Junior outfielder Kevin Hall will be writing weekly articles on Shocker baseball for the second-straight season.

2011 Season

May 10, 2011

Way back in February Jim Hendry, the Chicago Cubs GM, spoke to our team at the first pitch banquet. One point he made was that “no one gets cheated in this game”. He was referring to the draft, and making the observation that if you are good enough, you will get your chance to play pro ball. I believe the statement applies to our team right now, though. If we don't win the regular season Valley title, it's not because we got cheated. You could blame it on a whole host of things, but having bad luck is not one of them. We took a giant step in realizing that this weekend as we took two of three from league leading Creighton. If we come out and play locked in every game, this team will not get cheated. We will reach every goal we had at the beginning of the year.

Tonight (Tuesday) we will be playing in some old-school uniforms that will be auctioned off for Carl Hall night. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, it's fifty-cent hot dog night, and the uniforms will be auctioned off for a good cause. Add to that the fact that we are playing a rival in Oral Roberts, and I'm thinking we can put together a pretty large crowd!

The team is getting contributions from up and down the lineup and is starting to heat up with the weather. Couldn't come at a better time as we could use some momentum to roll into the final two weekends of conference play with a couple of tough mid week games in between. Looking to enjoy the best part of the year From Down the Hall.

May 3, 2011

I enjoy watching MLB on TV more than actually attending the games. I can sit in the comforts of home, listen to stats and tid-bits the announcers give out, but most importantly, I get a chance to see replays in slow motion. There is something mesmerizing about seeing a dive, a swing, catch, or an athlete screaming at the top of their lungs in slow motion. It gives the viewer a chance to capture all of the tiny details; the flexing of a muscle, the slight bend of a wooden bat, or the sweat and dirt colliding during a slide at home plate.

There is no way to enjoy those tiny details while playing, however. The college game is fast paced, and those things just serve as mere pieces that make up the frames of the entire show. At this time of the year things seem to mesh together. At bats, pitches, outings, and even games begin to melt away and just become part of the season. To be a good athlete and a good team, not allowing that to happen is key. This point in the season is when you must approach every at bat as the most important, every pitch as your last, and every game like it's to win a league, a series, or a championship.

We are two games back in the Valley and still get the chance to play the team that is ahead of us. Our fate lies in our own hands. By playing like our hair is on fire for the rest of the season, there is no reason we can't accomplish the goals we set at the beginning of the year. Hold the extinguishers until the end of June. We're heating it up, starting From Down the Hall.

April 19, 2011

One of the great things about competition is that there is ALWAYS room for improvement. You can always jump higher, drive the ball further, finish the race faster, knock out your opponent earlier, get more digs, serve more aces, or read the greens better (right Dad?). The ever-present possibility of improving a personal best is the allure of sports, no matter how good you already do it.

We had a tough stretch as a team recently. It's not hard to get caught up in the negativity that holds the hand of losing. We were able to battle through it and come out with back-to-back wins this weekend. It was good to see pitching, hitting, and defense clicking at the same time in those two games. It was good, but we can be better.

Monday did not serve as an off day; it was a chance to build on the weekend. As an athlete, satisfaction is the enemy. Winning two games in a row is a huge relief after the struggles we had, but there won't be a ring on our hands because we are 3-3 in the Valley. The schedule marches forward and we must be ready to greet it. We have played pretty well at home, but have been sub-par on the road, to say the least. Everyone got to see what that really means when our stats at home and our stats on the road were printed in the locker room and placed side-by-side. Our goal will be to individually reach down, grab those numbers, and pull them up to a higher level when we are away from the Eck. If we can do that, winning will take care of itself. That's what I got From Down the Hall.

April 12, 2011

I was on my way to a friend's house for dinner last night when a scene caught my eye. The West Urban baseball complex was packed full. I was about a half hour early so decided to pull in and check out some of the up-and-coming talent. I always enjoy watching the young dudes play ball, especially when I need a re-charge. I pulled into the parking lot and watched a few innings, noticing a couple things. First, only one player had pulled his pant legs up, showing off his socks in an old-school fashion. Love that look! Second, the whole atmosphere was positive. There is nothing like playing or watching a baseball game on a beautiful evening in front of, or with, your friends, family, and fans. The sound of the crowd exploding after a base hit up the middle, the lawn chairs and coolers sprawled out amongst fans, and kids smiling while doing what they love is an event that is as genuine and American as they come. It's easy at that age to have fun playing the game. There is no pressure, everyone ends up with a treat after the game whether they win or lose. Stats don't really matter, the kids are just finding out if they love the game or not at that age. And when the game is over, they laugh and smile as they shake hands and they leave it all behind.

It gets a little harder to always be smiling, as you get older. The ball fields tend to be farther away, requiring long bus or plane trips. The crowd is not always exploding in cheers for you, sometimes it is quite the opposite. There are no treats in college baseball after losing, only the what ifs. The stats are recorded, printed, obsessed over, and in the public's eye, define you. If you're on the losing end after the game, there are no smiles as you shake hands, and no matter what your performance, it is almost impossible to leave it all behind. It becomes a shadow. It follows you to your car, sits beside you as you eat, and climbs in next to you as you try to sleep.

That is why it's awesome. It might get a little harder to always be smiling in this game as we get older, but it is not impossible. We get to travel around the country with our friends, come through for one another in high-stress situations in front of hostile crowds, and enjoy the treat of bonding together and accomplishing the goal of winning. Stats only define what we have done, not what we can do, and they remind us that we always must be working toward our goals. We don't leave it behind when we play well. Success brightens our lives and serves as a reward for our unseen efforts. We also don't leave it behind when we perform poorly. It serves as motivation to get back into the cage, back onto the mound, and back to improving.

Our focus is on Nebraska and starting something we can keep building on. It's going to be a beautiful evening for a baseball game in a city that loves their home team. I'm shouting at you to come support us From Down the Hall.

April 5, 2011

Ask a hitter why we struggled against Hawaii this past series and I bet he will tell you something about too many strikeouts, not moving runners over, and struggling with men in scoring position. Ask the defense and I'm sure they will tell you not making plays we were capable of making cost us. Ask a pitcher and I'm certain too many free passes will be your answer. You could ask anyone on our team what happened, and I know that each individual would tell you he himself could have done something better.

When we step into the batters box there is no one that can help us drive in a run. When we toe the rubber there is no pitching assistant who can help us throw a third strike. When we defend a position there is no one that can ensure we execute the play. It's on us!

We limped through March with an 11-11 (yes, I'm counting the first two games of April in there) record. It was a tough month with good competition, and a lot of it was on the road, some teams might note. Our guys wouldn't make those excuses, however. They would regrettably point out that three of those loses came in extra-innings, and four of them were one run-games we should have won. Our guys would also be the first ones to take the blame and tell you that it's about to turn around. Before the year started, the coaches discussed how every great team overcomes some sort of adversity. We need to overcome falling into the trap of mediocrity. This is one of the most talented teams I have ever been a part of, and I can feel that with conference starting and the second half of season upon us, we will learn from our experiences and do something amazing. I'm callin' it now From Down the Hall.

March 29, 2011

Aloha!

It's been a long week, but I will try to remember the highlights as I sit in my window seat flying over the Pacific on my way to Honolulu. We started off the week taking two of two from Air Force at home. It was good to get back onto the field and get back into the winning column after the Penn State series. Like I said, hard work pays off!

I normally enjoy the night games at Eck. We tend to get bigger crowds because everyone is off work, the sun isn't in my eyes, and there's something about playing under the lights that gets me excited. So when I heard our game would get bumped up to the afternoon on Wednesday because of the NIT, I was a little disappointed. That turned out to be a blessing, however. It gave the team a chance to get some food, some rest, and some time to pack for our trip to Oregon and Hawaii.

