The RoundHouse | 5/18/2020 2:44:00 PM
Podcast with baseball's Jack Sigrist and other Shockers talking about life during the pandemic.
By
Paul Suellentrop
These are not the well-known dog days of the baseball season, the part of the schedule where motivation is difficult after the season-opening burst fades and the post-season is either out of reach or weeks away.
This is worse. This is no baseball.
Three of Wichita State's five seniors, however, remain attached to the team and enthusiastic about another season at Eck Stadium. Pitchers
Preston Snavely and
Tommy Barnhouse and third baseman
Alex Jackson plan to return in 2021 to use the eligibility taken by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the professional draft might change their plans, the pandemic also changed that process. The draft, June 10-11, is cut to five rounds (from 40) and, in a cost-cutting move by the organizations, bonuses are limited to $20,000 for players not drafted.
"I'm just trying to play this sport as long as I can," Barnhouse said. "If I can go on and play pro ball, I'll go do that. If that's not right for me, I'm going to come back."
Snavely intends to get his master's degree in sport management and didn't want to pass up a year with Wichita State coach
Eric Wedge and assistants
Mike Pelfrey and
Mike Sirianni. Learning from the major league experiences of Wedge and Pelfrey, in particular, is of value.
"It was a pretty easy decision for me," Snavely said. "I think is a great opportunity, something I may not get later on in life or out in the real world. Those guys are great mentors and coaches and they just lead you down the right path."
That is the environment Wedge wanted to create when he took the job at Wichita State in 2019. Barnhouse started two games in the spring and didn't allow a run in 11 2/3 innings. Snavely went 2-1 in four starts with a 2.95 ERA. Jackson started 14 games at third base and hit .235
"You want people to want to come to the ballpark, and not just opening day," Wedge said. "When you get to the dog days of the season, and they're tired, you want them to want to come to the ballpark. That's more than half the battle."
Wichita State went 13-2 and ended the season on a 12-game winning streak. That success also makes it attractive to return for 2021. Jackson enjoyed the chemistry and teamwork the Shockers exhibited.
"It would be really hard to walk away from that, especially what we had going on in the short amount of time we were allowed to play," he said. "We're only getting better. I'm excited to see what this team can do."
Until the Shockers return for the fall – and depending on what athletics look like in the fall – they are working out in small groups. There is some hope that leagues will pick up later this summer and get Shockers in those areas back on the field.
"I haven't really been throwing until lately, when we heard about the possibility of summer ball coming back," Barnhouse said. "Now I'm transitioning into getting myself ready to pitch."
Wedge sent the Shockers home in March by pushing them to make good decisions regarding the pandemic, be helpful and demonstrate good leadership. The Shockers worked out in their garages, basements and backyards, doing what they could to stay active.
Losing these weeks of potential physical and mental progress is a blow.
"You still can't assume there's going to be summer ball, you can't assume what's going to happen in the fall," he said. "All you can do is make sure your mind and body is ready to go. Everybody is in the same boat. What we want to try to do is look for those opportunities to gain an edge on others."
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
