In search of quality starts, WSU baseball heads to Cincinnati: “We need to start clicking”
A staff earned-run average of 7.00 has been the culprit behind an uneven season so far for the Wichita State baseball team.
The Shockers’ pitching staff ranks last in many of the categories you don’t want to be last in — team ERA, opposing batting average (.296) and extra-base hits allowed (46) — and ranks near the top in the categories you don’t want to be high on — walks, wild pitches and hit batters — among the American Athletic Conference teams.
It’s left WSU with a 20-20 overall record and a 5-7 mark in conference play, as the Shockers head to Cincinnati (19-22, 8-7 AAC) for a three-game series which is set to start 5 p.m. Friday.
Improved pitching is at the top of coach Todd Butler’s wish list for this weekend.
“Anytime you walk guys, that leaves you vulnerable,” Butler said. “Teams can bunt them over or they can steal and then one swing and that’s a run. We’re trying to get our guys to be more competitive in the zone. A big key for us is starting pitching, and I’ve challenged our guys to out-last the opposing starter. That’s something we’ve been trying to solve and trying to get guys deeper into games.”
WSU failed to register that kind of start Tuesday in a 9-4 loss to Oklahoma at Eck Stadium. Starter Ryan Stuempfig lasted just 2 2/3 innings, as Butler had to dip into his bullpen before the fourth inning for the 12th time this season.
Counting Stuempfig, a redshirt freshman, Butler used a total of five freshmen pitchers (Calvin Marley, Connery Peters, Aaron Haase and Miller Pleimann). The idea is to season as many young pitchers as possible. While they are taking their lumps now, Butler hopes going forward that this experience allows them to develop faster into reliable arms.
“We’re trying to get those guys to graduate and get better and better for us,” Butler said.
The upside this weekend is that the Shockers are facing the only other AAC team that hands out more free passes than they do. While WSU is averaging 5.4 walks per 9 innings, Cincinnati’s pitching staff is dead-last at 7.1 walks per 9 innings.
The downside is WSU will be without Tommy Barnhouse (2-2, 5.35 ERA), who has been a weekend starter all season, and without sophomore Garrett Kocis (.306 batting average) at first base. That leaves WSU with Liam Eddy (4-4, 4.73 ERA) starting Friday’s game and Preston Snavely (3-4, 5.60 ERA) starting Saturday’s game. Butler is undecided about Sunday’s starter.
“It’s the start of the second-half of conference play and we’re still grinding and demanding and expecting greater performances from our players,” Butler said. “We’re still in this race. There’s no pressure or panic on this team or this coaching staff. We’re working every day to build this team with more confidence. We need to start clicking. That’s pitching, defending the field and timely hitting. This is where we need to start making that push.”
WSU baseball at Cincinnati
Records: WSU 20-20, 5-7 AAC; Cincinnati 19-22, 8-7 AAC
When: 5 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. Sunday
Where: Marge Schott Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Radio: KNSS, 1330-AM
Probable pitchers: WSU: RH Liam Eddy (4-4, 4.73 ERA), RH Preston Snavely (3-4, 5.60), TBA; Cincinnati, RH David Orndorff (2-1, 4.50), LH Evan Shawver (2-5, 4.50), LH Garrett Shoenle (2-1, 5.83 ERA)