WSU 8, TCU 5, a final. The Frogs homer again. The Shockers play at 7 p.m., Saturday in the winners bracket final.
WSU 8, TCU 4. Kevin Hall continues his late-season heroics with a run-scoring double. WSU is three outs away with Musgrave on the mound.
Another pitching change after Workman drives in a run with a flyball to foul territory in left. WSU 7, TCU 4. Pitching change in the eighth. A single by McKeever off Lockwood’s glove and a double by Coleman chase Lockwood. The Shockers have runners at second and third with no outs.
WSU 6, TCU 4 after seven: WSU wasted a leadoff runner when TCU pitched out and got Dirks trying to steal.
WSU 6, TCU 4: The blast party continues. Clinton McKeever hit a three-run homer for WSU. Carpenter hit his second of the day for the Frogs. Musgrave has given up five hits, three of them homers.
3-3 in the fifth: TCU produces back-to-back one-out hits and scores a run on a fielder’s choice. WSU 2B Josh Workman made a real nice backhand play to get one out but the Shockers couldn’t turn the double play.
WSU 3, TCU 2. A home run by Matt Carpenter brings the Frogs a run closer. Musgrave gave up two homers in 14 games entering the regional. If the park is going to play this way (and it usually does), OSU may score 15 runs a game.
WSU 3, TCU 1 after three. Andy Dirks with a three-run shot to left. WSU had a chance for more - two on with one out - but didn’t deliver. Dirks extended his hitting streak to 27 games, fourth in program history. Chris Wimmer is third with 32 games. Dirks’ on-base streak is 71.
TCU 1, WSU 0. TCU’s Matt Vern drilled one over the center field fence. Musgrave is a flyball pitcher throwing on a day when the wind is blowing out to left-center.
0-0 after two. Dusty Coleman bloops in a double and moves to third on a groundout. Tyler Weber’s line drive to right strands him.
0-0 after one. Both pitchers as advertised in the first inning.
If you are coming to the games this weekend, bring sunscreen. There is little shade in the stadium.
Thirty minutes until first pitch and Shocker fans are all over. I asked the OSU ticket manager if he knew how many tickets were sold to Shocker fans. “A lot” was a precise as he could get. It’s interesting that OSU’s largest home crowd of the season was 4,000, on a rainy night, for WSU.
No lineup surprises. Kevin Hall is in left for WSU.
One leftover from Thursday’s media time.
WSU shortstop Dusty Coleman is in the position every player envies. Because of his birthday (April 20, 1987), he is draft eligible as a sophomore. So he has all kinds of leverage this time and can do it all again next season as a junior with almost the same leverage.
“Not many guys have that chance,” he said.
Coleman is scheduled to play in the Cape Cod League this summer. He may have a shot at Team USA, although that is still up in the air. His attitude on the draft is what you might expect. If something too-good-to-pass-up happens, he will consider it.
“I pumped to go out there (the Cape) to play ball and play against the best competition in the country,” he said. “I’m not too worried about (the draft) right now. If I get drafted somewhere where I would want to go, that’s good for me. If not, I’m ready to come back and have another great year at Wichita State.”
Baseball America ranks Coleman No. 186 among the top 200 draft prospects. The magazine projects him as a 4th-to-6th round pick. Should he come back, and improve with the bat, he could jump into the top three rounds, in their opinion. That seems like a smart plan to me. He improved greatly from his freshman season to sophomore. If makes a similar jump, he will be a All-American.
Baseball America’s Stillwater Regional preview is up. Their best point is one Shocker fans should quickly recognize. If WSU is going to win it, it needs to do it in three games. I don’t see its pitching depth holding up for a fourth game, especially against OSU. WSU and TCU both have a chance to win this, but their odds slip if we get to Monday. OSU has more margin of error for an upset. That’s why the Cowboys are the No. 1 seed.