WSU set for road showdown at Creighton

Paul Suellentrop — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:44 CST

Team

Shocker softball ready for a fresh start

Paul Suellentrop — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:32 CST

Rachel Milnark started 54 games at second base last season. Sammie Shook earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors at third for Wichita State’s softball team.

If that sounds like a good start to an infield, well, nothing is safe when a new coach takes over. WSU coach Kristi Bredbenner started looking at players and positions last fall, part of the many changes instituted. Milnark is now playing center field for the first time in her life. Shook is at first base, a position she played once in high school.

“You expect to be moved around to new positions and it never really catches you off guard,” Shook said. “Switching positions, it happens for a lot of people. We had ordered gloves and she ended up ordering me a first baseman’s glove that I didn’t know I was getting. I started working in from there.”

Shocker women put first place on the line at Missouri State

TAYLOR ELDRIDGE — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:13 CST

There’s a special buildup to rivalry games. Senses become heightened, and dull everyday routines are injected with life as the game approaches.

That holds true for tonight’s game between the Wichita State women and Missouri State at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo.

Then there’s the additional story line of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference, plus a regional television broadcast.

Join a live chat with Wichita State beat reporter Paul Suellentrop at 1 p.m. today

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:24 CST

Wichita State baseball plans expanded role for Minnis

Paul Suellentrop — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:13 CST

Wichita State pitcher Albert Minnis never played football, so he never played special teams.

Yet his goal this season is to leave that reputation behind. Minnis, in the mind of pitching coach Brent Kemnitz, is one of those pitchers who gets too aggressive on the mound — like a football player barreling downfield to make a tackle.

“Pitching like his hair is on fire,” Kemnitz said.

Paul Suellentrop’s MVC Report (Feb. 9)

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:13 CST

Bradley breakdown

Bradley coach Geno Ford can’t wait for March. Then he can start recruiting. His first season in Peoria will finish on March 1 in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and he can put the whole miserable experience behind him.

The Braves are by far the worst team in the MVC. They are losing games by unprecedented margins — most recently 78-48 at Illinois State on Saturday — and their best player is a senior.

Wichita State’s varied attack overwhelms Northern Iowa

Paul Suellentrop — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05 CST

Wichita State pounds away at defenses with center Garrett Stutz. Then it can snipe away with three-point shots. The Shockers become impossible to defend when they score from in between, which is where Toure Murry specializes.

WSU grabbed sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with Wednesday’s 82-57 win over Northern Iowa on Wednesday at Koch Arena. The Shockers made 12 of 19 three-pointers, burying the Panthers early and again in the second half.

“They were sticking shots from everywhere,” Northern Iowa guard Johnny Moran said. “They came out and hit some hard, tough shots. They had it going.”

Wichita State finding success close to the hoop

Paul Suellentrop — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:46 CST

Wichita State guard Demetric Williams likes the evidence displayed by the shot chart of Wednesday’s second half. The Shockers took three shots outside of about six feet from the basket and two more just outside the lane.

The basket is the target, and the Shockers get credit for good grouping. They scored 40 points, 28 in the second half, in the lane against Indiana State.

“We knew we had to get it inside,” Williams said. “(Garrett) Stutz is playing phenomenal, so we’re trying to get him the ball more. It’s people being more mature and seeing the game, what’s going on during the game, and adapting.”

Shockers’ Stutz named MVC player of the week

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:16 CST

Wichita State senior Garrett Stutz earned Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball player of the week honors.

Stutz, a center from Kansas City, Mo., averaged 24.5 points and 13 rebounds in wins over Indiana State and Missouri State. He made 17 of 30 shots in the two games and 14 of 17 free throws. His two double-doubles give him eight for the season, most by a Shocker since Jamie Arnold had eight in 1996-97.

Stutz’s 24 points against Indiana State pushed him over 1,000 for his career. He has 1,016 points, ranking him No. 38 at WSU.

Shocker women shoot past Drake

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:04 CST

Wichita State’s women’s basketball teaam beat Drake 74-56 on Saturday afternoon in Des Moines.

The Shockers hit 56.4 percent of their shots while earning a split of two road games this week, and it kept WSU in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Jessica Diamond led the attack, hitting 10 of 13 shots and scoring 22 points. Jazimen Gordon added 13 points and two blocks, while Haleigh Lankster had 12 points and five steals.

Tuliamuk hits road seeking toughest competition

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:03 CST

Next weekend, Wichita State’s track and field team travels to Geneva, Ohio to compete against schools such as Florida State, Ohio State, Texas, Michigan, Auburn and Indiana.

Strong field. Just not strong enough for distance runner Aliphine Tuliamuk. She will go it alone at the Iowa State Classic in a loaded 5,000-meters field.

“It is super-difficult to find a great race for such a good athlete,” WSU coach Steve Rainbolt said. “There’s a handful of girls in the nation that can run with her.”

