Wichita State shortstop Trey Vickers enters sophomore season happy to be free of back pain
Wichita State shortstop Trey Vickers took three at-bats in the fall of 2014 before a stress fracture in his back altered his freshman season. While he started 35 games last spring, the injury to his fifth lumbar vertabrae forced him to wear a tan back brace, fastened with Velcro, under his uniform.
“Last year I felt more like a quarterback wearing a rib protector,” he said. “I felt heavy. Like I had a frickin’ bullet-proof vest on.”
Vickers, a sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Mo., is free of the brace as the Shockers start practice on Friday at Eck Stadium. For the first time as a Shocker, he looks and feels like a baseball player.
“You can definitely see it in the field,” sophomore outfielder Keenan Eaton said. “He has more range to his left and his right. He’s throwing easier. You can really notice it in his swing, with the rotation; he was a little limited last season.”
Twisting, bending, swiveling — pick a baseball movement and the injury and brace affected Vickers.
“It was more of a mental thing,” he said. “I felt tight and heavy because of it. I couldn’t lift. I couldn’t run for about two months.”
Now past a year of rehab and recovery, Vickers can practice and work on his strength and endurance without limits. While his lower back occasionally stiffens, he is past most of the pain and hesitancy that come with the injury. His weight is back up to around 190 pounds and he worked in the summer with a speed coach in Kansas City to improve his sprinting and agility.
“He’s moving a lot better,” WSU coach Todd Butler said. “Bending over at times kind of bothered him. We really tried to protect him and take care of him, and he made it through the season.”
Vickers took over the shortstop job in late March when a broken cheek sidelined Tanner Kirk. Even limited by the injury, he gave the Shockers stability at shortstop. He hit .252 with two doubles and earned honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference honors after hitting .302 in 17 conference games. Butler credits his smooth adjustment, despite the injury, to a calm, positive demeanor.
“He’s kind of the Cool Hand Luke,” Butler said, “He’s the one guy that has the same consistent heartbeat. He never did get worked up when we played Texas or TCU, when the bright lights were on. He’s very solid.”
Vickers sees baseball as a sport that should be fun, even in tough times. If he is having fun, especially at the leadership-heavy shortstop position, so will teammates. That, he believes, is the best way to play baseball.
“That’s my philosophy,” he said. “I work really hard to make it look easy. Even when I make an error, I try and make it look like the best error that’s ever been made. I always try to have fun with it, make it look like I’m enjoying it.”
Butler likes that part of Vickers’ personality. He enjoys listening to him banter with teammates during practice, especially roommate Gunnar Troutwine, a catcher.
“Trey always has a few words for everything that goes on,” Troutwine said. “It’s comon baseball things, giving me a hard time if I don’t make a good throw. Sometimes I might fire back at him when he, rarely, misses a ground ball. I would say we stay on top of each other, because we expect a lot out of each other.”
Vickers is one of six returning starters for the Shockers, who went 26-33 last season. With that experience back, Butler will start scrimmages on Friday and throughout the weekend. The Shockers started individual practices in small groups earlier this month.
“These guys know what we’re doing,” Butler said. “We have great weather and we have to take advantage of that.”
Morris to speak at First Pitch Banquet — WSU’s First Pitch Banquet is next Thursday at Koch Arena.
Former Major League pitcher Jim Morris, subject of the movie “The Rookie” is the guest speaker.
Dinner begins at 6 p.m.. For ticket information go to goshockers.com or call the ticket office at (316) 978-3267.
Paul Suellentrop: 316-269-6760, @paulsuellentrop
Shockers start baseball practice
Three things to know as Wichita State begins baseball practice on Friday
▪ Butler gave his team a good health report.
Outfielder Keenan Eaton is slowed by a hamstring injury. Freshman pitcher Connor Lungwitz, who underwent minor shoulder surgery in August and didn’t throw in the fall, is throwing without restrictions. Freshman pitcher Codi Heuer is rehabbing a strained back.
“(Lungwitz) threw really well in the indoor facility the other day,” Butler said. “He’s starting to let the ball loose and he’s comfortable. He’s going to have his chance to make his move as the season develops.”
▪ WSU’s pitchers will increase their pitch counts to start the season.
Butler wants his starters to eat up more innings and take some burden off the bullpen. The starters will start scrimmage throwing around 60 pitches and Butler want them capable of throwing 75 or 80 by the season opener on Feb. 19 against Northern Colorado.
▪ The position battles with the most intrigue are in left and right field.
Butler likes senior Mikel Mucha, his best defender, in center. He will choose from among Eaton, a sophomore who started 12 games last season, and redshirt freshmen Travis Young, Josh DeBacker and Bret Fehr and freshman Dayton Dugas to complete the outfield.
“They’re very athletic,” Butler said. “Our speed really comes from our outfield.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Wichita State shortstop Trey Vickers enters sophomore season happy to be free of back pain."