The bus was loaded and ready to go at 4:45 a.m. on Thursday morning. We flew down to Dallas on an uneventful flight (thankfully), then loaded the next plane to head to Portland, Ore. A few hours into the aerial adventure, it was time to visit the lavatory. As I stood up and headed to the rear of the plane, I noticed a snake-like line forming, consisting of what seemed to be half of the passengers. This made for some awkward exits as people left the airborne john and tried to shimmy past the rest of us, who were reluctant to make too much movement. For a few seconds, I thought Chris O'Brien, Grant Muncrief, and myself were going to have mid-air emergencies, but the line moved on and the near catastrophes were averted.

With the time change, we arrived in Portland around 11:30 and picked up our luggage (Fastest airport ever, btw. Kudos to you Portland!). After eating, we boarded the bus to drive a few hours south to Eugene. I don't know what they put in our food, but I know that 5 minutes after sitting down the bus fell silent as sleep triumphed over every one of us. I lasted 6 minutes, that's how I know these facts. The team woke up, got off the bus at the hotel, and then probably went back to sleep for a while. We had practice that evening under the setting Oregon sun. We didn't realize it would be the last dry period of baseball in the next three days.

Oregon weather was not ideal. Every day basically followed the same pattern. When we woke up it was raining, when we boarded the bus it was raining, when we took batting practice it was raining, and then we would hit a pocket of sunlight for first pitch. We would then play a couple of innings, and it would rain. The rain would pass after ten minutes and the sun would come out. Repeat.  We got to experience this pattern quite a bit during the double-header on Friday, and the seventeen-inning marathon victory on Saturday. Unfortunately, we dropped the fourth game on Sunday, leaving us with a split. I think our whole team knows we should have won at least three of the four, but it is hard to complain about the competitiveness of the series. One of their players noted in the local paper that we will be one of the closest to regional teams they will see. If we execute consistently, I think we could be much more than that.

After waking up at 3 a.m. to head back to the Portland airport, we are making our way south to the Islands and will enjoy a hard earned day off on the beach today (Monday). After the weather in Oregon, Hawaii should be a treat. Tuesday we will practice and get ready for another quality opponent on Wednesday. Hope your weather is a fraction as good as ours is supposed to be (Gotta rub it in!). Aloha From Down the Hall!

March 22, 2011

Winning in extra innings is a whole lot more fun than losing in extra innings. After losing a heartbreaker in New Orleans the week before, coming back to beat Arizona twice at home will forever stay in my memory as some of the most fun I have had playing the game. Gene often tells us how “back in the day” opponents of the Shockers knew that in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, the Shox were going to find a way to win the game. Obviously, it didn't always happen that way, but it was a mentality that Shocker teams bought into which enabled them to always be in the game, no matter what the score. From my vantage point, this team is beginning to believe that same idea. We are beginning to believe that no opponents' lead is safe, and that is a dangerous characteristic we can possess. A team that will score runs in the later innings is like a monster in your closet-always lurking in the back of your mind!

Assistant coach JT stood behind the batting cage on Monday during practice as Tyler Coughenour stepped in to take some hacks. “Why couldn't you have hit that line drive 2 yards more to the left, 2 yards shorter, or 2 yards longer yesterday?” he asked with a smile, alluding to a line drive that would have driven in the winning run against Penn State on Sunday. “It wouldn't have changed reality, but it would have changed our perception. We would all be feeling a little bit better today” he added. Regarding this weekend, that is the only thing we can still control, how we perceive things. The reality JT spoke of was that of our struggles offensively. Yes, we had some good pitches to hit with runners in scoring position and did not adjust. We were under the majority of the fastballs we got to hit. Problem identified. During practice on Monday, we set up machines, cranked up some fastballs, and worked on getting back to compact, line-drive swings. I have always been a firm believer in hard work, and I am certain what we accomplished on Monday will come through during competition this week.

Another tough week is ahead with a quality Air Force squad coming in, and trips to Oregon and Hawaii. More opportunities for us to be the monsters. Hear us roarin' From Down the Hall.

March 15, 2011

A war of attrition is a term used to describe a prolonged conflict during which each side seeks to gradually wear out the other by a series of small-scale actions. Yes, I paid a little attention during history class. This pretty much sums up our weekend series with Tulane. Each game was a battle and they were pretty much pressure packed from beginning to end. If you are a baseball fan, the three games we played in the Big Easy were worth the price of admission. Unfortunately, if you are a Shocker fan (which I'm assuming most of you are), their small-scale actions were enough to leave us one run short in two of those games.

I thought a six hour bus ride home after a loss was long last week, 14 is in a whole different world. We left New Orleans around 6 p.m. on Sunday and arrived back at Eck around 8 a.m. on Monday morning. Normally we get sore after three or four games in a row, and have a while to get ourselves ready for the next challenge. This week, soreness is emphasized because of the bus ride, and so is our need for mental toughness. Last series could have been different if a defender was a foot to the left or right, if we got one more clutch hit, or if the ball bounced differently on one play. BUT IT DIDN'T. The next opportunity is upon us and all we can do is concentrate on today.

Keepin' it short this week, because like the rest of the team, I've got some preparing to do. That's that From Down the Hall.

March 8, 2011

Six hours is a long bus trip after two losses. It's a long time to think about the game that just concluded, the things you could have done better, and replaying the bad pitch you made or the good pitch you didn't hit. It is not a time to doubt your preparation, your skills, or your resolve, however. Once you cool off from losing, extract the lessons, and replay yourself making the good pitch and hitting the one you missed, you better put it behind you. Being an athlete means you have to be able to let the residue from a loss float away and settle somewhere else. The schedule doesn't pause to wait for you to get back on track mentally. That has to happen instantly.

I re-lived my bad moments, replaced them with good, and settled into my chair on the bus. A friend sent me a text message asking how the game went. After explaining the results she asked me why I thought we played the way we did. My response went something like this:

There are so many things that go on in the course of a baseball game that the average fan does not pick up on. There are all of these little battles, jobs, and plays that have to be executed in order to be a fundamentally sound ball team. You have to be able to slow down each situation and identify what goal must be accomplished. I think our minds got ahead of our bodies and we ended up trying to do too much. Realizing the tiniest of details and executing the unglamorous, unselfish plays is what wins ball games. It is what makes baseball such a beautiful game.

I looked back at that text and really liked it. That was before I accidentally deleted it. I had to put it in my article this week so that I wouldn't forget the message: In order to get where we want to be, we must be fundamentally sound. Of course we won't be perfect, the game wouldn't be fun if we were. We will make errors, we might lose a few ballgames, but we will let the residue float away and return to our fundamentals. That's the way it has to work From Down the Hall.

March 1, 2011

“It's gonna be 70, sunny, and balmy this weekend boys! No matter what the temperature is, sunny and balmy in your minds!”

Those are the words of wisdom we received from Gene last week during practice. We had just beaten ORU for the first time at their place since 1994. We were all smiles, reveling in the good feelings from a victory, basking in the sun and warmth, and getting stretched out before a scrimmage. At first Gene's words made me laugh, recalling one of my other favorite sayings: “At Wichita State, we do not acknowledge the weather”. Then, they made me shiver. When Gene says the word “balmy” when talking about game time temperature, you can pretty much assume there will be icicles forming at the tip of your nose. That's exactly what happened. There is something about playing in Wichita in 25-degree weather that just says baseball season! Nothing a space heater and some layers couldn't resolve.

