Monthly Archives: September 2009

WSU baseball receives commitment from Oklahoma shortstop

Sept. 30, 20092:36 p.m.

Shortstop Dayne Parker of Roff (Okla.) High School has given Wichita State baseball coaches an oral commitment to become a Shocker in 2010-11, Parker said this afternoon.

“The facilities are really nice, and they have a crowd every game,” Parker said in a telephone interview this afternoon. “I really like playing in front of fans.”

Parker hit .480 with 11 home runs for his summer team, the Elk City Travelers, last summer. He visited WSU last weekend, including the intrasquad scrimmage that drew about 1,000 fans for the baseball and a first look at new artificial turf.

“I liked it a lot,” Parker said of the turf. “It’s probably the best you can play on.”

Parker hit .505 last spring as a junior for Roff High, located in southern Oklahoma. The average was among the top 15 batters in Oklahoma small schools, according to The Daily Oklahoman.

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (3)

Gym named for former Shocker

Sept. 27, 20098:42 a.m.

John Gales told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he spent three seasons trying to stop the Oscar Robertson as a  Shocker. After WSU, he started a landmark career in coaching in Fort Worth.

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Basketball | Comments (0)

Fall baseball: Turf-free edition

Sept. 25, 20099:45 a.m.

No more turf talk. I’ve had enough of infill, backing, ball roll and antimicrobials. Wichita State started fall practice on Thursday, about four months removed from its worst season under coach Gene Stephenson. What I’m looking at this fall:

  • Offense, offense, offense. Then some more offense. We don’t really need to recount WSU’s dismal numbers, but here goes: .275 batting average, 33 home runs, .362 on-base percentage, .387 slugging percentage, 423 strikeouts and 220 walks. No power and no command of the strike zone is a bad way to try to score runs. A lot of those same players are back. Will they improve?
  • Things should get better in 2010, and not just because they can’t get worse. For starters, WSU appears to be much deeper than last season with legit players. There will be competition in practice. The coaches have options if players aren’t hitting. Last season’s roster was so thin, there just wasn’t much of either. WSU essentially had one infield reserve – Taylor Brown – and he ended up playing some left field. Pitcher Chance Sossamon ended the season playing third base (quite effectively). The second plus is the addition of left-handed bats. In 2009, the Shockers had Ryan Jones and Chris O’Brien (a switch-hitter). This season, Jones and O’Brien are back and outfielder Travis Bennett, infielder Preston Springer and outfielder Garrett Bayliff are lefty newcomers. Erik Harbutz is a switch-hitter. The effect of deeper roster should mean a more complete batting order. Of course, that also depends on returners shaking off last season and improving. Add Kevin Hall and Tyler Fleming to your list of switch-hitters.
  • Visions of an improved bullpen depend on the health of seniors Tyler Fleming and Logan Hoch (shoulder surgery sidelined both in 2009). Unfortunately, Fleming won’t throw this fall and Hoch’s return will be later this fall. If both are ready this spring, WSU should have a good bullpen. Fleming, when healthy, gave the Shockers a lockdown guy out of the pen in 2008. Hoch wasn’t as good as Fleming in 2008, but he showed plenty of potential. If their recoveries aren’t satisfactory, it’s a big problem for the staff. I like Chance Sossoman as the closer, a role he grabbed late last spring. I like Clint McKeever as a closer if he can get enough innings to get comfortable as a reliever. Beyond that, the bullpen is a question, although I will add the brief looks I got at Cobey Guy in the NBC World Series were encouraging. He may be a junior-college guy who figures out it in his senior season.
  • Fleming will give second base a shot, which seems like a good idea. He played third and short in junior college, so he is not totally unfamiliar with the infield. If nothing else, Fleming gets to practice this fall instead of sitting and watching. With Walker Davidson on crutches, the Shockers need a second baseman for scrimmages.
  • One of the Shockers theorized that perhaps bunting will improve because of the way the ball rolls on the new turf.
  • I’m not sure if Johnny Coy will play in Saturday’s public scrimmage. He tweaked a hamstring during Thursday’s sprints and didn’t practice. He needs all the baseball time he can get. Entering the school year, I think coaches regarded him as a player with great potential who was probably a season away from being a big-time contributor. It will be interesting to see if he can speed that timeline now that he is a one-sport athlete.
  • Third base and catcher appear to be the positions most interesting to watch. Coy is working at third and first. Freshman Nate Goro is impressing people with his defense at third. Juco transfer Preston Springer can play first and third. O’Brien will devote his energies to catching after playing much of last season at third. Cody Lassley returns as the incumbent starter. Sophomore Ryan Hege and junior Ryan Engrav caught on Thursday.
  • Speaking of Engrav, he came on late last season and won the job in right field. He hit and played better-than-expected defense. It all came together for him with MVP honors in the MVC Tournament. Engrav hit .281 with only four extra-base hits in 64 at-bats. Can he add some more power?
  • The outfield also has some competition. I would figure Ryan Jones will play, either in center or right. I would guess Kevin Hall’s speed gives him an edge. Northern Iowa transfer Travis Bennett, Bret Bascue, Mitch Caster and Engrav are also options.
  • Several recruits (committed and uncommitted) will be at Saturday’s scrimmage. Carl Albert (Okla.) High infielder (and quarterback) J.T. Realmuto is one of the uncommitted scheduled to be at Eck Stadium.
  • OK – one turf note. You will notice plumes of sand and infill spray up Saturday. Mike Tinch of AstroTurf says that spray will lessen as rain and time drive the sand and rubber deeper into the turf’s “root zone.”
By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Baseball | Comments (0)

