The RoundHouse | 6/8/2021 2:25:00 PM

 
Andrew Stewart grew up in Lawrence fielding rubber balls to help his hand-eye coordination and seeking baseball teams that value defense as much as he does.
 
"Growing up, the thing my dad taught me most was defense," Stewart said. "He would hit me 100 ground balls a day. I had a really good high school defensive coach that really helped me a lot. Going to Barton Community College, that head coach was a defensive specialist kind of coach, as well."
 
Stewart, a shortstop from Lawrence, found another place that insists on defense when he transferred to Wichita State in 2020. He moved into the starting lineup in early April and helped the Shockers compile a .978 fielding percentage that marks the program's best.
 
"Defense was the most consistent part of our season, for sure," coach Eric Wedge said. "What earned (Stewart) playing time was his defense and the way he solidified our infield. We gave him that consistent playing time and he just took it and ran with it." 
 
Wichita State finished its first full season under Wedge with a 31-23 record. It finished third in the American Athletic Conference at 18-13, the program's highest finish in three seasons as a member and its first winning record in conference play since 2014.
 
Wedge, who took over the coaching job for the abbreviated 2020 season, is 44-25 in his return to the Shockers He used every bit of the two seasons to establish how he wants the game played and learning which players will work to perform in that way. 
 
Stewart, whose father (Tom) pitched for Kansas, is one of those types. 
 
He struggled to hit for much of his time as a starter before ending the season on a seven-game hit streak. He hit. 309 over his final 13 games to lift his average to .201. While the improvement encouraged Wedge, starting Stewart 39 games at shortstop demonstrated the dedication to defense.

 "He's an all-in type of kid and when you watch him practice, watch him play, he has some strength to him in his persona," Wedge said. "I love that, especially up the middle. You need to have leadership personalities up the middle."
 
Much of the outlook for 2022 is on hold as the summer roster moves shake out. The professional draft is July 11 and reduced to 20 rounds from the previous 40. In addition to the departure of four seniors, there are several juniors, some of whom graduated this spring, who are draft-eligible and may not return. First baseman Garrett Kocis and third baseman Paxton Wallace, both all-conference picks, and catcher Ross Cadena are among that group whose future might be determined in mid-July.  
 
Pitcher Jace Kaminska, the conference Newcomer Pitcher of the Year, provides a solid starting point for the rotation in 2022. He went 8-1 with a 2.32 earned run average. Building out the rotation is one of the top priorities for 2022.
 
"The starting pitching needs to be better," Wedge said. "We need to be more consistent on the mound."
 
Shocker coaches returned to the road for recruiting this week. They will spend the rest of the summer monitoring the draft and the transfer portal, which will also shape the roster.
 
"We have to give it some time," Wedge said. "We'll have to see what happens with the draft. We'll see what happens with the portal, too."
 
The Shockers went through a conference schedule for the first time with Wedge. He pointed to those type of learning experiences as one of 2021's main features. After spending his career in professional baseball, Wedge now owns a full season of college experience to help him plan.
 
"Getting a chance to see all the teams in the league, vs. the unknown, was huge for me," he said. "We'll tweak some things and make some adjustments. Things we need to spend a little more time here, maybe a little less time there. We have to be as efficient as we can with that."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.