“All misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune” –Henry David Thoreau

Our thoughts and prayers remain with Garrett Bayliff who suffered a broken fibula and will be going into surgery today. He was swinging a hot bat and playing some solid ball and will be missed in the outfield. When I called him to inquire his outlook on the injury he stated: “It is what it is, ya know?” and then we enjoyed a good laugh (maybe because of his pain meds). He's a positive dude and will be back before we know it. He will also be in the dugout of each game assisting whoever replaces him in the outfield. The rest of the crew does not have much D1 experience roaming the grass (or turf) in left field, but I am certain that Garrett will be using his knowledge to continue to help the team. When adversity strikes, you just have to deal with it. There is a great opportunity for some guys to step in and make an impact, and I know that they are going to, because that is what good teams do. Adapt.

“If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out”  -George Brett

We signed autographs at the basketball game last week, which is always a pretty unique situation. The whole team lines up behind tables and signs posters till our hands wither and fall off. Johnny Coy's picture is on the poster this year, and randomly, posters would come before me that had big smiley faces on Johnny's head. Everyone got a good laugh out of that, except Johnny. He saved his laughing for when he was driving in runs this weekend, I guess. We actually get to talk to the fans and they can see us without our hats on at these signings. At that point we were 4-0, and I remember someone saying, “You guys are looking good so far!”. I agreed with a smile and replied, “Lets keep it rollin'!”. My mind immediately drifted on to thinking about being undefeated, about conquering the rest of division 1 baseball, and etching our names into history next to the '89 team. The fan interrupted my thoughts uttering, “Keep it fun!”. That's a good idea I thought to myself. This is a kid's game and we are all lucky to have the chance to play here. We should do it with “Little League Mentality” and enjoy the ride. My competitiveness got the best of me, however, and conquering D1 baseball snuck back into my brain. “WINNING is fun!” I added.

March starts a tough month of baseball on the road. We travel numerous times during this month and play very good competition. Traveling to beat good competition is how we get where we want to be at the end of the year. Winning is fun. Let's keep it fun From Down the Hall.

Feb. 22, 2011

I could use this week's article to recap the games, brag about the team, and point out the many outstanding individual performances guys had. I'm not going to, however. Yes, this weekend was awesome, and the weather was something from a dream. Playing in February is rolling the dice, and this year we got pretty lucky with 60 and 70-degree temps. There was a vibe of excitement that reverberated throughout the stadium all weekend as over 3,000 fans attended each game.

That excitement began before the season opener, though. I pulled into the Eck Stadium parking lot on Thursday afternoon looking for my normal spot. It was taken. I got over it and began searching for the next closest, which ended up being a solid five minute walk away. The parking lots were saturated. People from Wichita wanted to volunteer their services, their time, and their hearts to help Extreme Home Makeover change former Shocker outfielder Carl Hall's life. They chose to build Carl and his family a new home after his accident, and the city of Wichita poured into Eck Stadium to help spill the news and catalyze the operation. Seeing the support, coverage, Carl's old teammates, and the many people who didn't know him come out and rally behind a cause like this is inspiring to say the least. There are things in life we cannot control, but we can control how we respond to them. Wichita responded for the Hall family and will have something to show for it by the end of this week.

The season opener was Friday against Niagara. Before the game, Mitch Caster's parents and sisters were invited out to throw the first pitch. The team, with hugs and smiles, greeted them. Mitch's conference championship ring from last season was presented to them. Mitch's father threw a perfect strike for the first pitch-a perfect start to the season. Wichita responded for the Caster family and stood on its feet for a long, well-deserved ovation.

We took care of business at home this weekend and came out with three wins. We played the game well, but have room to improve against competition that only gets more and more difficult. A true test lies in front of us today as we travel to Tulsa to meet against Oral Roberts. It has been a long time since the Shocks have won in Tulsa. It is an opportunity we can't wait to get after. That's how it's shaping up From Down the Hall.

Feb. 15, 2011

This semester I am fortunate enough to not have any classes at all. None. The only thing I have to complete is an internship down at the Health And Wellness Center on McConnell Air Force Base (shout out to Lou, Laura, Bart and MB!). The bad part of working on a military base is the invasion of acronyms that infiltrate every day conversation. There are FA's, PCS's, AC's, DAWG's (that really exists, I didn't just make it up), and any other combination of letters you can imagine. The bad part of trying to play baseball in Kansas during the swell month of February is that most of the time we have to deal with snow. Monday, some of our pitchers were put on a TDY, or a temporary duty: snow removal. Those hurlers who weren't hurling in the scrimmage grabbed shovels and tossed snow over the wall. I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed watching pitchers clean off the outfield! Thanks guys!

The day before (Sunday) was our day off of practice. That doesn't make it a day off, however. Most of the team slept in and enjoyed the morning, but ended up making their way to the field in the afternoon to play catch and hit. With assistance from Aaron LaBrie, some position players took fly balls in the part of the field that was clear, or the part we thought was clear. Apparently, Eck Stadium was in the flight path (sticking with my air force theme) of some Geese. I guess the artificial turf looked like a good landing strip. For our hospitality, they left us some presents.  If you witnessed any outfielders tip-toeing around while driving by on Sunday, don't judge us, we were just avoiding the landmines.

There have been so many hours of work compiled behind the scenes dedicated to making this season a great one. Fans that see the team on Friday will not see the hours in the weight room or the batting cages. They won't be able to see the time spent in meetings, the skirmishes in the locker room, or how this team has evolved since the fall. What they will get to see is a team that has put in the work, has chemistry, and is chomping at the bit to play. Fans will see a team that is going to wear the Shocker uniform proud, and try its hardest to be the best team it can become. Fans will also see a field free of snow and geese droppings thanks to our field guy Cut and, of course, the pitchers. There are still plenty of obstacles to overcome and a long list of things we can learn throughout this season, but we are enthusiastic about reaching our goals.

Win the conference, win the conference tournament, win a regional, win a super regional, Omaha. It's baseball season. That's From Down the Hall.

Feb. 8, 2011

Hello again Shocker fans, it's Kevin Hall back at the helm. I was considering passing on the opportunity to write for the team again, but due to overwhelming support and encouragement (and guilt) from fans, I couldn't pass it up! If no one else is happy I know my mother will be (so quit buggin' me!).

I'm a little behind in comparison to last year, but I will do my best to catch you up. Fall ball was the usual: testing out the new guys, seeing how returners have developed, and getting to play ball back at our beautiful home stadium in gorgeous weather. Our new volunteer coach, Jeff Christy, manned the winning squad in the fall world series. Jeff is a Nebraska grad and former catcher for the Huskers who played in triple A in the Twins organization and also for the Wichita Wingnuts. He has a refreshing desire to succeed that is beginning to become contagious.

Yes, there are new bats this year. They have a little less pop and will not create the familiar “ting!” you're used to. Don't sweat about it, though. We aren't. I'm convinced that once the year begins, you could equip us with lead pipes and we would hold our own. There may be more of an emphasis on small ball this year throughout college, and we are a team that is fully capable of adapting to that demand. We have a quality defense, speed, power, and as always, a pitching staff that is ready to grind. Most importantly, this team has chemistry. Everyone has bought into the idea that we are talented, that we are held to high standards, and that we can have a really fun year.

If we didn't buy into those ideas at the beginning of the year, our new strength and conditioning coach, Adam Ringler, made sure we did by the winter. I've been a participant in some pretty intense workouts, but Adam's took it to an entirely different level. One of the foundations of his workouts can be summarized in two words: Demonstrate Failure. This simply means lift the weight until your muscles hate you and refuse. My muscles hated me every day this off-season. I don't want to discuss the running workouts in great detail, because the details of the after-effects might gross you out. A constant phrase utilized by Adam is “It pays to win”. Competitions are a staple in our workouts, and you really want to win those competitions. The phrase “It sucks to lose” is more appropriate.

Official practice began in late January, and we are working hard to use the small amount of time before our first game.  Jim Hendry, GM of the Chicago Cubs, spoke to the team privately after the first pitch banquet. He spoke of “security” and “opportunity”. He noted that we all did not come to Wichita State University for security, nothing is guaranteed here. We came for an opportunity. WSU has not been to the college world series in a while, he reminded us. This year is our opportunity.