The eve of Eck’s all-turf era

Sept. 23, 20094:45 p.m.

Crews worked until around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday and plan to work late again tonight at Eck Stadium. Mike Tinch, AstroTurf’s manufacturer’s rep on the site, wants to get Wichita State baseball on the field to practice at 2 p.m., Thursday. He thinks it will happen.

“I’m 90 percent sure that they will be practicing baseball here tomorrow afternoon,” Tinch said Wednesday afternoon. “We’ll be back at 7 in the morning to put Coach (Gene) Stephenson and the Shockers on this baseball field. I know they’ve got a big grand opening coming up on Saturday and we want it to be nice for them and ready to go.”

The biggest remaining job is installing the warning track. Other than that, Tinch said it’s just a few finishing touches. The Shockers, who are doing voluntary workouts at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, can’t wait to get on their new surface.

“Unbelievably excited,” outfielder Ryan Jones said. “It is the coolest and the best field I think I’ve ever seen. And that includes in the bigs, anywhere.”

From Tinch, some factoids about the AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D. You can see Tinch on video here.

  • Using something the company calls “AstroFlect,” Tinch said the turf reflects heat instead of absorbing it. The turf won’t heat up like the old stuff.
  • The turf fibers also contain an “antimicrobial” which is supposed to help prevent infections should players with cuts or scrapes slide on the turf.
  • Tinch estimates the field could take two inches of rain and be ready to go 20 minutes after the rain stops. The only area that will need a tarp is the pitcher’s mound. When the rain stops, the rest of the field is ready.
  • Maintenance is minimal. WSU will use a sweeper to groom the turf and pick up debris before games. Minimal yearly maintenance is recommended.
  • Tinch said we won’t see the clouds of infill stirred up that is common on other turf fields. A “root zone” keeps the sand-and-rubber infill from flying up. He said that makes the turf stable and safe.
  • WSU will use its fall practices to get a feel for how the turf plays. Tinch said his company can make the turf play faster or slower, largely by controlling the amount of infill.

“We custom make this thing to what your team wants,” he said. “You want it to play faster. You want it to play slower. You want it to be taller. You want it to be lower. We have total control over that.”

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Baseball | Comments (0)

WSU football documentary

Sept. 22, 200912:37 p.m.

KPTS will broadcast its documentary about the 1970 Wichita State football plane crash at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8.

I spent some time Tuesday morning with Jesse Huxman, Stacey Jenkins and Gabe Juhnke of KPTS. They are part of the crew that hiked up to the crash site in Colorado with three of the survivors this summer. The previews they showed me are fascinating. Listening to the emotions and stories from the players and families turned into a powerful experience for all three. They said many of the people they spoke to had never shared their memories from that October day in 1970.

Many Wichitans are familiar with the photo of Shocker player John Hoheisel walking on crutches for the coin flip before a game at Arkansas (the first game after the crash). KPTS obtained the video footage of that moment from NBC, in addition to some of coach Bob Seaman’s pregame speech.

You can watch previews of Black and Gold here.

As the years pass, the plane crash exists as one of those moments that most Wichitans are familiar with, but the details are lost. This documentary will be an opportunity to refresh memories and educate a younger generation about a day that Wichitans should never forget.

The documentary will be rebroadcast on Oct. 9 (1 a.m.), 11 (2:30 p.m.), 24 (10 p.m.) and 27 (9 p.m.). KPTS also plans on selling DVDs.

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under WSU football | Comments (0)

How did WSU end up with Arkansas-Monticello?

Sept. 21, 200910:40 p.m.

I took some vacation last week, not knowing I would miss the announcement of the final piece of WSU’s schedule. On Friday, WSU announced a game with NCAA Division II Arkansas-Monticello on Nov. 18 as part of the CBE Classic.

News releases of this sort are usually vanilla. Not in this case. WSU took the effort to quote coach Gregg Marshall, who made it clear, politely as possible, that he is unhappy with a Division II school on his schedule.

