Season Outlook

[ShockerFever]

I can appreciate the optimism, but really folks, an overhaul of our entire pitching, 2 returning starters, a lot of younglings, I predict a 27 win regular season.

Ok, that's really stretching it there..

[Zardoz]

In Gene I trust. No finer coach in the NCAAs. I think he will find a way to get in done yet another time.

[KC Shox]

I can appreciate the optimism, but really folks, an overhaul of our entire pitching, 2 returning starters, a lot of younglings, I predict a 27 win regular season.

Ok, that's really stretching it there..

Fever, break it down for me.

Here's my breakdown per game/series:

2-1 in Gulf Coast Tourney
3-0 against NDSU
1-1 against BYU
1-3 against TCU
0-1 against KU
0-3 against Pepperdine
2-1 against AR Pine Bluff
1-3 against LBSU
0-1 against ORU
2-1 against Bradley
0-1 against Nebr.
2-1 against Ill St.
0-1 against OU
3-0 against EU
0-1 against KSU
1-0 against KSU
0-3 against MO St.
0-1 against OK St.
0-1 against OU
3-0 against Indy St.
1-0 against ORU
1-0 against KU
2-1 against SIU
1-2 against CU

[Ashockalypse]

Dumb Breakdown. Recruiting is 9/10ths of all of these college sports and these teams we have been punking every year aren't going to take mediocre upperclassman and beat our superior freshman and sophomores to the extent you show. Regardless of our youth its a stupid bet to say will have our worst season in 30 years. Betting is a numbers game and you don't have the numbers.

[kcshocker11]

KU is is predicted to finish last in Little 12 , we win both!

[KC Shox]

Dumb Breakdown. Recruiting is 9/10ths of all of these college sports and these teams we have been punking every year aren't going to take mediocre upperclassman and beat our superior freshman and sophomores to the extent you show. Regardless of our youth its a stupid bet to say will have our worst season in 30 years. Betting is a numbers game and you don't have the numbers.

Let me get this straight. If I'm reading you correctly you not only think we will continue our 40 win season streak, but it appears by your over-confidence,that we might just make the NCAA's. I could be wrong, but its stupid to think that this won't be one of our worst season's in the past 30 years.

It's called parity my son and this team getting hit hard in the draft. We don't get the lion's share of the top recruits anymore, thanks to universities focusing more attention to baseball. We lose great recruits to the draft and we lose others to other programs. This ain't the 80's and early 90's anymore. We don't reload as easily anymore.

You honestly believe that all these first year D1 players that will be in our line-up will adapt easily to D1 ball and continue WSU's dominance? Take off those yellow-colored glasses son.

[ShockCity]

Did I mention yet that I'm not worried? Just checking...

:wsu_posters: :goshocks: :posterwu: :posterwsu:

[martymoose]

I can appreciate the optimism, but really folks, an overhaul of our entire pitching, 2 returning starters, a lot of younglings, I predict a 27 win regular season.

Ok, that's really stretching it there..

Fever, break it down for me.

Here's my breakdown per game/series:

Honestly I don't think there's a chance in hell we lose 26 games. We likely won't continue our 40 game win streak, but I'm thinking we'll hit somewhere around 35 games. We'll likely need to win the Valley to get into the Tourney.

[shocks771]

Here's my guess.....

Gulf Coast Tournament 3-0
North Dakota State 3-0
BYU 1-1
@TCU 1-2
@Kansas 1-0
Pepperdine 1-2
Arkansas Pine-Bluff 3-0
Long Beach 1-2
Oral Roberts 1-0
@Bradley 2-1
Nebraska 1-0
Illinois State 3-0
Oklahoma 0-1
Evansville 3-0
Kansas State (home&home) 1-1
@Missouri State 1-2
Oklahoma State 0-1
@Oklahoma 0-1
@Northern Iowa 2-1
Tabor 1-0
@Oral Roberts 0-1
Indiana State 3-0
Oral Roberts 1-0
Kansas 1-0
@Southern Illinois 2-1
Creighton 2-1

Overall 38-18
Valley Record 18-6

If we win the Valley Tournament we will hit 40 wins again.

[Shocker85]

Dumb Breakdown. Recruiting is 9/10ths of all of these college sports and these teams we have been punking every year aren't going to take mediocre upperclassman and beat our superior freshman and sophomores to the extent you show. Regardless of our youth its a stupid bet to say will have our worst season in 30 years. Betting is a numbers game and you don't have the numbers.

Man, you guys have OD-ed on the Yellow Koolaid.

So ... you roll out "superior freshman and sophomores" without a coach and they just start winning? Hogwash!

On what basis do you grade out the underclassmen as "superior"? The only Fr./So. pitcher we used much last season as a starter was middle-of-the-pack decent. The rest are totally unproven freshmen and a Tommy John survivor. On offense, the entire team has a few hundred ABs against D1 pitching. Do they just pick-up the bats and start scoring 8-10 runs per game? I don't think so.

Will the Shocks be good by the end of the year? Maybe - but don't come on here and start wailing and gnashing your teeth after a few bad losses. Lack of experience + confidence is a deal-breaker in baseball.

