The RoundHouse | 6/15/2020 2:24:00 PM

 
Ross Cadena wanted to work on hand-eye coordination during the stay-at-home period and lacked his usual tools in Texas. He looked around the kitchen and improvised.
 
"I would hit beans out in the backyard at my house," he said. "Usually, I hit BBs before a game with a (hitting) stick. The only thing I had in the house was (brown) beans, so I said 'I'll just use beans. They're pretty small.'"
 
Baseball returns from the kitchens, backyards and lonely bullpens this week in Wichita with the opening of the Sunflower Collegiate League on Monday. On Tuesday, the eight-week Showcase at Eck Stadium starts its 5 p.m. doubleheaders with the Haysville Aviators playing the Wichita (18-under) Academy, followed by the Hutchinson Monarchs vs. the Newton Rebels. 
 
Admission is $5 and face coverings are required for fans. 
 
More than 20 Shockers are scheduled to play in the nine-team league, giving them a chance to reconnect and resume baseball after COVID-19 cut short the 2020 spring. 
 
"It's good to get back in the groove," said outfielder Hunter Gibson, who will play with the Wichita Sluggers. "When baseball is part of your life, and then it just disappears on you when you were having such a good season . . . it makes you really miss it. It makes you want it back."
 
Sunflower League teams are schedule to play around 35 games this summer, providing the Shockers a convenient vehicle to return to action and prepare for fall practices. Not every college baseball team is as fortunate.
 
Prominent leagues such as Cape Cod, New England Collegiate and California Collegiate, all traditionally summer homes for Shockers, canceled their 2020 season. Others, such as the Texas Collegiate and Coastal Plains, are starting in late June or early July. The Northwoods League is playing the season in geographic pods with different start dates and schedules. The Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters, an NBC World Series power and frequent destination for Shockers, will play a 30-game schedule beginning July 1 as an independent team after its California league canceled.
 
"We're going to have a lot of guys that are going to be able to get game reps, which is really important," Shockers coach Eric Wedge said. "They're going to have to be careful early on because they haven't played baseball in a long time. Baseball shape is different than just being in shape."
 
Wichita State's season came to an abrupt end with a 13-2 record and a 12-game winning streak after a March 8 win over Louisiana Tech. The Shockers view the summer – both on the field and in the Eck Stadium weight room - as a chance to continue learning and meet new Wichita State teammates.
 
"We'll be able to create a bond," said Cadena, who will also play for the Sluggers. "We're going to be with each other every day. I missed being with the guys on the team, not being here in Wichita."
 
Cadena started at catcher for the Shockers and is eager to resume his lessons in calling pitches, a change Wedge and his coaching staff made upon arrival last fall. Cadena learned that it is important to get to know his pitchers personally so he can learn how to work with them. During batting practice, he makes a point to mix with pitchers instead of sticking with other position players. Wedge notices that Cadena does a good job of catching bullpen sessions for a variety of pitchers.
 
"I've learned a lot in those short 15 games," Cadena said. "Prior to Wedge being here, I never really took the time to really know each individual pitcher's personality. I kind of just went to every single pitcher the same way. I think I approached different pitchers the wrong way. Now, knowing every pitcher's personality . . . I can go up to certain people and get on their butt a little bit and I can to other people and give them the confidence that they need to get back in the zone." 
 
Cade Clemons started 13 games as a freshman and moved from the outfield to shortstop. He will play for the Derby Twins. In high school, he played second base. While he is comfortable in the middle of the infield, he welcomes more work refining his skills at shortstop.
 
"I missed the competitive nature of baseball and missed my teammates," he said. "From a shortstop standpoint, I want to work on getting smoother, getting more comfortable."
 
Pitcher Jake Hamilton stepped into the role of No. 1 starter for the Shockers after transferring from junior college. He went 2-1 with a 4.26 earned run average in four starts as a junior. He expected to play in the minor leagues this summer after getting drafted. Instead, Major League Baseball cut its draft to five rounds (down from 40) and limited bonuses for non-drafted players to $20,000. Those cost-cutting measures will send many talented players, such as Hamilton, back to college.
 
Hamilton is scheduled to pitch Monday for the Hutchinson Monarchs in their opener vs. Newton. He spent most of the past three months at home in Oklahoma before returning to Wichita recently. At home, he worked out an indoor facility where he could throw off a mound and do conditioning work. 
 
"I'll be going back to Wichita State – that's great to have that to fall back on," Hamilton said. "I've been doing a lot to keep my arm in shape. I should be ready to go. We're still going to ease into it a little bit, but it's just not the same as throwing in a game when you're just throwing bullpens by yourself."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.