Baseball | 9/5/2020 8:41:00 AM
Wichita State started fall baseball practice on Thursday to begin the second season of coach
Eric Wedge's tenure. With health checks, no roster limits and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is again a different sort of routine for the Shockers.
But, the play on the field at Eck Stadium looks familiar and so does the roster – almost every important Shocker is back. Seniors
Alex Jackson,
Tommy Barnhouse and
Preston Snavely took advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted after the pandemic canceled most of the 2020 season to return. Pitcher
Jake Hamilton planned to play professionally before a draft shortened to five rounds made a return to college his best option.
The Shockers also welcome 23 newcomers, 15 of them freshmen. The fall season will end with the best-of-5 Shocker World Series (dates TBA).
Five things to watch as the Shockers get started this fall:
Normal remains a bit out of reach - The Shockers, because of the pandemic, aren't using their locker room. They moved into the new 10,000-square foot performance facility in January and got about two months use.
This fall, they pick up that day's practice gear, stacked neatly in rows, outside the stadium and dress in their car or the dugouts.
"That's what we have to do," Wedge said. "It's ironic, because we have this great facility, and we can't use it."
Weightlifting in the new facility is done in small groups, which makes for a long day with shifts beginning at 6:30 a.m.
Coaches and athletic trainers wear face coverings during drills.
Because of the pandemic, the NCAA did away with the usual 35-man roster limit for 2021 and relaxed scholarship restrictions. The Shockers have around 40 on the roster for the fall and Wedge is comfortable that his coaching staff can work with those numbers. He expresses wonderment when he hears of other schools with almost twice that number in fall practices.
"We have a responsibility to everybody that is here," Wedge said. "We want to make sure we're in a position to give everybody the attention they need."
Second time around - The Shockers often start scrimmages with one out and a runner on first each inning to create situations and force decisions.
The runner is supposed to be the last out of that team's previous at-bat. The returners are used to the routine and cover for their rookie teammates. The newcomers are learning.
"More times than not, they would not recognize that," Wedge said. "Ninety percent of the time, it was a veteran guy that got up and ran to first base, even though he wasn't the last out. They got it. This is about time. When you get out there, be ready to roll."
Since they were all newcomers last fall, Wedge is pleased to see returners jump back into the Shocker way of working hard in their second fall together.
"They're holding the young kids more accountable, because they know what we expect," Wedge said. "I'm asking them to be mentors to these young people because they understand it."
Winning as a routine - The 2020 Shockers went 13-2 and won 12 in a row before the pandemic ended their season. They played with a crispness and spirit that they enjoyed – one reason why seniors returned – and appealed to fans.
Wedge expects that camaraderie and style of play to remain a constant.
"It has to be a given," he said. "We enjoy coming to the ballpark. We have fun. We work hard. We play hard. It's a given."
Summer baseball paid off - While several summer collegiate leagues closed due to the pandemic, the Sunflower Collegiate League played on in and around Wichita and the Shockers took advantage.
First baseman
Garrett Kocis led the league with 10 home runs and hit .315 for Rose Hill. Outfielder
Hunter Gibson hit .371 with 27 RBI for Rose Hill. Pitcher
Liam Eddy compiled a 1.69 ERA for Hutchinson and teammate Snavely struck out 39 in 30 innings.
Corrigan Bartlett, a transfer from Saint Louis University, hit .301 with seven home runs, two doubles and 17 walks in 29 games for Cheney. Bartlett, from Maize, earned All-Atlantic 10 honors as an outfielder in 2019 at SLU.
"He had a great summer," Wedge said. "Local kid who wanted to come back. Strong. Has presence. He should be a great contributor for us."
Another good example - Left fielder
Couper Cornblum started all 15 games last season and hit .354 with four doubles and three triples. That earned him Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball after the abbreviated season.
Wedge is impressed with his improvements on defense this fall, whether it's taking better routes to fly balls, throwing or catching.
"He's really worked hard at it," Wedge said. "It's important to him, which means a lot to me. We talk about learning and toughness here, and that's a big part."
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
