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26 Years Ago This Week

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  • 26 Years Ago This Week

    It's almost hard to remember this, especially these days, but at this point in 1989 WSU stood 56-12 and was waiting to begin the MVC tournament. They had just ended their regular season a few days earlier with four games outside the league, a home series against BYU in which the Shocks struggled a bit, winning the opener 8-6 and then splitting a doubleheader in which they won 16-15 to pick up their seventh straight win as BYU couldn't overcome a missed PAT after its first touchdown, but then losing not very competitively 9-3 in the second game; WSU then lost 9-3 again in the finale.

    After that, the struggles continued as WSU went out in two days and four games in the conference tournament, dumped twice by Indiana State. So WSU went to Fresno for NCAA play on May 26 at an impressive 58-14, but having lost four of their last eight as well as shortstop and third place hitter Mike Lansing, whose back problems cut short a spectacular offensive season just as things were starting to matter most. It was a sour, somewhat uneasy note in what had been a pretty strong performance to that point, but of course we now know that brief stretch of .500 ball -- which this year would be a highlight if extended over eight games against decent competition -- was about to disappear in the rearview mirror.

    I guess it's hard to have everything at once, and the rest of WSU's athletic program has never been better, especially the marquee guys in Koch Arena, but thinking back makes it hard even to imagine what's happening now. Of course, they're probably thinking the same thing at the University of Entitlement in Austin, where WSU's championship game opponents are currently watching the old Zenmaster's declining program, which has slipped to 21-28 and leads only the Chickenhawks in overall record and RPI among Big 12-2 teams.

    Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders; WSU and Texas baseball at a combined 41-61 with a total of six regular season games to go. Hell may indeed be freezing over.

  • #2
    Your math is a tad off.
    Deuces Valley.
    ... No really, deuces.
    ________________
    "Enjoy the ride."

    - a smart man

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    • #3
      27 but who's counting...
      “Losers Average Losers.” ― Paul Tudor Jones

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      • #4
        Thanks, DU -- it was late and I was tired, but I can add and subtract better than that even asleep. How do I correct the thread title?

        I'm surprised no one pointed out that 26 years ago this week, WSU was acting much more like the current team, having just stumbled out in two games in the Valley tournament to complete a six-game losing streak. There was also an embarrassing loss to BYU by a football score in there, the offense died (and Lansing returned from his back injury but was a shadow of his 1989 self); and unlike the team from 27 years ago, the 1990 edition did not reverse its negative momentum. Instead, they faded out of their NCAA regional in three games, despite playing at home, and finished 45-19 after having been 44-11 following regular season Valley play.

        Not that anyone would complain about 45-19 these days, but it was still quite a comedown from the 1989 glories I was describing under my inaccurate title.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by WSUwatcher View Post
          Thanks, DU -- it was late and I was tired, but I can add and subtract better than that even asleep. How do I correct the thread title?

          I'm surprised no one pointed out that 26 years ago this week, WSU was acting much more like the current team, having just stumbled out in two games in the Valley tournament to complete a six-game losing streak. There was also an embarrassing loss to BYU by a football score in there, the offense died (and Lansing returned from his back injury but was a shadow of his 1989 self); and unlike the team from 27 years ago, the 1990 edition did not reverse its negative momentum. Instead, they faded out of their NCAA regional in three games, despite playing at home, and finished 45-19 after having been 44-11 following regular season Valley play.

          Not that anyone would complain about 45-19 these days, but it was still quite a comedown from the 1989 glories I was describing under my inaccurate title.
          They did rebound to make it to Omaha in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Two of those years they made it all of the way to the championship game. Now the Shockers go out in a whimper in the weak Valley tourney. The 1990 had already been assured of hosting an NCAA regional when they went 0-2 in the Valley tourney. They had no incentive to win. This year's team has no excuses. This was their season. Their only hope and they just faded away.

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