Finally, I want to dedicate my column this year to Mitch Caster. I only hope I can make others smile through my writing as he could in person.

I'm excited about this season and the opportunity it brings. I am also happy to be back, throwing the scoop at you From Down the Hall!

2010 Season

May 27, 2010

A sweep of Dallas Baptist was just what we needed, and that's what we got. It was the perfect test to let us know that we can play this game at an acceptable high level for multiple days in a row. It was a great way to end the regular season. Throw in the fact that with Illinois State's loss on Saturday we gained the number one seed in this weeks tournament, and things couldn't look better.
   
There's something about the post season that you just can't get anywhere else. Holding the tournament at home is awesome. We love sleeping in, coming up to the park to watch games all day, watching the field crew grill out and compete in a washers tournament during the afternoon games (trainer Todd Fagan and Taylor Gilmore won the first annual doubles tournament, f.yi.), and the post season ice towels that are broken out for the hot games here at the end of May.
   
Playing somewhere where you get thousands of fans to come out and support you even when you don't start until 9:30 at night is a dream. I've talked to players from other teams in The Valley, and they all love coming in to Wichita to play in front of our crowds, even if they are obviously rooting against them. You know when fans are as locked in as the players, cheering for every strike that you are fortunate to be playing here. And you know when the fans are getting more upset at a close call than we are that it is the post season and expectations are high. We wouldn't have it any other way. Let's keep it rollin' through the weekend and keep this dream alive. There ya have it From Down the Hall!

May 20, 2010

In a meeting on Wednesday, Brent told his pitchers that we have been playing a good brand of ball for the most part, and that now it's time to get rid of “for the most part.” Everyone was urged to stay within himself and just do what he is capable of doing. Nothing more, nothing less. If we do that, we can carry our success into a tough weekend series and into the postseason.
   
Taking two out of three from Missouri State was not exactly what we had in mind, and now our conference fate is out of our hands. But that is the only thing out of our control. We recovered from Sunday's loss and finally beat Oral Roberts. It took 10 innings of rollercoaster baseball and pink jerseys, but we battled and walked off with a W.
   
The jerseys were auctioned off to raise money for breast cancer research. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, so it was great to put our resources towards finding a cure for something that affects so many of our loved ones. Shirley Beggs, the wife of WSU's President, is a survivor of breast cancer. She has been cancer-free for 18 months and proudly threw out the first pitch before the game. Preston Springer's mother is also a survivor of breast cancer, along with Grant Muncrief's mother, who watched as her son picked up the win Tuesday. It was neat to see him battle and win on breast cancer night when his mother had battled and won against cancer.
   
We are looking to take our momentum into the weekend series against a good opponent in Dallas Baptist. We need to play well for consecutive days in order to get a good feel going into the conference tournament. That's the way it's shaping up From Down the Hall. 

May 13, 2010

Coming home from Creighton after winning two of three would not have been as fun. That's why we decided to pull together and come back in the ninth inning of game three to take the sweep. It was much easier to enjoy dinner, watching the recordings of the games, and to play cards. Yes, the bus ride was much easier until we all realized that finals started this week and we would have to delay our antics for the books.
   
I guess that is the one good thing about not playing a mid-week game this week, we can all study and get our exams out of the way. This is the greatest time of year, when class is over and we are still playing ball. The everyday stress of school is put behind us and all we worry about is what to eat and when to show up at the yard.
   
We got a taste of summer life on Monday, our off day. Most of us did not have class, so our first obligation was to work out soreness from the weekend during weights. After that, we were like normal college students with a day to do whatever. Since we are home for a couple weeks, grocery shopping was a priority along with laundry and other housekeeping adventures. You would think that the team wants to get away from each other on off days, but it doesn't work that way. About half of the team ended up under the same roof, well, more like in the same driveway, as the tornado sirens started going off. The anticipation excited us as the weathermen urged us to take shelter. We did no such thing. Instead, we stood outside and gazed in amazement at the ominous clouds passing overhead. Flemco (Tyler Fleming) and Chandler (Chance Sossamon) sat on the porch, played the guitar, and sang about the impending disaster. Our whole group was thoroughly entertained, our neighbors, however, not so much.
   
We got a maintenance scrimmage in on Tuesday so that guys could see live pitching and hitting, and stay in the flow of the game. Tornado sirens again graced us with their presence as we took batting practice on Wednesday. We finished practice before the rain, and will be ready to resume competition on Friday night against Missouri State. We've enjoyed the easy week and the excitement Mother Nature provided, but we are ready to get back to business. The forecast is calling for wins, so come prepared. That's the way the wind's blowing From Down the Hall.

May 6, 2010

So this last weekend we traveled to Illinois. Illinois: Land of Lincoln, Birthplace of Ronald Reagan, and home of me! We took two of three from first place ISU and had a pretty good weekend, except for a couple innings. Playing in Illinois is always a great experience for me. I get to see people I have not seen in a long time, wave to my house as I pass it on I-55, and my parents come and pay for my meals so I don't have to spend meal money! A bunch of my family and good friends came to watch the series, and it made me realize how blessed and supported we are.
   
I noticed many other dedicated Shocker fans in attendance over the weekend. Logan Hoch's parents made the long haul from Kansas, Travis Bennett's folks drove in from Iowa, and we had a large following of boosters and other supporters. One of these supporters, Mr. Schutte, joined the entire team at a steakhouse for a solid evening meal, which we were all thankful for. We continually draw huge crowds at home and receive pre and post game meals from supporting restaurants in the community, all organized by many dedicated individuals. With finals coming up, we use services provided to us by the academic center to help tutor and keep grades up. Throughout the season, guys get their bumps and bruises handled by the athletic training staff to keep us on the field. There are a lot of people backing this team, and it does not go unnoticed.
   
We had a tough game against ORU on Tuesday, but we will get another chance at pulling that thorn out of our side when we play them again. First, though, we travel to Creighton for another important conference series. I'm sure our mothers (the biggest supporters of all) would appreciate hearing from us on Mother's Day after 3 wins in Nebraska. It's the point in the season where everything matters, and we are excited to have all the support while chasing down our goals. This is a tip of the cap for everyone behind the scenes coming to ya From Down the Hall.

April 29, 2010

Now that was fun! I'd say we had a pretty good week as a team. Yes, we let one slip away from us against San Jose State, but we rebounded nicely during the midweek. I'll give you some of the highlights from my vantage point.
   
During the Friday night game against SJSU, we were down early. We were a little tentative and needed something to lighten us up. Normally, we are graced with these little Pepsi cups to drink water from the cooler. This weekend, though, we had Styrofoam replacements. They are a little bit bigger, and hard to miss thanks to their radiant white color. I'm sure you saw some of them blowing around Eck this week. Anyway, one of these cups snuck its way to the east end of the dugout where Gene stands and where McKeever, B. Hall, and myself (and some others) were located. Somehow Gene lodged his foot inside the cup without knowing. Watching him tear around the dugout in disgust that we were losing has never been funnier. Of course, he had to figure it out himself because we were having too good of a time. After ejecting the cup from his foot, Gene shared the laughter. We then proceeded to lighten up at the dish, take the lead, and win the ballgame.
   
During game 2 we found ourselves down again. This time it was by a greater deficit. The mood was a little tense. We had given up some runs and Brent was not in a happy place. Our dugouts are placed pretty publicly, tucked right under the stands. There is no barrier between the sides of the dugout and the fans. So, you can look into the dugout and watch the inner workings of the team if you so desire. There was this very young boy with his baseball mitt, little hat, and big grin. He desired to witness the inner workings, and implanted himself RIGHT next to Brent. We couldn't hear what the little boy was saying, but all the hitters at the other end of the dugout were rolling watching him antagonize Brent. Finally, trainer Corey Wood (A.K.A. Zelda) came to the rescue and politely asked the boy to vacate the area with a huge smirk on his face. We then proceeded to lighten up at the dish, take the lead, and win the ballgame.
   
