Game 1: Wichita State (0-2) vs. SIUE (0-2)
Friday, Feb. 26 | 3 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium)
Game 2: Wichita State vs. SIUE
Saturday, Feb. 27 | 1 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium)
Game 3: Wichita State vs. SIUE
Sunday, Feb. 28 | 1 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium)
SCENE SETTER: Wichita State baseball (0-2) is scheduled to welcome the SIUE Cougars (0-2) to Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field, for a three-game series Feb. 26-28. The series opener is slated for 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, with game two on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 1 p.m. and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28.
SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO: KFH Radio 97.5 FM and 1240 AM will air the series against the Cougars. Former WSU standout pitcher (1991-94), and Pizza Hut Shockers Sports Hall of Famer
Shane Dennis and "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer
Mike Kennedy will split play-by-play duties until the conclusion of the Wichita State men's basketball season. Coverage will include a pregame and postgame show.
SERIES HISTORY: Wichita State and SIUE have only met four times, all-time. The Shockers are a perfect 4-0 in the series. WSU last faced SIUE in 2018, with the Shockers downing the Cougars in Wichita, 6-1.
SHOCKER NOTES: The Shockers enter the weekend at 0-2 overall after dropping a pair of home games to 17th-ranked Oklahoma State Sunday, Feb. 21, and Monday, Feb. 22 ... WSU fell to the Cowboys Sunday, 3-1, before dropping a 14-6 decision Monday ... Through two games, Wichita State is paced at the plate by senior outfielder
Corrigan Bartlett (.714 avg., 1 R, 5 H, 1 RBI, .714 SLG%, .750 OB%), sophomore infielder
Jack Sigrist (.444 avg., 4 H, 1 BB, 1 SB) and junior catcher
Ross Cadena (.444 avg., 4 H, 1 3B, 2 RBI, .667 SLG%) ... On the mound, the Shockers are paced by junior right-hander
Liam Eddy (0-1, 5.40 ERA, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO) and redshirt sophomore right-hander
Ryan Stuempfig (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO).
SCOUTING SIUE: The SIUE Cougars out of the Ohio Valley Conference enter the weekend at 0-2 overall after dropping a doubleheader at home in Edwardsville, Ill., to Illinois State Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6-1 and 9-1 ... Through two games, the Cougars are paced offensively by redshirt senior infielder
Raul Elguezabal (.500 avg., 3 H, 1 2B, .667 SLG%, .500 OB%) and redshirt junior infielder
Connor Kiffer (.500 avg., 3 H, 1 2B, .667 SLG%, .500 OB%) ... On the rubber, SIUE is led by freshman right-hander Noah Matheny (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO) and freshman lefty Griffin Bruder (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) ... As a team, SIUE is hitting .160 with a 9.00 ERA and 1.000 fielding percentage ... The Cougars were picked to finish seventh out of 11 teams in the OVC preseason poll ... SIUE is under the leadership of fifth season head coach
Sean Lyons.
QUICK START: Senior outfielder
Corrigan Bartlett hit a blistering .714 with five hits in his Shocker debut against Oklahoma State Feb. 21-22. Bartlett transferred to WSU this season from Saint Louis University.
WELCOME TO THE ICT: WSU welcomes 18 newcomers to Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field, this season, including infielders
Andrew Stewart (So.),
Jalon Mack (Fr.),
Jordan Rogers (Fr.); outfielders
Chuck Ingram (Fr.),
Seth Stroh (Fr.) and
Corrigan Bartlett (Sr.); catchers
Noah Greise (Fr.),
Gage Williams (Fr.) and
Cooper Harris (Fr.); right-handed pitchers
Jace Kaminska (Fr.),
Cameron Bye (Fr.),
LJ McDonough (So.),
Josh Hansell (Fr.) and
Konnor Lewis (Fr.); and left-handed pitchers
Spencer Hynes (R-Jr.),
Christian Clack (Fr.),
Gareth Stroh (Sr.) and
Ryne Schooley (R-Fr.).
PRESEASON All-CONFERENCE HONORS: Freshman outfielder
Couper Cornblum and junior right-hander
Liam Eddy were both named to the American Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. Cornblum, a native of Woodway, Texas, led the Shockers at the plate in 2020 with a .354 average, while Eddy, who hails from Brighton, Colo., paced WSU on the rubber with a 1.73 ERA in 26 innings pitched.
PREVIEWING 2021: The Shockers return 21 letterwinners, including seven position players and 10 pitchers from last season's team that posted a 13-2 overall record and won its final 12 games before the 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic ... Returning starting position players include freshman outfielder
Couper Cornblum (.354 avg., 4 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI), junior outfielder
Hunter Gibson (.316 avg., 4 2B, 2 HR, 17 RBI), junior catcher
Ross Cadena (.271 avg., 4 2B, 6 RBI, 1.000 fld%), junior infielder
Garrett Kocis (.250 avg., 3 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI), sophomore infielder
Jack Sigrist (.250 avg., 4 2B, 4 RBI, 10 BB, 9 SB), freshman infielder
Cade Clemons (.238 avg., 1 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI) and senior infielder
Alex Jackson (.235 avg., 2 2B, 5 RBI, 4 SB) ... On the mound, Wichita State returns its entire 2020 starting rotation in junior right-handers
Liam Eddy (2-0, 1.73 ERA, 26.0 IP, 7 R, 5 ER, 22 SO, 6 BB) and
Jake Hamilton (2-1, 4.26 ERA, 19.0 IP, 9 R, 9 ER, 33 SO, 9 BB), and senior right-handers
Preston Snavely (2-1, 2.95 ERA, 21.1 IP, 8 R, 7 ER, 28 SO, 6 BB) and
Tommy Barnhouse (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 11.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 14 SO, 2 BB) ... Returning relievers are junior right-handed closer
Foster Gifford (1-0, 0.00, 4 SV, 8.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 7 SO, 1 BB), in addition to junior RHPs
Aaron Bechtel (2-0, 2.08 ERA, 8.2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 9 SO, 4 BB) and
Jacob Lindemann (0-0, 7.71 ERA, 2.1 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 SO, 3 BB), and sophomore RHPs
Connery Peters (1-0, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 9 SO, 1 BB) and
Aaron Haase (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 9.1 IP, 9 R, 7 ER, 11 SO, 5 BB), as well as redshirt sophomore righty
Ryan Stuempfig (1-0, 1.93 ERA, 14.0 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 15 SO, 7 BB) ... Last season, Eddy ranked ninth in The American in pitching with a 1.73 ERA ... Cornblum was 13th in the conference in hitting with a .354 batting average.
CORNBLUM, EDDY HONORED BY D1BASEBALL.COM: Couper Cornblum and
Liam Eddy were both listed on D1Baseball.com's Preseason Power Rankings for 2021. Cornblum was 76th on the Top-100 Outfielders list while Eddy was 87th on the Top-150 Starting Pitchers list.
NOTABLE STREAKS: On-Base: Jack Sigrist has successfully reached in 26 games dating back to the 2019 season. He reached base at least once in all 15 of the Shockers' games in 2020.
Hunter Gibson has reached successfully in his last 16 games.
THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: The Shockers have an all-time record of 836-267-2 at Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field, dating back to 1988. WSU posted a perfect 10-0 record at home in 2020 before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ON DECK: The Shockers are scheduled to travel to Tulsa, Okla., to take on Oral Roberts in a single game Tuesday, March 2, at 3 p.m. before hosting Dixie State (Utah) in a three-game series at Eck Stadium March 5-7.
