The RoundHouse | 2/14/2020 11:39:00 AM

 
Wichita State coach Eric Wedge makes it clear that rebuilding means interconnected factors are critical – playing crisp baseball, throwing strikes and throwing and fielding with accuracy and precision.
 
It is difficult to have one without the other and playing that efficient, smart style of baseball matters to Wedge.
 
"We've had a strong emphasis on pitching and defense," Wedge said. "The next step is to see how they respond and how they react. Where their heartbeat is when they step across those white lines. Regardless, it will turn out OK, because whatever we see, we'll be able to help them and they'll get better."
 
Executing that falls first on the weekend rotation that debuts on Friday at Northwestern State. The Shockers will roll out newcomer Jake Hamilton on Friday, followed by junior Liam Eddy and senior Preston Snavely.
 
Hamilton, a transfer from Rose State College, led the NJCAA with 137 strikeouts and an average of 16.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He rested his arm most of the fall.
 
"Very heady, smart," Wedge said. "He has a lot of life on the baseball."
 
Eddy earned Freshman All-America honors in 2018 after going 7-4 with 3.84 ERA. Last season, he went 5-8 with a 5.04 ERA.
 
"He's been as consistent as anybody we've had," Wedge said. "You know he's going to throw the ball over and trust his stuff."
 
Snavely is 7-5 in his career with a 6.04 ERA. He started 22 games the past two seasons. Wedge likes his smarts on the mound.
 
"He's one of the most mature pitchers we have," Wedge said. "I think he's doing a much better job of making his intellect and the way he thinks work for him. That's a big step for him."
 
Newcomers in the lineup – Injuries to shortstop Paxton Wallace and outfielder David VanVooren mean freshmen dot the opening weekend lineup.
 
Derek Shaver will play shortstop. Cade Clemons starts in center field with Couper Cornblum is the designated hitter.
 
"(Shaver) is confident for a young kid and plays with no fear," Wedge said. "Clemons is showing himself to be one of our better athletes for a young player. We liked him at shortstop. We liked him in center field. We've had in right field. He's done everything we asked and he has some raw power."
 
Jackson in action – Senior Alex Jackson spent most of his previous three seasons in the outfield, with occasional time at second base. He starts this season at third base, with Wallace's move to shortstop, and will hit second to give the Shockers speed at the top of the lineup. 
 
"Pretty early in the fall, or at least midway through the fall, we put him at third base and he's looked pretty good," Wedge said. "He's really taken to the position and done a nice job."
 
On offense – Wallace's absence this weekend – Wedge hopes he can return soon – robs the Shockers of one of their top returning hitters and their lone pick to the preseason all-conference team. He hit. 256 with nine home runs last season, matching departed infielder Luke Ritter for the team lead.
 
There is experience at the top of the order, however. 
 
Sophomore Jack Sigrist started 27 games last season and stole 10 bases will lead off and play second base. After Jackson, junior catcher Ross Cadena (.248 batting average with eight doubles), junior first baseman Garrett Kocis (.306 in 11 starts), senior left fielder Jacob Katzfey (.275 with eight doubles and 13 steals) and junior right fielder Hunter Gibson (.238 with five home runs) fill out the middle of the order.
 
Plan ahead – Don't expect much to come easily for the Shockers, but the schedule might offer some room to surprise.
 
Baseball America puts East Carolina, Houston and UConn in its preseason NCAA field. ECU, ranked No. 25, is the preseason favorite.
 
However, there is a lot of change in the American after a season in which 35 players were drafted, including Ritter in the seventh round. The American finished fifth in the RPI conference rankings last season after fourth-place spots the two previous seasons. Its lowest finish in its six-year history is sixth. 
 
History says that even with roster flux at the top, moving up in the American will be difficult for the Shockers. The schedule might help, since two of three teams picked directly ahead of the Shockers (USF, Cincinnati) come to Wichita in April.
 
Before they can worry about that, the non-conference schedule offers a chance for a good start. The Shockers don't face the LSU's and Texas Tech's that overwhelmed previous teams. This season's schedule seems comparable to 2018, when the Shockers started 9-1 on their way to a 35-21-1 record. 
 
The current Shockers aren't in that position, but they should be able to avoid being buried early. Fourteen of their first 20 games are at home and two of those six are neutral-site games. Challenging series against Louisiana Tech and Nebraska are at Eck Stadium. Louisiana Tech, picked third in Conference USA, swept the Shockers in a 2017 series in Louisiana. The Huskers are also playing under a new coach after Will Bolt replaced Darin Erstad. Nebraska is picked fourth in the Big 10 and returns eight of its top nine hitters.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.