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from Easton's COLLEGEBASEBALLTODAY (http://collegebaseballtoday.com/?p=2887)
Favorite: WSU
Dark Horse: ISU (R)
Best Non-Conference Series: Florida Gulf Coast at WSU
Hot Coach: Keith "Little Napolean" Guttin
Three Bold Predictions:
1- MoState will win two of three against either Georgia Tech, Southern Miss or Oral Roberts.
2- Easy schedule means Indiana State will end up with the most wins… and a late-season swoon.
3- Once again, this won’t be Gene Stephenson’s last season… thankfully.
2009 in a Paragraph:
For the second year in a row the Valley was a non-factor on the national stage. Long gone are the days when they were knocking off the big BCS boys and knocking on the door to the Big 6 conference domination. Last year the MVC ranked way down at No. 17 in conference RPI. Hell, there weren’t even many upsets pulled in non-conference play (me, holding my hands out wide with palms facing up as if to say “Really?”). MSU won the regular season, but didn’t have the RPI to earn a bid. Wichita went to the Big Dance, but went 0-2 and barely finished the season over the .500 mark. Oh my! Things must turn around, and that right soon.
For the second year in a row the Valley was a non-factor on the national stage. Long gone are the days when they were knocking off the big BCS boys and knocking on the door to the Big 6 conference domination. Last year the MVC ranked way down at No. 17 in conference RPI. Hell, there weren’t even many upsets pulled in non-conference play (me, holding my hands out wide with palms facing up as if to say “Really?”). MSU won the regular season, but didn’t have the RPI to earn a bid. Wichita went to the Big Dance, but went 0-2 and barely finished the season over the .500 mark. Oh my! Things must turn around, and that right soon.
2010 in a Paragraph:
If history tells us anything, it’s that the nature of the MVC is to constantly get off the canvas and make no excuses. Rest assured, it won’t be long before the Valley is riding high again. The ringleader has to emerge again… yes Wichita, since you’re the big ticket program, I’m looking your direction. They’ll be close to the Shocks of old this season, but not quite. MoState will be back in the thick of things as well, but if you’re looking for a team that could rout the field, look at the senior-heavy Indiana State Sycamores. It’s now-or-never time for them as they welcome back a veteran club. Creighton is always a player in the top rung and Illinois State brings back a full squad again. Oh, and R.I.P. Northern Iowa, who don’t have a program any longer, leaving an open non-conference weekend for each team in the conference.
If history tells us anything, it’s that the nature of the MVC is to constantly get off the canvas and make no excuses. Rest assured, it won’t be long before the Valley is riding high again. The ringleader has to emerge again… yes Wichita, since you’re the big ticket program, I’m looking your direction. They’ll be close to the Shocks of old this season, but not quite. MoState will be back in the thick of things as well, but if you’re looking for a team that could rout the field, look at the senior-heavy Indiana State Sycamores. It’s now-or-never time for them as they welcome back a veteran club. Creighton is always a player in the top rung and Illinois State brings back a full squad again. Oh, and R.I.P. Northern Iowa, who don’t have a program any longer, leaving an open non-conference weekend for each team in the conference.
Dark Horse: ISU (R)
Best Non-Conference Series: Florida Gulf Coast at WSU
Hot Coach: Keith "Little Napolean" Guttin
Three Bold Predictions:
1- MoState will win two of three against either Georgia Tech, Southern Miss or Oral Roberts.
2- Easy schedule means Indiana State will end up with the most wins… and a late-season swoon.
3- Once again, this won’t be Gene Stephenson’s last season… thankfully.