Some of our players' favorite mechanism to lighten up has been a hacky sac. Before the game, practice, and even on road trips we will pull out the hack and have some friendly competition and laughs. During the Saturday game, we had a considerably long rain delay. About 9 of us boarded the elevator (which was a tight, scary ride) up to the batting cages to play hack and stay loose. Huge pads cover the walls. At one spot, these pads stand about 5 inches away from the wall, creating a deep pit where players over the years have lost parts of themselves. Put our hacky sac in that category. I'm not sure who was responsible, but someone's big foot launched our hack into that pit and it will probably never be seen again. That was a big blow for some of us, but Ryan Jones liberated us from our depression by purchasing a new one on Monday, just in time for the midweek games against KU and OSU. We continued to play lightened up, take leads, and win ballgames.
   
Light and easy seems to work for this team, so we will try that this weekend against Illinois State. The support has been awesome this past week, and we can always use more. Hopefully you'll continue to hear the laughs coming From Down the Hall.

April 22, 2010

I'm going to tell you something that you already know: baseball is a game of execution. Since there was a record setting crowd present for the K-State game, most of you probably witnessed the disparity in execution between our two teams. They executed, we didn't. They won, we didn't. It's that simple.    
   
We have been struggling to stay loose when we have gotten behind early in games. That was not the case on Tuesday, however. We did not play flawlessly, but we fought back and put ourselves in a position to take one from the number 16 team in the nation. Then we learned a lesson the hard way by giving that away. If you don't execute, you don't win. This is a team that is striving to improve every day and has more than enough “want to”. We showed that we can play with top tier teams in the nation. If you don't believe that you are sorely mistaken.
   
At the end of the day, it does not matter what anyone outside of our locker room thinks. We set out at the beginning of the year to accomplish a few goals: win the conference, win the conference tournament, win a regional, win a super regional, and win the College World Series. Even the doubters can see that every single one of those goals is still attainable. Lucky for us, there are not any doubters in our locker room, and that's all that matters. Ask the '89 team, ask Fresno State, ask any champion; if you believe in your unit no goal is out of reach. Conference, conference tourney, regionals, supers, Omaha. That's the checklist that can still be seen hanging, even From Down the Hall.

April 15, 2010

The memory of our last winning streak was erased with our recent losses to Southern Illinois on Sunday and Nebraska on Tuesday.

It is not easy to describe the inside scoop on practice after a loss like that. When the news channels show up to get an interview, the cameramen nervously poke at the issue. Both parties know it must be done, but neither enjoy it. We try to offer our insight and provide some sort of explanation, even though there is none good enough. There is an absence of smiling and jokes, which can be witnessed at a normal day of practice. The phone calls and messages we received from family and friends who watched the game still linger in our minds and eat at our competitive spirits. We get dressed deliberately and head onto the field with clear goals of improvement on our agendas.

You can taste the frustration as we discuss the game and hear our coaches displeasures put into words. You can almost feel player's heartbeats as we anticipate the repercussions of poor play. Then you could close your eyes for a few hours and hear the team push each other through a demanding practice.

Playing the way we did is more frustrating than the speeches we hear after. Knowing that we let an opportunity get away gets the blood boiling and the heart beating faster than worrying about repercussions. Losing enrages more than any amount of sprints, up-downs, or demanding practices. Pride is a simple motivation for the rest of the season.

We have 9 hours to think about what kind of team we want to be for the second half as we head east to play Indiana State. Our goals are still before us and will only be reached with a renewed sense of vigor. Sorry for the bitter taste, but this week you'll have to tolerate the attitude From Down the Hall.

April 8, 2010

Thursday began our first conference road trip, and with it, the annual facial hair competition. Many of us ignored our razors for the week and just let the manliness flow until Friday. Then, it was time to sculpt our beards into what we individually determined to be the most disgusting hairy creations possible. There were many notable designs including (in no specific order): McKeever's chin strap that went from his side burn, outlined his jaw, snaked up to his mustache, and continued around the other side (see his interview after Saturday's game on goshockers for a visual). Tyler Fleming's dirty mustache with “pork chops” was quality, as was Springer's Italian-looking mustache and soul patch, which i think he is still rocking. Lassely's fu man chu was a nice touch as well. Taylor Gilmore is still trying to grow something to contribute. The three starting pitchers went with their own strategy, sporting nothing but mustaches*. They get an asterisk next to mustaches* because they were assisted using performance enhancing substances (jet-black Just For Men hair coloring). Overall, the facial hair made the weekend a solid couple of days. Oh yea, it doesn't hurt that we won the series too.
   
On the road to Evansville many of us played in a spades tournament so that we could get a crack at knocking Gene and JT off of their high horse. I'm sure that they have visual cues to communicate since they have been playing together for so long. I don't think anyone knocked them off. My partner, Grant Muncrief, and I were playing together for the first time. We drew the “voice of the Shockers” Mike Kennedy and our statistician, Tami Cutler. They are an experienced pair and they put it on us pretty good. Me and Grant scored about 30 points to their 500. At least they were nice about it. From what I could hear, they were not so nice while they played the two masters. Seeing Mike and Gene's competitive spirits go at it was quite entertaining for the rest of the bus.
   
Getting the road monkey off our back helped to build our confidence heading into the game against Ok State. We put up enough runs to have a comfortable lead before the rains rolled in, and then we were able to thoroughly enjoy the delay. Our equipment manager, Todd Sullivan, entertained us by singing The Thunder Rolls along with Garth on his Ipod. I'm sure everyone that could hear the team join in was impressed by our vocal skills. When it began raining, several chants and rain dances were performed, led by Will Baez. The win was great, but everyone is still giddy over getting Chic-Filet for dinner afterwards, which was a nice surprise.
   
We massed some serious hours on the bus with our new driver Alvin, who always has some quality, up-lifting advice. When the team rides for over 20 something hours in a week, you need some up-lifting words. We get used to being crammed together, doing homework on the go, eating at every buffet known to man, and on that note, some pretty ghastly smells. The funk becomes bad enough because we cannot empty the bathroom on a trip, so we have to regulate what kind of digestive excretions are approved. Mix that with 26 bags full of dirty laundry from a full weekend, and you have a lethal concoction. Needless to say, it's good to be at home this weekend facing another conference opponent. Come check us out. There's your inside scoop, hopefully we'll be putting off some good aroma from Down the Hall.

April 1, 2010

This week was all about opportunities.  Conference play started on Friday when Bradley came into town, and we had a chance to start things off on the right foot. We did so with some fireworks. In the last game of the series, Cody Lassley took full advantage of his bases-loaded opportunity and belted a walk off grand slam. With every other team in the conference suffering at least one loss over the weekend, we swept the series and stand alone atop the MVC.

We let a different opportunity get away from us on Tuesday night in Manhattan. We had numerous occasions to gain control of the game against the Wildcats, but failed to cash them in. Individually we are working on slowing down the game in these situations so that we can accomplish our goals against quality opponents as a team.    
    
Tabor College had a chance to come to the Eck and hand us a loss, which was an opportunity they were excited to embrace.  They came out swinging and scored three runs early in the contest. Some of our younger players got the nod to start against Tabor and it was obvious they were eager to show their skills. Three fellows who have not been regulars in the lineup up to this point who made large impacts were Johnny Coy, Nate Goro, and Garrett Bayliff. Coy used his leverage to blast two homers out of the yard and Nate tacked on his second home run of the year and played some salty defense at the hot corner. My road roommate and fellow outfielder Bayliff had four hits, three of them off of, or real close to, the outfield wall. We will get him in the weight room so that he can overcome those last few feet of warning track. With those performances, I'm sure they will be seeing the diamond more frequently.
   