“However, we are disappointed that we are playing a non-Division I team,” he said. “On a good note, the game will not affect our RPI in any way. We preferred to play a Division I team, but the CBE was put in a precarious situation when one of the teams pulled out, which in-turn put us in a tough situation, because the CBE had difficult time completing the field. In doing that, we get a non-Division I opponent.”

The unnamed school that pulled out is Illinois-Chicago, according to Brian Halligan of The Gazelle Group, organizers of the CBE Classic. A UIC official denied that last week. Halligan, on Monday, said UIC was once a part of the event. Unofficial schedules circulating this summer turned out to be accurate, except for Illinois-Chicago’s spot. That schedule had UIC in the tournament, playing at Iowa. Then the Flames flickered out.

So instead of Texas-San Antonio (WSU’s opponent earlier in the summer), WSU gets Arkansas-Monticello. Texas-San Antonio won 19 games last season and earned an RPI ranking of No. 185. With three starters back, the Roadrunners should be one of the Southland Conference’s better teams. In other words, they could be a legit opponent and one that might be an RPI help. If nothing else, playing UTSA gives WSU a chance at a DI win.

WIth UIC out, UTSA is playing at Iowa and WSU is left with the Division II opponent.

“It’s been very difficult scheduling,” Halligan said. “Unfortunately, things didn’t work out.”

Certainly not for WSU. The Shockers are playing five schools with RPIs of 285 or worse in 2009. They could have used help from a better opponent in the CBE. Does it matter? It’s worth remembering this episode come March if WSU is fighting for a spot in a post-season tournament.

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Basketball | Comments (1)

Check out the new turf

Sept. 17, 200910:51 a.m.

Baseball fans can get their first look at the turf at Eck Stadium at 2:30 p.m., Sept. 26. The Shockers will play their first scrimmage of the fall. Fall practice starts that week, although the date remains undetermined and will depend on the turf installation.

The Shocker World Series begins Oct. 10. More dates and times to come.

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Baseball | Comments (0)

Pitt personnel issues

Sept. 16, 20092:23 p.m.

Wichita State’s first opponent in the CBE Classic is enduring an unfortunate summer/fall. Jermaine Dixon, its lone returning starter, is out at least eight weeks due to a broken foot.

That seems to make his return in time for the Nov. 23 game against WSU a question. The Panthers are also without junior Gilbert Brown, who is suspended for the first semester.

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Basketball | Comments (0)

Black turf crisis over

Sept. 15, 20093:19 p.m.

The black (actually dark, dark brown with black pieces) turf at Eck Stadium was removed on Tuesday. AstroTurf crews will install a lighter brown turf soon in order to get WSU through fall practices.

By spring, the basepaths and some areas around the batter’s box will be a contrasting shade of brown from the infield border.

I took a close look at outfield turf this morning as the crews were putting down the black rubber infill and grooming the turf. It does caputure the look of grass. The outfield blends well into the natural grass on the outfield hill. It’s not grass, but I think skeptical fans will be pleasantly surprised at how it looks.

We will see how it plays. The people working on the turf are confident it will give WSU a good surface with little maintenance. They can adjust the infill to control how fast the surface plays.

By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Baseball | Comments (0)

MVC schedules ready for inspection

Sept. 14, 20099:54 p.m.

Northern Iowa and Evansville released their schedules on Monday to give us all 10 MVC members.

  • WSU AD Eric Sexton is confident the CBE Classic will fill the Nov. 18 date on the Shocker schedule with an adequate opponent. It will be interesting to see who the Gazelle Group can come up with. At this point, it is possible for WSU to get the short end of the stick from an RPI standpoint.  Iowa plays Duquesne (No. 75 RPI in 2009) and Texas-San Antonio (185), both picked in third in their conference or division. Texas gets Cal-Irvine (237) and Western Carolina (189). Western is the preseason favorite in its division of the Southern Conference. Pitt plays Binghamton (88), picked second in the America East, and Eastern Kentucky (173). WSU is stuck with Farleigh Dickinson (314) and a mystery guest. At this point, the schools who least need decent RPI games are in better shape than the Shockers. WSU already has four 300-plus RPI opponents. It doesn’t need another bottom-feeder.
  • Sexton also said WSU and Tulsa are talking future games. It’s been a crime these two aren’t playing. Anchor this game on a Saturday in December and play it every season in the city’s downtown arenas.
  • MVC schools are guaranteed 16 games against BCS schools (with more possible in tournaments). Five are on MVC courts. Five are on the road. Six are on neutral courts. WSU, UNI and Bradley each are assured three. Creighton has two, with a reasonable chance at two more in the Old Spice Classic. UNI could also add more depending on how the Paradise Jam breaks. SIU, Evansville and Illinois State are not playing BCS opponents.
By Paul Suellentrop | Filed under Basketball | Comments (1)