WICHITA STATE (30-27, 11-7)
2009 RPI: 96
Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 3
All Conference Candidates:
1B Clint McKeever (.333-6-43)
OF Ryan Jones (.277-7-36, 14SBs)
SS Tyler Grimes (.294-5-26, 13SBs)
2B Will Baez (.275, 17SBs)
RHP Tim Kelley (5-4, 2.86, 102Ks)
RHP Jordan Cooper (8-6, 2.78)
LHP Charlie Lowell (6-2, 2.95)
The Good News:
I don’t think Coach Stephenson wants to hear this, but don’t you think 2009 was actually one of his better coaching jobs? Look at it this way, he had a completely new team come to campus, finished fourth in the MVC and yet still made the NCAAs. That’s pretty good. Now, he’ll have one of his most experienced teams with seven starters in the field coming back. And you gotta love the tradition of the Wheatshocker arms, even on an “off” year, they still had the 19th best staff in the country with a 4.26 ERA. Reliever Chance Sossamon (1-1, 4.50, 3svs) brings some solid depth and a good change of pace. Stephenson and his staff also brought in the No. 19-ranked recruiting class, featuring RHP Tobin Mateychick, who was picked by Detroit in the 28th round, and SS/3B Nate Goro, who hit .520 as a senior.
The Bad News:
A fourth place finish? For the Shockers? That’s just not the kind of baseball we’re used to seeing from WSU. And even though they made the NCAAs, the 2010 season will still involve some transition until the dominant ways return to Wichita. It was widely known that the biggest bugaboo that stuck in the Shocker craw was the weak offense. I mean, .275 team average? Somewhere out there, Kevin Penner is rolling his eyes right now. That must improve, obviously. Losing mid-week starter Brian Flynn to academics was below average. And the .964 defense was a sore sticking point with Coach Gene as well.
Schedule Note:
Welcome to winter sun belters.
Strangely, the Shockers will bring teams like Florida Gulf Coast, San Jose State, Central Arkansas and Dallas Baptist to Eck Stadium, some of them in chilly March. Here’s to hoping for a mild winter in mid-Kansas. The final weekend of MVC play will have WSU welcoming in Missouri State, a series that could decide the Valley regular season title.
2009 RPI: 96
Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 3
All Conference Candidates:
1B Clint McKeever (.333-6-43)
OF Ryan Jones (.277-7-36, 14SBs)
SS Tyler Grimes (.294-5-26, 13SBs)
2B Will Baez (.275, 17SBs)
RHP Tim Kelley (5-4, 2.86, 102Ks)
RHP Jordan Cooper (8-6, 2.78)
LHP Charlie Lowell (6-2, 2.95)
The Good News:
I don’t think Coach Stephenson wants to hear this, but don’t you think 2009 was actually one of his better coaching jobs? Look at it this way, he had a completely new team come to campus, finished fourth in the MVC and yet still made the NCAAs. That’s pretty good. Now, he’ll have one of his most experienced teams with seven starters in the field coming back. And you gotta love the tradition of the Wheatshocker arms, even on an “off” year, they still had the 19th best staff in the country with a 4.26 ERA. Reliever Chance Sossamon (1-1, 4.50, 3svs) brings some solid depth and a good change of pace. Stephenson and his staff also brought in the No. 19-ranked recruiting class, featuring RHP Tobin Mateychick, who was picked by Detroit in the 28th round, and SS/3B Nate Goro, who hit .520 as a senior.
The Bad News:
A fourth place finish? For the Shockers? That’s just not the kind of baseball we’re used to seeing from WSU. And even though they made the NCAAs, the 2010 season will still involve some transition until the dominant ways return to Wichita. It was widely known that the biggest bugaboo that stuck in the Shocker craw was the weak offense. I mean, .275 team average? Somewhere out there, Kevin Penner is rolling his eyes right now. That must improve, obviously. Losing mid-week starter Brian Flynn to academics was below average. And the .964 defense was a sore sticking point with Coach Gene as well.
Schedule Note:
Welcome to winter sun belters.
Strangely, the Shockers will bring teams like Florida Gulf Coast, San Jose State, Central Arkansas and Dallas Baptist to Eck Stadium, some of them in chilly March. Here’s to hoping for a mild winter in mid-Kansas. The final weekend of MVC play will have WSU welcoming in Missouri State, a series that could decide the Valley regular season title.