Today we load the bus and head east to Evansville, Indiana to play a conference series on the road. This trip is one of the longest, which also produces some opportunities. Eight plus hours on a bus lets everyone get to know, and get sick of, each other a little bit more. We get to unwind and watch movies, play some seriously competitive card games, study, or catch up on the shut-eye we lose during the week. No matter how we entertain ourselves, there are common thoughts accumulating in each of our heads. Those thoughts are directed towards taking care of business on the road and in the conference against the Purple Aces. That's the panorama of the Shox this week From Down the Hall.

March 25, 2010

“Keep swinging through the good times and the bad. Just keep swinging.”
-Hank Aaron

After coming through with an exciting win against a quality opponent in Washington State, the weather decided to work against us. It would have been nice to finish that series and hopefully gain some momentum going into the last week before our first conference series begins. It did not work out that way. Unfortunately we were stuck inside practicing Saturday and sitting around with a day off on Sunday. We didn't get another chance to play until Tuesday.

If you read this article you surely know that the game on Tuesday and then the one on Wednesday did not go how we would have liked them to. Offensively, we were simply unable to string enough quality at-bats together to get big innings going. Mix that with some hard hit balls being caught and you have a bad combination. Now we'll have to be a little more hard-nosed and swing our way into the win column.

As I've said before, baseball is a game of peaks and valleys. With Bradley coming into town for a weekend series, we know it's about time to strap on our hiking boots and start climbing. No one outside our locker room can help to pull us up; we realize it's a challenge that lies on OUR shoulders.  Hitters recently had a meeting to discuss everything from approach to attitude. It started out with the coaches directing, but ended up with the players taking over to deliberate our future course. Turning this ship around is not going to be because of a shift of luck, extra effort, or an increase in desire. If you were sitting in that meeting you would know how much this season means to us. Turning this around will start with persistence, so we're going to keep swinging. That's what's up From Down the Hall.

March 18, 2010

I used to live in a suburb of Chicago in a house with a long backyard. I remember my dad used to chip golf balls from near the house towards the other end, where I would patrol with my baseball mitt. He used to mow base paths in that yard allowing the neighborhood kids and I to get a game together. Afterwards, he would hit me fly balls until the sun set in the summer. One late afternoon a fly ball left my dad's bat, soared through the sky, went right past my outfield glove and hit me square in the face. I remember that because it hurt.

March 11, 2010

When you get knocked off the horse, normally you are instructed to get back on. So when Florida Gulf Coast knocked us off our undefeated horse on Friday, we dusted ourselves off and got back up. We responded to our first loss of the season by coming back and taking control of the rest of the series and kept it rolling through the week against Central Arkansas. Getting over that loss and using it to fuel the machine was a promising sign. Good teams learn from and limit their mistakes, move on, and take it out on the next opponent. I think we showed we can be one of those teams.
   
Now we are ready to display our skills against teams on the west coast. We head out tonight to face quality opponents in Long Beach State and the University of Arizona. I haven't checked the weather, but I'm sure California and Arizona will be agreeable. I just wanted to rub that in.
   
Apart from games and practice this week, guys are trying to stay on top of their responsibilities. Midterm tests have been this week, and we are all trying to get through them before leaving town. That means drinking coffee at midnight with your roommates on Wednesday night after weights (which were after the game) so that you can stay awake to study statistics or Spanish. Sometimes our schedules are a cluster, but if you ask me, I'd say we're just livin' the dream!
   
So, in order to keep up with my schedule, I have to keep this one short. I've got some ideas for next week and I won't disappoint with the entertainment value. Hope you enjoyed the short note I've scribbled and passed to you From Down the Hall.

March 4, 2010

It is safe to say that, as a team, we were excited to get on the diamond and play. With the cancellation at KU and having to sit around and watch scores be updated from other teams around the nation for a week, we were eager. We had so much excitement and energy over the weekend in Alabama that we decided to run around the bases and touch home plate 40 times in three games. Johnny Coy was so excited for his first hit as a Shocker that he couldn't even keep his feet running to first base. This led to many of us ducking in the dugout yelling “sniper!” while getting a good laugh. Erik Harbutz was also anxious, probably for a different reason, however. Flying to Mobile was his first ride on an airplane, and he got unlucky having to sit in front of Ryan Jones and myself. We were sure to point out every odd noise and bumpy period, and constantly brought to his attention every imaginable disastrous situation. Butz took it like a champ and was unfazed. After our first week of competition, he played with the same fearless attitude, a huge compliment for a freshman.
       
After winning the Coca-Cola Classic at South Alabama we flew home, boarded the bus, and continued our hyper energetic theme. It was Travis Bennett's Birthday that Sunday, and the whole south side of Wichita probably heard us singing at midnight while heading back to the Eck. The energy didn't stop that weekend. We continued to put up 23 more runs in two games against North Dakota.
       
As is tradition, pitching was solid through our first five games. Newbies Tobin Mateychick and TJ McGreevy were impressive to say the least. Seeing Hoch, Fleming, and Muncrief back in action also puts a smile on my face. Holding the opponents to only 18 runs these first few games was more than enough to give us a chance to win.
       
Team chemistry has been great. I only have one complaint through our first week of games. Some guys like Lassley, McKeever, Springer, Harbutz, Goro, and Grimes were too big time to sprint around the bases like the rest of us. They decided to hit the ball over the fence at least once each and jog instead. So of course, I thought I would try it out. Jogging around the bases is cool, but so is stealing them. I'm not really complaining about home runs, the more the merrier.
       
We have a big test coming up against Florida Gulf Coast. I'm confident in our abilities. There is room for about 7,000 people to come out and witness the games this weekend. Now if I could only get that many people to read my article. Things are looking good From Down the Hall.

Feb. 25, 2010

I had a biology teacher once tell our class “water is the solvent of life.” That may be, but from a baseball player's perspective water is not a solvent that dissociates salts and sugars, rather it's the solvent that dissolves molecules of fun. So, as I predicted during my first article, in order to celebrate our season opener, Mother Nature chose to bury Lawrence in snow. We will now try and maneuver around poor weather and head south on Thursday to play on Friday afternoon in Mobile, Alabama.
   
Before practice on Monday afternoon, hitters received their personal bats for the upcoming season. After practice, I brought my bat home, laid her on my bed, and began thinking of a fitting name. For the last couple of years, I have performed this superstitious ritual of naming my bat a girl's name that I would be afraid to date. My freshman year was Helga, my sophomore season was Agnus, and this year's lady is Cruella. If there are any Helgas, Agnuses, or Cruellas that read my articles, I hope that does not offend you. Think of it as an honor.
    
I'm not the only one with superstitions. Fellow outfieder Travis Bennett says he avoids the number three on game day. That means if he wiggles the bat back and forth three times waiting for the pitcher, he will step out of the box and add another wiggle. Shortstop Tyler Grimes said he will switch his left and right socks if things aren't going his way, a habit he picked up during his hockey playing days. Back when assistant coach B. Hall played basketball, he would wash his hands after a poor shooting performance. Many guys said they performed the same ritual while stepping into the batter's box and majority of guys preferred a long shower just before gearing up to play. Whatever our routines may be, the weather in Mobile looks like it is going to support them.
   
