Shockers hitting stride at right time

wsubaseballwin.jpgCongratulations to the Wichita State University baseball team. Not only did it win its NCAA regional Sunday, it did so in dramatic fashion — with a grand slam in the 10th inning against top-seeded Oklahoma State. The Shockers now advance to the super regional, which it might host if Florida State loses tonight in its regional. WSU is playing well at the right time, with strong pitching and timely hitting. Go, Shockers.

7 Comments

  1. Regular
    Posted June 2, 2008 at 1:38 pm | Permalink

    Go Shocks!

  2. Boxlock
    Posted June 2, 2008 at 1:54 pm | Permalink

    What a terrific team and game last night to make a University and City Sooooooo Proud.
    Congrats Shocks!

  3. Monkeyhawk
    Posted June 2, 2008 at 2:00 pm | Permalink

    Yeah, I hope the Shockers do well.

    But I remember that College World Series game back in the 80s or 90s when WSU got duped by one of the great trick plays in the history of baseball.

    Remember it?

    Shocks had a guy on first. The pitcher goes into his stretch and fakes a throw to pick him off. This being the college World Series, there were cheerleaders on the field behind first base. The first-baseman jumped for the non-pickoff throw and the cheerleaders sitting near the stands scrambled as if to get out of the way. And the WSU base-runner took off for second, only to have the pitcher toss the ball to the shortstop and tag the Shock out.

    Brilliant play. Made the Shockers look like fools and probably shattered their confidence to play the game any longer.

    Couldn’t have happened in pro ball; no cheerleaders on the field. I mean they really sold it; they were in on the play and everyone was certain the pick-off attempt had gone awry.

    I guess I’m a baseball Luddite; I don’t like the “tink” of a metal bat hitting a ball. I want the CRACK of wood-on-horsehide. (I still resent it that it’s not horsehide anymore, but plain ol’ cow leather. But I digress…)

    Then again, I’m a football Luddite, too. Did you know football players no longer kick and pass and run with the pigskin? Nope. Plain ol’ ordinary cow leather.

    In fact, I read somewhere it takes 10,000 cows every year to provide the NFL with enough balls for a season. (I think it’s because it takes them a long time to learn to operate the sewing machines.)

  4. Predestined
    Posted June 2, 2008 at 5:55 pm | Permalink

    I seem to remember hearing something about TCU. Did WSU play them? One of my friends has a daughter who is beginning a new job at TCU as an athletic trainer, so of course I need to rub in a WSU win if there was one. ;)

  5. American
    Posted June 2, 2008 at 6:25 pm | Permalink

    Way to go Aaron Shafer and Clint McKeever! Aaron had 10 strike outs against OSU, Clint hit a grand slam homer in the 10th and then they shut them down.

    Way to go Shocks.

  6. American
    Posted June 2, 2008 at 6:27 pm | Permalink

    WSU played TCU once an beat them 8 to 5.

  7. Predestined
    Posted June 3, 2008 at 1:33 am | Permalink

    Thanks, American. I just barely caught enough to hear the mention. I don’t follow sports all that closely anymore, but I’ve been a Shocker baseball and basketball fan for a few decades. I just haven’t had time to keep up.