Shox at Sooners

[KC Shox]

If we win, everyone says how great Hoch pitched. We lose and everyone wants to pile on Gene. Does Brent have any input on pitching?

Whatever.

WRONG! If we had won, we would have praised that we finally got some bottom of the order help tonight. Would have praised Dirks for continously showing up, would have praised Logan's effort but question the fact that he went a batter or two too long. We also would have been encouraged about the possibility of getting out of our offensive slump. Also, nice to see Workman back in the line up.

[Rosewood]

You can choose to scapegoat KWJ all you want, but just because the guys on the radio say things happened any certain way dosen't mean I necessarily take it as gospel. The wind was blowing 30+ MPH, and there is no automatic out on any fly ball in those conditions.

Bottom line question for me is - why doesn't this team have anyone that can finish a game (pitcher, I mean?)

Why was Hoch still out there after 65+ pitches in the 9th (first blown save), and then what was a freshman with no prior experience in this situation (2nd blown save) even doing out there at all?

These are coaching questions. Somebody that has no feel for the game, or maybe someone who the game has passed on by makes these kind of decisions.

I miss Noah Booth and I miss having a closer. However, he wasn't in for a save situation. He was on the hook for the win.

[shocker3]

If we want to host a regional we will probably now need to win out (even then it could be iffy, but look at last year-it will all depend on how every other possible hosts finish).

You're a good poster 3. I like your optimism at times, but please don't. There's no 'ifs'. We are not hosting a regional. I don't care if we finish up undefeated, which isn't gonna happen. Hell, I think 8-4 would be a stretch.

I am not saying we will go 12-0 (although I am hopeful). But if we can manage to go 12-0 (which would include wins over the third ranked team in the country and ORU) and then win the Valley tourney, I would think we would still have a chance of hosting.

We have had some tough losses lately , but they were all very close games that we could have won. It's not like we are getting blown out, in fact most of the time we are beating ourselves.

Remember last year, we were struggling at this point of the season and we didn't even win the Valley tourney. We still hosted. :wsu_posters:

In baseball, losses are losses. I think it's an even more worse thing that we're giving the games away, as you just said. Teams aren't even legitimately earning these wins, we're freaking giving it to them! Good teams don't give games away! That is a FACT.

Also, we're losing to bad teams. Indiana State and K-State were both below .500 overall, and OU had been struggling lately and is currently 7th in the Big 12.
I know you wanna try to sugarcoat things and that's your nature, but come on. Sometimes you just have to admit it when this team/season has been lost.

Bet me whatever you want. I'm game. We are NOT hosting a regional. Period.

Ou and Kstate are NOT bad teams. Boyd's World has Ou's rpi at #46 and K-State at #57.

According to Boyd's rpi needs report, Ou needs to go 6-4 (5-4 after beating us) to have a good chance of making a regional and K-state needs to finish 7-3 to have a good chance of making a regional. These two teams are not bad (they may not be great, but they are not bad teams).

I don't think we have much of a chance of hosting a regional, but if we can go 12-0 and win the Valley tourney then I think we still have a shot.

[Shocker85]

WRONG! If we had won, we would have praised that we finally got some bottom of the order help tonight. Would have praised Dirks for continously showing up, would have praised Logan's effort but question the fact that he went a batter or two too long. We also would have been encouraged about the possibility of getting out of our offensive slump. Also, nice to see Workman back in the line up.

Careful, KC, I see some sunshine peeking through. ;)

[DaShox]

If Gene and Brent get the fault for Hoch's homer, do go Gene and Brent get credit for Dirks' homer? Or how about Connor's stellar play with the glove.

Maybe, just maybe the blame lies with those in the field.

[tru2thaduce]

K State has zero chance of making a regional unless they win the Big 12 tourney.

[Denny Crane]

A couple more positives:

McKeever is starting to pick it up. By next year, he may be a real threat.

Engrav has shown potential as a DH whenever Dirks gets back in the lineup.

[William]

A couple more positives:

McKeever is starting to pick it up. By next year, he may be a real threat.

Engrav has shown potential as a DH whenever Dirks gets back in the lineup.

Mckeever had 1 nice hit and 3 jamshots, not exactly tearing it up yet

[SB Shock]

I miss Noah Booth and I miss having a closer.

