Shockers expect batting woes will work themselves out

As most of Wichita State’s hitting trends move downward, the most hopeful path toward improvement may just be to wait.

Baseball is a game of randomness, after all, and if the last 14 games don’t tell the true story of WSU’s offensive potential, the law of averages suggests a different story soon.

In WSU’s 3-2 loss to Sacramento State on Wednesday, the Shockers scored fewer than five runs for the fifth straight game. Their hitting troubles pre-date the current stretch, back to WSU’s first loss after a 7-0 start.

WSU (11-10) plays No. 3 Texas Tech in a weekend series beginning Friday at Eck Stadium.

“It’s just percentages,” WSU outfielder Greyson Jenista said. “They’re going to go our way. We’re working. Put in the work, put in the time and it’ll change. We’ve got good coaches, we’re listening to them every day, and we do their plan. It’ll change.”

After the 7-0 start against Utah Valley, Grand Canyon and Omaha, WSU was batting .275 with a .372 on-base percentage and .437 slugging average. Those numbers have all suffered against much improved competition.

In the 14 games since, WSU has batted .222 with a .307 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .317, which essentially means the Shockers average a single every three at-bats or so.

WSU rarely strings hits together and rarely has a breakout performance from any player. Jenista, at .313, is the only regular batting better than .275.

“We haven’t had anybody go 4 for 5 of 5 for 5 or three guys have three hits,” WSU coach Todd Butler said. “We haven’t had any of that. We’ll get one hit, and our 2-3-4 in our order might go 2 for 11. We need those guys in the middle to do more offensively.

“Sometimes a walk can (ignite) an offense, a good at-bat. We just need to work off of good at-bats.”

Through the downward trends, it’s difficult to find a way for WSU’s lineup to improve its versatility. Seven times during the last 14 games, WSU has had one extra-base hit or none. The Shockers have hit two home runs this month.

All nine of WSU’s stolen bases in the last 14 games happened during three games, and WSU has struck out, on average, more than once per inning since the undefeated start.

The path for improvement may lead toward diminished competition. The Shockers start play in the Missouri Valley Conference, whose teams own a combined 78-79 record, in two weeks.

Until then, difficult opponents such as Texas Tech and Oklahoma State await. Against Louisiana Tech, LSU, Cal Poly, Oklahoma and Oral Roberts, WSU batted .201. Against everyone else, the Shockers hit .292.

“The guys are coming to play, just not getting any hits,” Butler said. “You think the percentages can change. You think that they will change, and we’d like to see them change quickly.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Shockers expect batting woes will work themselves out."