Wichita State claws back into Missouri Valley lead by beating Indiana State

Paul Suellentrop — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:31 CST

Wichita State ended a long Saturday by getting back to first place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Long because the game started at 9 p.m. Long because Indiana State showed up with its St. Louis attitude and gave the Shockers fits. Long because the Shockers had three hours to think about the Creighton loss that gave them a chance to tie the Bluejays.

WSU handled all that to defeat the Sycamores 71-66 at Koch Arena. After a cold-shooting first half, the Shockers made 16 of 27 shots in the second half and outscored Indiana State by10 points. Center Garrett Stutz led WSU with 24 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, marking his fourth straight game with 20 or more points.

Shocker crowds aren’t quite as crowded as they used to be

Paul Suellentrop — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:01 CST

Jon Fenwick went to Wichita State in the 1990s, a tough era for basketball fans. Yet he remembers getting to games early to grab a front-row student seat to watch those teams play.

So he, and others, wonder about the crowds this season. WSU averages 10,378 fans, second in the Missouri Valley Conference and a mark that will almost certainly rank in the top 50 nationally.

Attendance is nothing to complain about.

Wichita State’s Friesen keeps improving

TAYLOR ELDRIDGE — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:30 CST

There is a good chance that Wichita State junior Tanya Friesen will be standing on the podium at the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships at the end of this month.

Friesen sprouted her first two seasons at WSU, learning the ins and outs of becoming a multi-event scorer, but she is blossoming this year. On Friday at the Varsity Apartments Invitational, the Buhler native won the pentathlon with a score of 3,574, a personal-best and a Heskett Center record.

But if it was up to Friesen, she would have never been a pentathlon or heptathlon athlete.

Creighton beats WSU women

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:21 CST

Creighton edged the Wichita State women’s team 61-59 on Thursday night in Omaha.

The Shockers quickly built a 16-6 lead in the first half, but the Bluekays whittled away and went into halftime up 30-29. WSU reclaimed the lead when Haleigh Lankster hit a three-point shot nine seconds into the second half, and WSU maintained a narrow edge for the next 14 minutes.

But WSU scored just 10 points in the game’s final 12 minutes, and Creighton was able to pull out a narrow win. Creighton dominated the boards, outrebounding WSU 47-22. Defense kept the Shockers alive, forcing 21 turnovers and limiting Creighton to 36.4 percent shooting.

Shockers play host to indoor track meet

Paul Suellentrop — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:27 CST

With three weeks remaining before the Missouri Valley Conference indoor championships, Wichita State coach Steve Rainbolt is ready to measure his track and field team.

WSU competes in the Varsity Apartments Invitational at the Heskett Center today and Saturday. Rainbolt is particularly interested in his multi-athletes, who will perform for the first time this indoor season.

“This is a great opportunity for us to rehearse a team atmosphere for the conference championship,” Rainbolt said. “Missouri State appears to have a strong team on the women’s side, and they are are here. Because of distance, it’s been tough to get Valley teams to come to Wichita State. They look like a strong team.”

Read the transcript from Thursday's Shocker chat transcript

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:13 CST

Wichita State gets past Missouri State 74-67

Paul Suellentrop — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:29 CST

It took the usual ingredients for Wichita State to get its road karma going again. A lot of Garrett Stutz. A three-point shooter got hot. A long stretch of good defense and rebounding.

Those are the main reasons the Shockers are 7-1 away from home, and Saturday’s triple-overtime loss to Drake didn’t change anything. WSU rebounded with a 74-67 win over Missouri State on Wednesday night at JQH Arena to remain one game behind Creighton in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.

“It was a kind of downer up there, and no one wants to lose a triple-overtime game on the road, especially when we should have won,” Stutz said of Drake. “We got back to doing what we’re used to doing. Whenever we start making shots, we’re a very quality team.”

WSU women embark on tough road to MVC title

Taylor Eldridge — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:50 CST

The Wichita State women’s basketball team is not ready to accept anything from its 8-1 start to Missouri Valley Conference season.

The road to the program’s first Valley title is certainly a difficult one. Starting with tonight’s game at Creighton, the Shockers will play five of their final nine games on the road against opponents that have combined to post an 18-4 mark at home in conference play.

But history is on the Shockers’ side. Every season in the last decade, the Valley leader at the midway point was 8-1 or better. Only once, in 2007 when Illinois State finished 4-5 the second half, has a team not won at least a share of a conference championship.

Paul Suellentrop’s MVC report (Feb. 2)

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:33 CST

What Valley team has the most at stake in February? We will assume Creighton and Wichita State continue on their current paths and both are solidly in the NCAA Tournament come March.

That leaves Northern Iowa, which squandered a good non-conference performance with mystifying conference losses. Making the NCAA Tournament is much better than playing in the NIT. But the NIT is also a step up from the two lower-tier tournaments that exist. UNI, an NCAA team, in 2009 and 2010, played in the CollegeInsider.com tournament last season.

Playing in that tournament two seasons in a row isn’t progress.

Wichita Eagle: Wichita State Shockers