreliable or unknown past Friday starter Cale Elam and an offense that lacks pop. Stephenson declined to name a starter beyond Friday, although it is likely freshman Garrett Brummett will remain in the rotation for his second MVC start. The Saturday spot will likely stay with sophomore A.J. Ladwig, despite his struggles to hold an 8-0 lead in Sunday’s 11-9 win at Missouri State. Drew Palmer, who started three MVC games, is out of for the season with an unspecified injury, Stephenson said.

In Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to Kansas, coaches held what amounted to auditions for a starting job, if not on the weekend, in the MVC Tournament, by looking at Kris Gardner, Zach Beringer, Austin Sanders and Tobin Mateychick. Gardner and Mateychick showed the most promise against KU.

“We’ll wait and see what happens Friday,” Stephenson said. “I can’t think beyond (Friday) and whatever it takes to get it done.”

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/05/09/279...#storylink=cpy

**MadaboutWu** · May 10, 2013, 09:13 PM

It's like listening to the Bad news Bears tonight.

**GoShockers89** · May 10, 2013, 09:22 PM

.

**SB Shock** · May 10, 2013, 09:40 PM

That what happen when you are not a good program - no consistency. You can look good one weekend and then the next complete 180.

CU 6, WSU 3 Top of 8th

ISUR lost, so it won't be a big thing if they lose. But if they can come back and win this one they will almost lock it up.

**Veritas** · May 10, 2013, 10:20 PM

If the Shox could have just avoided a single bad inning the past two games, they would have a couple of Wins.

Anyone know what the issue is with Coy? Did he take last summer off? Just seems to be having a really tough season this year.

**1972Shocker** · May 10, 2013, 10:33 PM

I think Johnny did take last summer off but from what was reported he stayed in shape and hit the weights pretty hard. My guess, and it is just that a guess, is the Johnny has some holes in his swing and he doesn't handle certain pitches very well if properly located. Apparently pretty much everyone has the book on Johnny and he has not been able to adjust. There probably is a reason he went undrafted last year (and probably will probably of undrafted again this year, although he may get a shot as an undrafted free agent). He really has struggled mightily this year.

**Downtown Shocker Brown** · May 10, 2013, 10:50 PM

The game was supposed to be tape delayed here in Baton Rouge, and my boys asked permission to stay up and watch it. Instead, I guess it was too ugly combined with LSU being rain delayed, it's not on.

**shox1989** · May 10, 2013, 11:49 PM

Shox make a valiant comeback in the bottom of the 9th losing 6-5. The Shox left runners on 2nd and 1st when the game ended on a long fly out by Casey Gillaspie. Cu scored 4 runs in the fifth, but the Shox would have been out of the inning with no runs scored if Harbutz turns a DP instead of mishandling the ball and getting nobody out.

**Shocker85** · May 11, 2013, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by shox1989 View Post

Shox make a valiant comeback in the bottom of the 9th losing 6-5. The Shox left runners on 2nd and 1st when the game ended on a long fly out by Casey Gillaspie. Cu scored 4 runs in the fifth, but the Shox would have been out of the inning with no runs scored if Harbutz turns a DP instead of mishandling the ball and getting nobody out.

Ifs and buts ...

You have to make every play of every game. The Shox hitters had trouble all night staying back on the off-speed pitches. The starter, while clocking-in at 89-92 on his fastball, used his off-speed pitches extensively and the Shox never adjusted. They spent the whole night waiting for walks and getting down in the count early to just wind-up having to deal with junk balls. Up until the 9th the hitting was pathetic.

You can say if and but on that 4-run inning, but just the inning before the Shox were given a gift of 3 runs on BBs, HBPs, and a bloop hit. The 9th inning rally started with an infield single. At the end of the night, the Shox outhit sCUm by quite a bit, but their inability to get clutch hits (or even put the ball in play at times) cost them multiple runs. The big innings are a part of the game. If you keep battling they can usually be overcome, but you have to get the runs when you can, whether it's one or two runs at a time or a big crooked number.

This game was handed to sCUm and it has gotten sickening. Very little fight and emotion by this team throughout games. The seem to think they can switch on the "concentrate and compete" when needed. Well, guess what ... if you compete for 9 innings, Friday is a W.

Final comment - sCUm raised their team BA by something like 40-50 points by changing hitting coaches from last year to this year. I wonder what it would be like if GS and Co. would have brought a guy on board who gets that the new bats demand a different approach on offense? sCUm has 3 guys with a dozen sac bunts or more. WSU's team leader has something like 5. College baseball in 2013 is different than college baseball up to about 2005 (or whenever the dramatic change in the bats occurred). There is a constant stream of drivel about how the hitters fail to adjust - well I'm telling you the COACHES have failed to adjust.

--'85.

**1972Shocker** · May 11, 2013, 11:28 AM

Originally posted by shox1989 View Post

Shox make a valiant comeback in the bottom of the 9th losing 6-5. The Shox left runners on 2nd and 1st when the game ended on a long fly out by Casey Gillaspie. Cu scored 4 runs in the fifth, but the Shox would have been out of the inning with no runs scored if Harbutz turns a DP instead of mishandling the ball and getting nobody out.

Unfortunately, that same or similar formula could be applied to far too many games this season. When something that occurs as frequently as this has it no longer is a "if and but" issue but a "when and how".

**tripleshock** · May 11, 2013, 12:57 PM

Originally posted by Shocker85 View Post

Ifs and buts ...

Final comment - sCUm raised their team BA by something like 40-50 points by changing hitting coaches from last year to this year. I wonder what it would be like if GS and Co. would have brought a guy on board who gets that the new bats demand a different approach on offense? sCUm has 3 guys with a dozen sac bunts or more. WSU's team leader has something like 5. College baseball in 2013 is different than college baseball up to about 2005 (or whenever the dramatic change in the bats occurred). There is a constant stream of drivel about how the hitters fail to adjust - well I'm telling you the COACHES have failed to adjust.

--'85.

At the risk of restating what should be glaringly obvious, these guys (the current coaches) have not and will not be "making the adjustment"...... how can you expect someone who is that old & set in their ways to ever recognize and/or admit that what no longer works is really all about themselves, and not the players (as they are so fond of blaming?)

Nothing will change.......

Until this crew of over-paid, under-performing codgers are replaced, I really don't see how anyone could expect anything to get better. The ONLY path from here will continue to be downwards.

We're well over the cliff, the only question is how much longer until impact.

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