I'm not down on the Shox, but I'm a realist. Baseball is hard. I am willing to sit back and watch this team develop. I will have no real problam with 20 or more losses if the improvement shows right through the end of the season. I'll be happy as hell if they just start kicking-ass right out of the chute, but I've seen plenty of good Shocker teams struggle.

--'85.

[ShockerFever]

I can appreciate the optimism, but really folks, an overhaul of our entire pitching, 2 returning starters, a lot of younglings, I predict a 27 win regular season.

Ok, that's really stretching it there..

Fever, break it down for me.

Here's my breakdown per game/series:

2-1 in Gulf Coast Tourney
3-0 against NDSU
1-1 against BYU
1-3 against TCU
0-1 against KU
0-3 against Pepperdine
2-1 against AR Pine Bluff
1-3 against LBSU
0-1 against ORU
2-1 against Bradley
0-1 against Nebr.
2-1 against Ill St.
0-1 against OU
3-0 against EU
0-1 against KSU
1-0 against KSU
0-3 against MO St.
0-1 against OK St.
0-1 against OU
3-0 against Indy St.
1-0 against ORU
1-0 against KU
2-1 against SIU
1-2 against CU

You forgot Tabor.. :good:

As young as we may be, I really think it's gonna be hard to be swept. It could very well happen, but it's hard to do.

I think you're selling us a bit short on the midweek, but then again, the midweek is a place where we struggle even with our elite teams.

It's just hard to imagine that 'worst-case scenario' happening for a program that's reached 40 so many times in a row. We've had to reload multiple times in that time period. This is another example of that, granted, probably the most extreme reloading effort of them all.

It'll be close to 40 when it's all said and done. That's what I'm going with. 27 wins? Wow, that would be a disaster I just can't see happening.

I personally think we thrive better as an underdog anyways. We shall see.

[BostonWu]

Dumb Breakdown. Recruiting is 9/10ths of all of these college sports and these teams we have been punking every year aren't going to take mediocre upperclassman and beat our superior freshman and sophomores to the extent you show. Regardless of our youth its a stupid bet to say will have our worst season in 30 years. Betting is a numbers game and you don't have the numbers.

Let me get this straight. If I'm reading you correctly you not only think we will continue our 40 win season streak, but it appears by your over-confidence,that we might just make the NCAA's. I could be wrong, but its stupid to think that this won't be one of our worst season's in the past 30 years.

It's called parity my son and this team getting hit hard in the draft. We don't get the lion's share of the top recruits anymore, thanks to universities focusing more attention to baseball. We lose great recruits to the draft and we lose others to other programs. This ain't the 80's and early 90's anymore. We don't reload as easily anymore.

You honestly believe that all these first year D1 players that will be in our line-up will adapt easily to D1 ball and continue WSU's dominance? Take off those yellow-colored glasses son.

I agree there may be a little more parity throughout college baseball and Gene may have experienced a little bit of a swoon in recruiting a few years ago but we are not hurting in signing supremely talented recruits. It's not like we're all of the sudden losing recruiting battles to OSU, OU, MSU, ORU, KSU or KU. If we are please tell us which players we have lost out on.

I'm just not buying that concept that the gap has closed that much. Some of the most successful teams back in the glory days were not loaded with top draft picks.

[oldguy24]

well said shocker85. I agree.

[WSUwatcher]

Record

Actually, 771, your guess has the Shocks at 38-18 (18-6 MVC) going into the Valley tournament.

I personally think 18-6 in the Valley is optimistic, considering how even some pretty good recent Shocker teams have shown a knack for losing the occasional silly game in league play. On the other hand, a couple of rainouts may lead to substitute games against lesser teams that could add in a cheap win or two. So I wouldn't be surprised if you're right, or close, and if so I defintely like their chances of winning 40.

I'll certainly go with your guess over Mr. sub.-500 KC, who also said the Shocks would lose on the court at Koch by 24 to Ceighton and 17 to UNI. If anyone's below .500 it's more likely to be KC on his picks than WSU on the diamond.

[haysdb]

I believe our weekend rotation will carry this team. Kelly, Lowell, and Cooper are talented young men and we have one of the best pitching coaches in college baseball. Talent + good coaching = success. No way do we go 0-3 against ANYBODY this season. I'm accepting bets KC.

Our defense will be respectable. As always, we'll have three dudes in the outfield that can run down balls. We may be a little weak at the corners, but nothing disastrous. We'll be solid up the middle with Baez and Brown/Grimes.

We have 6 guys who can just flat run. Yes, you have to get on base, but when we do we'll have the ability to make some things happen.

We have 3 boppers in the middle of the order in O'Brien, McKeever, and Rosecrans. No Drew Moffits in there, but I believe they will be "productive."

Our bullpen will be young but I like what I see in Flynn, Maldenado, Maune, Smith, Hutson, Muncrief, Kemp, etal.

My prediction, worth the electronic paper it's printed on, is that we will win 40 games and finish second in the Valley. It's a little like predicting the weather in Hawaii - 80 and sunny, 80 and sunny, 80 and sunny,... For as long as we keep our coaching staff and continue to recruit quality young men, I will continue to have the same expectations I have every year.