WSU vs. SIU, MVC Tournament Game Thread 12:30 CST

[WSUwatcher]

In fairness to WSU, this is the fallacy of a tournament format like the one used in the Valley of Even. There's no good reason for a 15-6 team that finishes second to be forced to face the one good pitcher on a 6-15 team that finishes seventh. (That would have been equally as true, by the way, if Illinois St. had lost one game at SIU last weekend and they had been the 15-6 team who ended up seeded second.) Avoiding such foolishness is what byes are for, and if the Valley were remotely competent and wanted its tournament to be something other than a crapshoot that any team has a chance to win, it would use them, just as in the freaking softball tournament, for heaven's sake.

Having said all that, though, what a great microcosm of WSU's season this was.

1. Their best pitcher, who's good but by no means the sort of ace WSU fans have grown accustomed to over the years, lacked consistency all year and failed to show up when it mattered most. Worse, he was beaten by a guy hitting under .200 and one hitting barely over.

2. Their offense -- mediocre, punchless, and inefficient -- showed its customary inability to hit a skillful lefty or even to have much of an approach against him.

3. Their bullpen, the best part of their staff, hung in well but as has happened too often this year, had one guy who didn't hold up his end.

That is not a recipe for success. It's no surprise that this team is 34-26 and teetering. There's still time to recover, but what a steep hill they have to climb, and they aren't great climbers. This is all too much like the baseball counterpart to Randy Smithson's basketball program.

[1972Shocker]

We probablly lost this game when we lost the Creighton series and failed to nail down the #1 seed and a date with Bradley. We knew coming in that Cody Forsythe would be very tough to beat and that proved to be the case.

Gene may be on his way out, in fact, he probably is on his way out but I think the least we could do is refrain from ridiculing the man out of respect for what he has done for Wichita State baseball over 36 years.

Shocks are up against it now, but we simply do not seem to have any fire in the belly or maybe we simply do not have the talent needed. The program from the top down just seems to be tired. Sometimes a person suffering from burn out is the last one to realize it.

[WSUwatcher]

We probably lost this game when we lost the Creighton series and failed to nail down the #1 seed and a date with Bradley. We knew coming in that Cody Forsythe would be very tough to beat and that proved to be the case... maybe we simply do not have the talent needed...

Almost certainly true on both counts. And yes, you're right -- Gene doesn't deserve ridicule. In my view, no one in the college game today -- not even the aging Zenmaster in Austin -- has accomplished as much as he has over his career, all circumstances considered. But lifetime achievement awards don't show up on the scoreboard, and it's harder and harder to watch what IS up on the scoreboard each day.

[pogo]

The simple fact that Cody Foresyth (who is a very nice pitcher by the way, but hardly All-America) has shut the Shockers down for 4 years, with seemingly no meaningful adjustments made, is an excruciatingly painful example for why it's time to go in a different direction.

It's obscene for any team to be that bad, that many times in a row, against a slightly above average opponent.

The quotes in the paper told the story before the game was played. Our guys were ready to go and thought they could continue to be aggressive at the plate like they were against Northwestern although that has not worked well for them against Foresyth in previous years. Foresyth was quoted as saying he enjoyed the aggresivness of the Shocks because it allowed him to spot up his pitches and have them chase the bad ones. Worked like a charm. I am usually one to view things as "it could have been worse" but this really does suck. It will be interesting to say the least how this all plays out in the next few days. Several stories out there concerning HCGS and ADES so we will see what happens.

[shocker3]

Not sure what Forsythe's pitch count is but it can't be too high. I think the Shocks will have to beat him because I don't see SIU going to the pen in this game.

Cody ended up throwing 132 pitches against the Shox. With SIU's weak bullpen, their coach left him in for the whole game.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks gave up 14 hits and 7 walks. They were fortunate SIU only scored 5.

[MadaboutWu]

The bad news is the program has fallen far, far, far.

The good news is we are one loss away from not having any distractions from basketball recruiting and summer pick-up game reports.

[1979Shocker]

And so ends the Gene Stephenson era. We will get rolled tomorrow by CU and it will be done. Who could have ever imagined back in the day that the great lion would go out with a wimper. Sad times for wsu baseball.

I thought the era already ended when he went down to OU and pretty much said in the words of Mark Turgeon, "This is the best we can do."

[WSUwatcher]

"The quotes in the paper told the story before the game was played."

That's a good point, pogo. From all indications, the Shocks were ready to do the same thing as always and hope for a different result, while Forsythe was eager for them to try. Especially odd were the comments from Gillaspie, who said "We’re not going to change our game much unless we have to. We’re still going to go out there and try to be aggressive. Try and get him a little uncomfortable out there.”

Hey, Casey:

1. What does it take for you to "have to" change your game -- at what point do you start thinking about changing? How deep into the game do you have to go with just one run, especially once the lead has escaped you? Did you get a little overconfident because you got your run in the second inning instead of having to wait?

2. How were you planning to get him a little uncomfortable? Maybe glare at him a little, stare him down? You talked about being aggressive, but that certainly isn't likely to make a guy uncomfortable who's hoping you come out aggressive so he can take advantage of it. Or is that why you apparently took some good pitches to hit in the first inning when all you needed to do was put the ball in play -- were you hoping to catch him off guard and confuse him?

Two words: baseball IQ. When the other pitcher tells you how he's going to try to beat you, and as a team you play right into his hands by doing exactly what he wants you to do, what does that say about the mentality of your team's hitters?

[KC Shox]

Let's hold no illusions that these Shox can suddenly go on a magical 2008 Fresno State type run. Stick the merciful fork in them puh-leeeze and end theirs and ours suffering.

[ShockerFever]

Let's hold no illusions that these Shox can suddenly go on a magical 2008 Fresno State type run. Stick the merciful fork in them puh-leeeze and end theirs and ours suffering.

The season sucks, the last 4 years have sucked, today sucked. However, you're gonna ask everybody to root for Creighton tomorrow morning?

I don't EFFING THINK SO. Nobody may like where the program is right now, but rooting for the BJ's is about as disgusting as it comes.

I must have missed the place where everybody is thinking WSU is in line for a Fresno State type run? Please enlighten us all where you pulled that stuff from.

[SB Shock]

ISUR had a easy game, beating Bradley 9 to 1.

meanwhile Gene makes a case for a contract extension

"We were only two runs down all the way through"

[ShockerFever]

ISUR had a easy game, beating Bradley 9 to 1.

Illinois State actually run-ruled Bradley 11-1 in the 8th.

[SB Shock]

Illinois State actually run-ruled Bradley 11-1 in the 8th.

sorry my mistake - in the immortal words of Gene Stephenson

"It seems like we make one mistake and it just blows up on you."

I wonder if he was talking about his decision to de-accept the OU job?