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Taking a quick look at next year and I think there is little reason not to expect the Shocks to be competing at the top of the league again.
Volleyball: I expect next season's team to improve on their 3rd place finish of this year.
X-Country: Not a sport I am very knowledgeable about. We return 5 of our top 7 runners including 2 Freshman and 2 Sophomores. The identical is true with the men in terms of what we return. I think we should at least be able to stay around our 4th and 5th place finishes of this year.
Men's Basketball: No commentary necessary. We will be good.
Women's Basketball: I do anticipate a fall of from the top of the league into the middle of the league. I think the Shocks may have some decent young talent coming in but they will be extremely inexperienced. A 5th place finish is a the top of my expectations next season.
Track & Field: We lose some solid seniors from both the men's and women's teams but not an abnormally high number and no real superstars. Seniors, primarily Robbie Martinez-Garcia contributed around 14 of the men's 143 points and around 13 of the women's 179 points, primarily Shanice Andrews, in this years MVC Ourtdoor Championships. On the women's side we get the Larch-Miller twins back among many other solid performers. Also I am anxious to see what Kord Ferguson brings to the table next year for the men as a redshirt freshman. No reason to believe the Shocks won't be in the top 2 or 3 in the league again on both the men's side and women's side.
Golf - Men: Shocks came ever so close to advancing to the National Tournament this year. They do graduate their #1 golfer, Louis Cohen Boyer, but they have everyone back next year including a couple of freshmen and a sophomore who played very well this year. Shocks should be able to hold their own again in the Valley.
Golf - Women: As with the men the Shocks graduate 1 player, Alejandra Arellano from this year's Valley championship team. Alejandra played very well in the Valley tournament winning medalist honors. Shocks should be competitive again next year but probably need everyone to step up their games a notch.
Tennis - Women: The Shocks lose only 1 senior, Lucia Kovalova who played at the #5 singles slot, off a squad that dominated the Valley last year and that just barely missed winning their opening NCAA match against a good Georgia Tech team. Coach Colin Foster has not lost a match to a Valley opponent in his 6 years at the helm of the Shocker women's tennis program.
Tennis - Men: The Shocks seem to be the perennial runners-up to Drake in the Valley. Or I guess it is now the MVC-AEC league since only 4 Valley schools currently field a men's tennis team. The Shocks do graduate their #2, #3 and #4 players so Coach Louderback will have a bit of rebuilding to do. Also Tin Ostojic will need to break-in a new doubles partner as Tomislov Gregurovic is one of the 3 departing seniors. Still outside of Drake and WSU not sure how seriously the Valley takes men's tennis.
Softball: The Shocks graduate 4 seniors but only 1 starter, Catcher Melanie Jaegers who was the Valley Defensive Player of the Year this year. The will miss the leadership provided by this group of seniors. The Shockers look to be the same kind of team we have seen the past two years. Okay but not great pitching and a generally pretty storng offensive attack. No reason they shouldn't match or exceed this year's 4th place finish.
Baseball: Despite the well-known struggles of the Shocker baseball team this year they somehow managed to squeeze out a 3rd place tie in conference play. Very difficult to predict what baseball will look like from year-to-year until you know what damage, if any, the MLB draft has done to you roster. I expect MSU and DBU will lose a lot of talent to both graduation and the draft this year. So if the Shocks can survive the MLB draft in reasonably good shape perhaps they can contend for a Valley title next year.
Volleyball: I expect next season's team to improve on their 3rd place finish of this year.
X-Country: Not a sport I am very knowledgeable about. We return 5 of our top 7 runners including 2 Freshman and 2 Sophomores. The identical is true with the men in terms of what we return. I think we should at least be able to stay around our 4th and 5th place finishes of this year.
Men's Basketball: No commentary necessary. We will be good.
Women's Basketball: I do anticipate a fall of from the top of the league into the middle of the league. I think the Shocks may have some decent young talent coming in but they will be extremely inexperienced. A 5th place finish is a the top of my expectations next season.
Track & Field: We lose some solid seniors from both the men's and women's teams but not an abnormally high number and no real superstars. Seniors, primarily Robbie Martinez-Garcia contributed around 14 of the men's 143 points and around 13 of the women's 179 points, primarily Shanice Andrews, in this years MVC Ourtdoor Championships. On the women's side we get the Larch-Miller twins back among many other solid performers. Also I am anxious to see what Kord Ferguson brings to the table next year for the men as a redshirt freshman. No reason to believe the Shocks won't be in the top 2 or 3 in the league again on both the men's side and women's side.
Golf - Men: Shocks came ever so close to advancing to the National Tournament this year. They do graduate their #1 golfer, Louis Cohen Boyer, but they have everyone back next year including a couple of freshmen and a sophomore who played very well this year. Shocks should be able to hold their own again in the Valley.
Golf - Women: As with the men the Shocks graduate 1 player, Alejandra Arellano from this year's Valley championship team. Alejandra played very well in the Valley tournament winning medalist honors. Shocks should be competitive again next year but probably need everyone to step up their games a notch.
Tennis - Women: The Shocks lose only 1 senior, Lucia Kovalova who played at the #5 singles slot, off a squad that dominated the Valley last year and that just barely missed winning their opening NCAA match against a good Georgia Tech team. Coach Colin Foster has not lost a match to a Valley opponent in his 6 years at the helm of the Shocker women's tennis program.
Tennis - Men: The Shocks seem to be the perennial runners-up to Drake in the Valley. Or I guess it is now the MVC-AEC league since only 4 Valley schools currently field a men's tennis team. The Shocks do graduate their #2, #3 and #4 players so Coach Louderback will have a bit of rebuilding to do. Also Tin Ostojic will need to break-in a new doubles partner as Tomislov Gregurovic is one of the 3 departing seniors. Still outside of Drake and WSU not sure how seriously the Valley takes men's tennis.
Softball: The Shocks graduate 4 seniors but only 1 starter, Catcher Melanie Jaegers who was the Valley Defensive Player of the Year this year. The will miss the leadership provided by this group of seniors. The Shockers look to be the same kind of team we have seen the past two years. Okay but not great pitching and a generally pretty storng offensive attack. No reason they shouldn't match or exceed this year's 4th place finish.
Baseball: Despite the well-known struggles of the Shocker baseball team this year they somehow managed to squeeze out a 3rd place tie in conference play. Very difficult to predict what baseball will look like from year-to-year until you know what damage, if any, the MLB draft has done to you roster. I expect MSU and DBU will lose a lot of talent to both graduation and the draft this year. So if the Shocks can survive the MLB draft in reasonably good shape perhaps they can contend for a Valley title next year.
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