Wichita State baseball wins fifth straight, as pitchers strike out 12 K-State hitters

Opponents have been doing a lot of swinging and missing against the Wichita State baseball team’s pitching staff this season.

Kansas State was the latest victim on Wednesday at Eck Stadium, as the Shockers won their fifth straight game, a 2-1 victory, behind 12 strikeouts from three different pitchers and improved to 6-2 on the season.

Through eight games, WSU’s pitching staff ranks No. 17 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings at 12.1. To put in perspective just how impressive WSU’s pitchers have been in an albeit small sample size, the program record for strikeouts per nine innings is held by the 2018 team that registered 9.2.

“We just want to pound the zone, be aggressive,” WSU manager Eric Wedge said. “We want to put the offense on defense. Be aggressive in the zone and play good defense.”

Dominant pitching and strong defense has been the road map to success for WSU in its last five wins, all at Eck Stadium.

It has been a stunning reversal from last season, when the Shockers had a staff ERA of 5.39 and struggled with command. Through eight games this season, WSU’s staff ERA is 2.44. The last five games, WSU has allowed just five earned runs in 45 innings for a 1.00 ERA.

“The competitiveness with our guys now is off the charts,” WSU junior catcher Ross Cadena said. “It’s still not where it can be. There’s always improvement that needs to be made, but I think for the most part we have guys coming in and filling up the zone and doing their job.”

On Wednesday, that was senior Tommy Barnhouse, who made his season debut. The 6-foot-1 right-hander registered the victory, lasting 5 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run while striking out nine hitters and allowing just one walk.

Barnhouse said he was able to locate his fastball on both sides of the plate, then also throw his change-up and breaking ball for strikes. Another difference from last season is Wedge’s decision to allow the catcher and pitcher to call their own game instead of calling pitches from the dugout.

“The tempo is so much faster because we can go off pitches on the fly,” Barnhouse said. “I have more control, throwing pitches that I want to throw. I think you’re going to have more success throwing a pitch that you want to throw and you feel confident in, rather than being told to throw a pitch by someone else.”

The change has seemingly worked for every WSU starter. The Shockers’ weekend rotation of Jake Hamilton (18 strikeouts in 10 innings), Liam Eddy (14 strikeouts in 13 innings) and Preston Snavely (20 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings) have had strikeout success in every outing this season.

There’s a reason why the majority of college baseball teams call the pitches from the dugout, so allowing the catcher and pitcher to call their own game was a risk. But it’s one that has clearly worked early on.

“Tempo is an important thing for us and that’s why we have Ross calling the pitches,” Wedge said. “There’s been teaching moments every single game with that, but fewer than what I would have thought.”

After delivering the walk-off RBI in WSU’s 2-1 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, WSU freshman Cade Clemons smacked the second home run of his career in the third inning, giving the Shockers a 1-0 lead. An RBI single by Hunter Gibson that scored Couper Cornblum in the fifth inning proved to be the winning run, as Aaron Betchel relieved Barnhouse in the sixth inning and set up Connery Peters’ save.

Two runs was enough, as WSU’s pitching was also helped out by a handful of standout defensive plays made by Cadena behind the plate, senior Alex Jackson at third base and sophomore David VanVooren, who made his season debut, in center field.

“It doesn’t stop, we’re still pushing forward,” Wedge said. “Every day is development. Every day is about getting better. These young men are driving confidence from that. I want them to enjoy this (Wednesday). It’s a good win against a good team, but come (Thursday) we will turn the page and look forward.”

WSU baseball 2, Kansas State 1 (Wednesday)

WP: Barnhouse (1-0). LP: Ford (1-1). SV: Peters (1). E: KSU, Ford; WSU, Sigrist. LOB: KSU 5, WSU 10. 2B: KSU, Carinci (2); WSU, VanVooren (1); HR: KSU, Phillips (2); WSU, Clemons (2). SH: WSU, Jackson, Cadena. SB: KSU, Kokoska (4); WSU, Cadena (2). CS: KSU, Thompson. Umpires: Seth Buckminster, home; Mark Wagers, first; Lance Vaughn, second; Terry Harrison, third. T: 2:31. A: 1,515.

This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 7:57 PM.

Taylor Eldridge

The Wichita Eagle

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Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.