Wichita State baseball is ranked again. Five things to know about the 2018 Shockers
While March for Wichita State is typically reserved for madness surrounding the men's basketball team, the Shockers baseball team has quietly been enjoying a resurgence this month.
After three straight losing seasons, Wichita State is garnering national attention with its 17-4 start. The Shockers, who were picked to finish sixth in the league in its preseason poll, are slated to open their inaugural American Athletic Conference season with a three-game series at East Carolina starting on Thursday.
Here are five things to catch you up on the 2018 Shockers:
1. WSU is off to its best start since 2008
WSU's 17-4 record through 21 games is the best start for the program in the last decade, since the 2008 team opened 18-3. That 2008 team, which included Conor Gillaspie, Andy Dirks, Rob Musgrave and Anthony Capra, was the last WSU team (48-17) to win more than 41 games and advance to a super regional.
A schedule that has featured 13 of 21 games against top-100 competition has earned WSU a No. 6 ranking in the latest RPI.
The Shockers are also starting to pop up on national rankings. They are ranked No. 18 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 22 by D1 Baseball, No. 23 by Perfect Game and No. 23 by USA Today. It is the first time WSU has received a national ranking since March 27, 2011.
"When you work like these guys have and like our coaching staff has, it's something that you want to happen," WSU manager Todd Butler said. "I don't really talk about the rankings or the RPI with the guys, but it is exciting to see our name up there."
2. The Shockers have stars
Many knew about the star power of juniors Greyson Jenista (outfielder) and Alec Bohm (third base), who were both projected as first-round draft picks before the season.
Both have lived up to their preseason hype. Bohm leads WSU in nearly every offensive category (.355 average, seven doubles, five home runs) and Jenista is hitting .328 with five home runs.
But the revelation has been freshman Liam Eddy, a 6-foot-4 starting pitcher.
Eddy leads the nation in wins with his 5-0 record, as he has a 1.57 earned-run average through his first six starts. He's struck out 27 batters in 34-plus innings, as Eddy is just the second Shocker freshman to win his first four starts and the first since David Haas in 1985.
"This team is a lot of fun because they all play for each other and we've got a lot of guys who can play," Butler said. "We might be the best secret of the Midwest."
3. WSU digs the long ball
Wichita State leads the nation in grand slams (five) and has belted 26 home runs in 21 games, a rate that is 16th-best in the country and tops in the American.
No one is better than Bohm with the bases loaded. He is 3-for-4 this season with three grand slams (No. 1 in the country). WSU is 8-for-17 in bases-loaded situations.
Chances are you're going to see a long ball if you watch the Shockers play this season.
"We've been playing good baseball and we want to see as many people come out and watch this season," said WSU senior Trey Vickers, who has two home runs this season. "We're going to put on a show for them. We hope Eck Stadium will have that exciting atmosphere like they've had in the past."
4. The pitching has drastically improved
Three straight losing seasons has coincided with the Shockers' pitching staff allowing a lot of runs.
Wichita State's pitching staff has drastically improved this season and it goes beyond the arrival of Eddy, the freshman ace. Codi Heuer is 4-0 with a 3.18 ERA and is coming off a 11-strikeout performance, while Connor Lungwitz is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA.
Chandler Sandburn (3.60 ERA, three saves), Clayton McGinness (2.08 ERA, 16 strikeouts in 13 innings), and Tommy Barnhouse (3.21 ERA, 20 strikeouts in 14 innings) have all been reliable relief options, as well.
WSU's pitching staff ranks second in the country in hits allowed per nine innings at 6.22. The Shockers have already registered nine quality starts after posting 12 all of last season.
"Give a lot of the credit to our pitching coach, Mike Steele," Butler said. "And a lot of it is hard work from our guys. A lot of them stayed home over the summer and worked out and really dedicated themselves to being in the best shape they could be in. The numbers right now look good. I'm pleased, but not satisfied."
5. WSU is a better team on the road
Wichita State has won 20 percent of its road games the last three seasons (5-22 in 2017, 4-19 in 2016, 6-19 in 2015) and hasn't won more than six road games since 2014.
The Shockers are well on their way to breaking through that barrier, as they are 4-3 on the road. The Shockers started the season with a three-game road sweep of McNeese State, the program's first non-conference road sweep since 2007, and also own a 7-4 win over Creighton, which is ranked No. 11 in RPI.
WSU's remaining road schedule includes mid-week games against Central Arkansas (126 RPI), Oklahoma State (91), Kansas (63), and Kansas State (85), as well as three-game conference series against East Carolina (12), Houston (140), Central Florida (74), and Memphis (219).
"We're going to be playing in a conference where universities really put money into the program," Butler said. "We're playing in fertile recruiting areas at schools with really good facilities. We're going to be playing in front of a lot of fans and it should be fun. This conference is about power pitching and physical position players with power. I'm looking forward to seeing how we stack up."
This story was originally published March 27, 2018 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Wichita State baseball is ranked again. Five things to know about the 2018 Shockers."