I miss Booth also, but Noah Kroll was the closer last year.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

A couple more positives:

McKeever is starting to pick it up. By next year, he may be a real threat.

Engrav has shown potential as a DH whenever Dirks gets back in the lineup.

Mckeever had 1 nice hit and 3 jamshots, not exactly tearing it up yet

he had 4 hits compared to what recently?

[WSUwatcher]

William

Apparently now that KC has brought in a few guys from his sunshine band on occasion, William has decided to take it upon himself to be the voice of obnoxiousness and carping.

Meanwhile, while I'm no great fan of DaShox either, he has a point about the pitching -- Gene isn't exactly making unilateral poor choices here. And the players are also allowed to step up themselves, as Dirks tried to do.

[KC Shox]

Re: William

Apparently now that KC has brought in a few guys from his sunshine band on occasion, William has decided to take it upon himself to be the voice of obnoxiousness and carping.

Meanwhile, while I'm no great fan of DaShox either, he has a point about the pitching -- Gene isn't exactly making unilateral poor choices here. And the players are also allowed to step up themselves, as Dirks tried to do.

Like I mentioned earlier, on my end, I'm beyond angry and this situation is laughable. So I'm good and trying to stay positive. Have I conceded the season? Not yet, but I have relegated myself to expect the worse from this team.

I will however throw out a little tidbit that just makes you scratch your head and question why we lost. THIS FREAKIN' OU TEAM LOST TO NAIA SOUTHERN NAZARENE LAST WEEK - AT HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND WE CAN'T DO THE SAME THING!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[small tyme baller]

I didnt think we'd be missing krol and booth as much as we are... they were very good for us but i thought we'd have womack, nanney, or someone else be able to set into the set up and closer roles... guess not.

Also, KWJ did blow it but people make mistakes... alotta people on here are really sayin some mean stuff about him. yes, this is D-1 and that play was unexcusable but s*** happens. Hopefully he can find his hitting and get his head out and play the field, if not bench his butt... simple as that. im as mad as the next guy about the recent woes of the team but ya'll seem to be throwing the team under the bus and abandoning all hope. The kid is a collegiate athlete... wait i think im sounding a lil Gundy from okie state lol sorry... but don't call for his head and then praise him if this weekend he has 3 game winning hits. And if the team tanks say whatever about them you want but there is still some season left and all hope is not lost...yet.

[KC Shox]

I didnt think we'd be missing krol and booth as much as we are... they were very good for us but i thought we'd have womack, nanney, or someone else be able to set into the set up and closer roles... guess not.

Also, KWJ did blow it but people make mistakes... alotta people on here are really sayin some mean stuff about him. yes, this is D-1 and that play was unexcusable but s*** happens. Hopefully he can find his hitting and get his head out and play the field, if not bench his butt... simple as that. im as mad as the next guy about the recent woes of the team but ya'll seem to be throwing the team under the bus and abandoning all hope. The kid is a collegiate athlete... wait i think im sounding a lil Gundy from okie state lol sorry... but don't call for his head and then praise him if this weekend he has 3 game winning hits. And if the team tanks say whatever about them you want but there is still some season left and all hope is not lost...yet.

No one is calling for his head. No one (at least I haven't seen it) has said he should be benched either. The majority of people are just saying you gotta make that play and the game was lost due to his inability to make it.

The team is going through a very long slump right now - we are 8-7 the last 15 which includes being shut out twice and blowing two 9th inning leads. We are looking for that one game that will ignite this team again that may be the start of another long winning streak. All it takes, IMO, is one player or one play that seals the deal so-to-speak, KWJ could have done that for us tonight - he didn't.

But as you say, there is plenty of room for blame to go around so this is not all on KWJ. I just believe had he made that catch and we went home with a great win on the road it would have turned this team around for the better.

[shockerfanmas]

Gene and Brent have to be criticized for leavin Logan in too long. Everybody could tell he was getting tired, he hadn't pitched that long probably since high school. It was a poor decision, he should have been taken out before the home run was hit, so that one falls on the coaching staff. Simply put, the Shox lost tonight becase of bad coaching and just plain bad baseball.