One of the last things we did as a team before packing up and flying out Thursday morning was a running workout. Normally, running workouts are kind of a pain after practice, but this one was different. We did tag sprints, where the team is divided into four groups based on speed, with group one being the fastest and group four being the fourth fastest. Nick (the strength and conditioning guru) starts each group and calls out a name of the person within the group who is “it.” We all must sprint to one end of the indoor and sprint back before being tagged. Whoever ends “it” must join the very next group. Taylor Gilmore had the frightening idea of running only in our under armor tights. The team loved it. I found myself holding my gut laughing at various points of the workout like when Logan Hoch strutted into the indoor in his tights, compression top, and sunglasses and strode around like an Olympic speed skater. Or when Charlie Lowell tripped over air and all I could see was his tights-clad bottom rolling through the air. I won't even get into how amused group one was at group four's detailed attention to strategy instead of speed. Overall, it was a quality workout with a feel good attitude, even if the scenery was slightly less than appealing.
   
We're off to Alabama and although the temperature will only be around 60, we're looking to start the season hot. I'm sure you can see me waving my big gold #1 finger while yelling GO SHOX From Down the Hall.

Feb. 18, 2010

Sometimes baseball players get hung up on numbers. We calculate and count batting average, era, WHIP, strikeouts, slugging percentage, the number of attractive ladies in the stands, innings, outs, counts, stolen bases, pitch counts, errors, runs, geese overhead, and hours of practice. We wear numbers on our backs and there are even numbers that designate our positions. While these numbers are great and keep us entertained, there are some numbers that matter more than others.

83-No, not Gene's age, the number of combined years that Gene, Brent, and JT have under their belts coaching. These guys know how to win and they do it with a passion. Gene likes to say that we can all be exchanged for somebody else to remind us to keep things in perspective. In my mind, that doesn't apply to our coaching staff.

5-The number of letters in the word OMAHA. The Shockers have gone to the College World Series seven times. When this season is over, I would enjoy bragging about number eight.
       
7, 10, 3-Returning starters, seniors, returning weekend pitchers. I know your logic tells you those numbers add up to 20, but in reality they add up to experience, leadership, and consistency, some things we were lacking a year ago.
       
5,000+-The number of fans I would like to see at every home game this season. We get incredible support on campus and throughout the community. There is nothing that tops playing in front of the greatest fans in college baseball. Watching as people fill up the outfield hill, smelling the barbeque during pre-game batting practice, shaking hands with fans like Loyal Lloyd Phelps EVERY game, and signing autographs before and after games are some things that give me goose-bumps as I sit here and think about them.
        
368-The number of days that will have passed from last year's season opener to this year's. This is a new year, a new team, and a fresh chance at doing something great. Let's keep the positive energy flowing through the Eck and enjoy an exciting baseball season.
       
5-The number of days until we kick off the 2010 season at KU.
       
5,478-All of these numbers added together. This doesn't mean anything at all.
       
While on my numbers spree, I developed what I'm calling “the winning equation.” If our team scores more runs than our opponent scores at the conclusion of nine innings, the probability of us winning that game is very high. Genius! We can all get hung up on different numbers and statistics, but I think simplicity should be the path we stroll down this year. We have been working on perfecting our skills in order to satisfy the equation-offense to score our runs, pitching and defense to minimize our opponents' runs. Simple. We can look back at all the other variables I mentioned in the first paragraph when the season is over. Hope your head doesn't hurt from all the numbers being thrown at you From Down the Hall.

Feb. 11, 2010

The first week or so of practice consists of the team coming together to get physically prepared for the long season to come. We lift weights, run, slide, swing, and throw basically every day. This is all so our bodies can handle the grind. This physical preparation is obviously necessary, but with less than two weeks to go until the opener, we are also beginning to exercise our gray matter. Mental preparation is just as, if not more, important than our physical prep.

Pitchers have begun throwing live to hitters, which creates game-like situations that are hard to duplicate in normal practice. Infielders and pitchers need to adapt to different hitters, apply bunt defenses on the fly, and be able to perform in semi-pressured environments. Hitters need to recognize pitcher tendencies, weaknesses in the defense, and what situation they are in so that they can complete tasks that help the offense accomplish its goal: scoring runs.

Position players and pitchers meet with their designated coaches before practice almost every day to get their minds prepared and ready to quell the mental strains of the season. I like to say that baseball, like life, is a game of peaks and valleys. There are going to be highs, there are going to be lows, and all we can do is enjoy the ride. There are highs like getting a brand new indoor facility to practice in when there is unfavorable weather. And lows like when the snow shuts down every other educational facility in the nation except WSU. There are peaks like coming back to Wichita to work with teammates to accomplish common goals. And there are valleys like leaving your family in early January because you need/want to work on your left-handed swing. There are ups like getting permission from a family friend to use his warehouse to hit in during Christmas break, and downs when you accidentally let go of the bat and watch it punch through a double-pane glass window 30 feet away (sorry again, Bill). You can throw a no-no and then get lit up for 8 runs. You can bat 1.000 one weekend and go o-for the next. You can even see peaks and valleys on our team-just watch when I stand between McKeever and Coy during the national anthem.

At some point this season, we are all going to stand atop peaks and we are all going to trudge through valleys. Staying even keel will be something we as a team will need to focus on. Baseball might be the only game where a player can do everything right and still be wrong. A hitter can be locked in with a blank mind and hit a missile into the glove of a diving outfielder. A pitcher can locate the perfect pitch and watch as a hitter takes it out of the yard. With the right mindset, we can smile at misfortunes like these, brush them off, and win the next pitch. My man Caesar Marcus Aurelius once said, “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” As good baseball players, we will need to work on harnessing that power. Hope you can hear what I'm shoutin' at ya From Down the Hall.

Feb. 4, 2010

When a pitched baseball has substantial velocity, the hitter has less time to react. When the hitter has not seen live pitching since the fall, it seems like he has even less time to react. Sometimes, the pitcher has the ability to make the ball move so that it seems to vanish out of mid-air. These pitchers can even be 6' 7'' with long arms that add to the Houdini effect. It is a good thing Mike Pelfrey was only throwing fastballs to us earlier this week or we might not have made any contact. Professional pitchers (and former Shockers) Pelfrey and Anthony Capra threw pitches to live hitters so they could get their arms in shape and help us to realize we need to increase our bat speeds.
       
We started official practice on Sunday and we were sure to maximize all the time given to us. With the snow on the ground, practice has been in the new indoor facility. That means the whole team: pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders, coaches, trainers, and some random guests…all in that one indoor facility. Imagine a bunch of little kids at daycare running from one craft station to the next, and then equip them with facial hair, a few pounds, and things like bats and balls to swing around and throw. Chaos.
       
Our practice schedule follows a similar pattern every day. We start off with a stretch, some running, and then catch. After that, we normally break into drills. This is where each specialized section of our team works on their individual skills. Outfielders catch fly balls, infielders snag grounders and turn double plays, and pitchers work on pick-off moves and fielding comebackers. Unfortunately, the indoor does not have an outfield, so while everyone else does drills for a while, we sit on our posteriors. This is a unique opportunity for us. Unique because we rarely get to sit at practice, and it also gives us a chance to watch the other drills. I watched as Grimes, Butz (Erik Harbutz), Baez, and WD (Walker Davidson) worked together twisting double plays up the middle with some serious quickness. I noticed Johnny Coy and Nate Goro backhanding balls at the hot corner, and cheered when House (Clint McKeever), Taylor Gilmore, and Preston Springer would pick a ball at first base. I saw newcomers like Aaron LaBrie, TJ McGreevy, and Tobin Mateychick run from the mound to cover first base like gazelles, well almost like gazelles. I imagined stealing bases on Cody and OB's (Chris O'Brien) arms as they threw bullets down to second base from behind the dish. I took this all in at first, and then got excited. It was neat to see all of the individual pieces of the machine getting tweaked.
       
We have been selected as the preseason favorites to win the Missouri Valley Conference. Thanks, but we are putting that in the bag of things that don't matter and leaving it behind before we hit the field. The machine is getting oiled, becoming more efficient, and will be ready for assembly on February 23rd. That's the scene From Down the Hall.

