The RoundHouse | 1/26/2021 1:50:00 PM
Assistant athletic director
Loren Hibbs estimates Wichita State's baseball schedule is on its 25th-revision since October as it nears completion this week.
In normal times, Hibbs guesses he might oversee four or five changes.
"Crazy year," he said. "It's been a lot different this go-around and there may be some changes going forward."
COVID-19, of course, is responsible for the shifting schedule and the absence of familiar rivals. Hibbs said the scheduling plan starts with targeting teams in the top 100 of the power rankings for home and home series.
In 2021, two factors complicate the process and result in a schedule that looks different from past seasons.
- The American Athletic Conference decided to eliminate midweek games once conference play begins. That move is designed to limit COVID-19 interruptions and preserve pitching staffs because the AAC is going to four-game weekend series.
- Any Wichita State opponent must meet or exceed the American's testing protocol of at least twice a week.
Most noticeably, the Shockers won't play Kansas, Oklahoma State or Oklahoma. Those series are casualties of the ban on midweek games, Hibbs said.
"We had all those games schedule previously," Hibbs said. "When that option was taken off the table, we lost all those games."
Wichita State will play Kansas State and Oral Roberts early in the season. A trip to Arizona, ranked No. 15 by Baseball America, also highlights the non-conference schedule. Hibbs said the Wildcats will return the series to Eck Stadium during a future season.
Conferences are taking different approaches to 2021 scheduling. Many schools are leaving themselves room within the 56-game schedule to add games in case of cancellations.
The Big 10 is expected to play a 44-game conference-only schedule. The SEC and Big 12 are sticking with a three-game weekend series with schools able to schedule midweek games.
The Southland and Mid-American conferences are playing 40 conference games with four-game series. The Big South is playing 40 conference games – with single midweek games and three-game weekends series – and 10 non-conference games.
The ACC limits its members to 50 games while retaining three-game weekend series. Conference USA and the Sun Belt will drop from 30 conference games to 24 to reduce travel.
"All in all, I think we're happy with the way the schedule ended up," Hibbs said. "We'll see how it all plays out."
Hibbs said the Shockers were scheduled for three midweek games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. He is optimistic that will continue in future seasons.
"We're trying to do some things to upgrade and create a little series with those," Hibbs said. "We may end up doing that with K-State, as well."
He also expects a series with Long Beach State – long a staple of schedules – will return in the future.
The Shockers will play two games at Stetson, as well as facing Florida International, in March. Stetson director of athletics Jeff Altier is chair of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.
"If we have aspirations of playing at the next level, we get a chance to go down there and he can see us and get that visual," Hibbs said.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