Jan. 28, 2010

Now that we are in college, us outfielders no longer dig holes, kick flowers, and try to spit on bugs like we did when we were little dudes. Now we have to concentrate every pitch. We practice every day locking in and catching fly balls, line drives, and ground balls while dealing with the elements. The infielders are also continuing to work on their defense. Cleaning up footwork, making crisp throws, and getting comfortable fielding grounders is the daily routine. Both squads are also taking substantial amounts of batting practice each week in order to groove swings.  Baseball is a game of repetitions, and that pretty much describes last week. Repetitions.

Repetition does not describe this article, however. So I'm keeping it fresh and decided to do my first interview with Grant Muncrief. I chose Grant because of easy access. All I had to do was hang a left, walk down the stairs of our half-o-duplex that we also share with Justin Kemp, and walk into his room. Hope this helps you get to know your Shockers a little bit better.

Kevin-I'm sure you remember this because it scarred me for life, but when I was a freshman, I asked this girl out to dinner only to get the overly enthusiastic response “I'M ENGAGED!!!” What was YOUR welcome to college moment?

Grant- Probably my first day of class. (The night before) I set my alarm and probably even laid my clothes out cause I was so excited. I had 8 o'clock class and my new alarm clock failed to go off and I showed up 40 minutes late.

Kevin-People say that college students change their major about 3 times, how many times have you and what are you currently declared?

Grant-Well, I guess the people are correct because I am on change number three. I started out finance, went to petroleum geology, and I had to change it to a field major in geology.

Kevin-After a long MLB career that makes you filthy rich, what are your plans?

Grant- Obviously, I would love to have a family someday and be able to play catch with my kids. Eventually, I would like to end up farming or ranching somewhere.

Kevin-What was your welcome to D1 college baseball moment?

Grant- Probably my first appearance against Long Beach State. I remember it was a close game when I came in and we were already down. I threw alright but got squeezed a little bit with the zone. Brent absolutely flipped and got tossed after the game and had to sit the next one out. That was definitely an eye-opener.

Kevin-What was the most positive thing that came out of being injured last season?

Grant- Definitely watching and observing from a pitcher's standpoint. Also being humbled, especially with the struggles we had last season. I really think that the time you just shut up and watch can be more valuable than anything.

Kevin-Brent Kemnitz-how does he compare to other coaches you have had?

Grant-Without a doubt, the most entertaining and knowledgeable coach I've ever had. I feel really fortunate to have him as a coach and I'm excited to have another season with him.

Kevin-I got a chance to sit in on one of his pitchers meetings the other day and thought he had very useful information, especially for younger, more inexperienced guys. Apart from the talent WSU recruits on the mound, what do you think the x-factor is that helps Brent develop quality pitchers?

Grant- Absolutely without a doubt, his stamp is the mental game of pitching. Without that you're nothing. Brent really pounds home the mental game and that's what separates our staff from other pitching staffs around the nation.

Kevin-If you're not playing baseball or studying you're….?

Grant-Probably thinking about hunting.

Kevin-You are a Christian, what is your favorite Bible verse?

Grant- Favorite verse is Joshua 1:9. “Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous? Do not fear and be intimidated for our Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go”.

Kevin-We went through that phase of looking up John Rocker videos on youtube, what are your thoughts on that dude?

Grant (with a cheesy smile)- Oh yeah! Probably the worst role model somebody could possibly have as far as off the field goes. But, as far as his pitching, attitude, and bulldog style, I love him. I remember when Rocker first came on the scene throwing gas and being intense. That is definitely something I want to do, but keep more morals than him.

Kevin-Is it true that you once skunked Cody Lassely in a game of ping-pong?

Grant- Absolutely! It was a one-time deal, but it was a 7-0 skunk and he'll even admit to that.

Kevin-If you could face Gene or JT in their prime, which would it be and why?

Grant- It would be fun to face both, but I would have to say I would rather face Gene. Back in those prehistoric times I feel like I would have had a little bit more of an advantage. Plus, it would be funny to see him back in the day.

Thanks to Grant for being my first victim. Official practice starts Sunday and the team is anxious to get some real time on the field. I'll keep ya posted. That is the way it's looking From Down the Hall.

Jan. 20, 2010

The team enjoyed the last week of winter break by friendly (and some not-so-friendly) competition, team meals, and other activities during bonding week. Activities included racquetball, billiards, ultimate medicine ball, bowling, a spades tournament, and a basketball (lack of) skills competition. I know that Wichita State has a dominant bowling team, but after witnessing the baseball team's attempt to knock down the pins, it is apparent that those skills aren't inherited by simply attending school here.

Due to the clutch performance of McKeever's Maulers in the billiards tournament, they edged Baez's Bad Boys to win team week. Lassely's Lightning Bolts took third, and Jones' Jackalopes brought up the rear. Those sweet team names were brought to you by Gene Stephenson. Unfortunately, I was not on the winning team, or I would probably use this entire article to rub it in. Grand prize for winning was first dibs at a grab bag.

We all came together for a final dinner at Gene's house, where team awards from last year were handed out. Notable winners included: Clint McKeever (MVP and The Eagle's MVP), Jordan Cooper (Coleman Beacon of Light), Cody Lassley (Hustle Award) Tyler Grimes (Gold Glove Award), Tim Kelley (Most Valuable Pitcher), and Remington Johnson (Most Improved Player).

Peppering our daily bonding activities and meals were some intense workouts. Strength coach Nick Hoheisel rethought some aspects of our lifting program this year, and the results have been awesome. Most players have drastically increased their strength as well as size. After working out and practicing with this team through the off-season, I am happy I'm playing on this team as opposed to against it. We will be salty. Overall, it has been a long, fun, exhausting week.

As the high-testosterone bonanza that was team-bonding week is put behind us, we can all tell you what's next: business time.  We have started small group practice. Hitters will need to get their timing back, pitchers will need to get their arms ready for action, and with classes starting up we will all need to work on our time management skills. This week should be pretty basic, so be looking forward to an interview of some sort. And that's my view From Down the Hall.

Jan. 14, 2010

What's up Shocker fans? As you might be aware I am Kevin Hall, outfielder for the Shocks, and I will be taking over for Max Hutson this year in bringing you quality entertainment and information about our team that you probably will not be able to get by reading The Eagle, although you should still read The Eagle because unlike myself, Paul Suellentrop is a real reporter.

This year's articles will be full of exciting material, including interviews, weekly recaps, things to look forward to, and any other random thought that I want, because this is my show. I will have my notepad and IC-BX700 Sony voice recorder (thanks Santa) handy at all times to bring you regular, accurate info with minimal grammar miscues.

Prelude aside; there are many things to report. First off, CHECK OUT THE FACILITIES! Many of you came out during the Fall World Series and took a stroll on the new turf, but you probably have not had the chance to do the same in the brand new indoor practice facility. It is quite an impressive addition equipped with three batting cages, portable pitching mounds and machines, and a full turf infield. The improvements will help in recruiting, the refinement of our baseball skills, and avoiding frostbite during the next “arctic blast,” which will most likely strike on February 23rd when we open against KU in Lawrence. We are grateful for the donations and the hard work that made it available to our team this season.

On the subject of additions, our new volunteer assistant coach is former Shocker player Brandon Hall, no relation to yours truly. Eleven new players, either freshman or transfers, also join us and are ready and willing to contribute in big ways. Combined with returning players, our experienced coaching staff, and the Shocker faithful, the pieces are coming together to create a mosaic of a special team. Team bonding week started Wednesday the 13th, and small group practice starts next week. I'll be sure to fill you in on our progress.  2010 is going to be a good one, hope you enjoy the view From Down The Hall.