Wichita State’s Willie Schwanke shuts down Cal Poly in series opener

Willie Schwanke solved the drama surrounding Wichita State pitching on Thursday with a career-best performance in a 6-0 win over Cal Poly at Eck Stadium.

After the game, Shockers coach Todd Butler explained the mystery from earlier in the week, when assistant coach Brian Walker, instead of pitching coach Brent Kemnitz, made visits to the mound in recent games. Walker calls pitches from the dugout and went to the mound to tell a pitcher how to attack a hitter, Butler said.

“That won’t happen again,” Butler said. “Brent is the pitching coach. Brent will always be going out. It was a miscommunication on my part and I take responsibility.”

Kemnitz was on a recruiting trip to Texas, one planned several weeks ago, and did not attend Thursday’s game.

He missed a strong performance from Schwanke, who gave the Shockers (7-14) a much-needed lift after a week that included Monday’s news of a season-ending injury to pitcher Sam Tewes and Tuesday’s 17-0 loss to Oklahoma State. Schwanke held the Mustangs (13-7) to five hits and two walks, striking out six, in a career-high eight innings. He threw 99 pitches and faced the minimum over his final four innings, helped by a double play that ended the eighth.

He recorded 15 groundball outs, helped by a sinker that stayed low in the strike zone and two defensive adjustments.

“The sinkerball was really working,” he said. “It’s moving about a plate-and-a-half and I’ve been working with Gunnar(Troutwine) setting up more down the middle and letting that ball run naturally like it was tonight.”

WSU moved shortstop Trey Vickers and third baseman Chase Rader in a few steps to play behind Schwanke to give them a better chance to handle the groundballs.

“He gets those bounders that are in no man’s land a lot of times and we can’t make the play,” Butler said. “We adjusted our defense and it paid off. There’s been so many games when the ball has bounced and we can’t get to it.”

Troutwine took a suggestion from Taylor Sanagorski, who caught Schwanke in the bullpen. and moved his glove down an inch or so to give Schwanke a lower target.

“He was able to hit it nine out of 10 times and I think that really helped him get those groundballs,” Troutwine said. “I was trying to keep the glove below my knees. That really helped keep his two-seamer down.”

Wichita State’s offense broke through in the third for a 3-0 lead after wasting runners in the first two innings. Cal Poly starter Justin Bruihl gave up a leadoff single to Mikel Mucha, hit Tanner Kirk in the left arm and gave up a single to Ryan Tinkham to load the bases. Troutwine smacked a groundball to third baseman Michael Sanderson, who dove for the ball. He threw wildly into center field and two runs scored. Grayson Jenista’s groundball out scored Tinkham from third for a 3-0 lead.

“There were a few (times) when we could have executed better,” Troutwine said. “But when we needed the hits we got them.”

Jenista singled in a run in the seventh, scoring Troutwine after his double. In the eighth, Mucha drove in a run and Tinkham’s double scored Travis Young for a 6-0 lead. Jenista, a freshman, went 2 for 3 with a walk. Tinkham went 3 for 5 to extend his hitting streak to six games with his second multi-hit game since March 8.

“(Tinkham) hasn’t started as hot as he would like or I would like … but hopefully we can get him going and get him hot,” Butler said. “We need his bat in that three-hole.”

Notes — Saturday’s game will begin at 11 a.m. to accomodate Cal Poly’s travel…. Closer John Hayes struck out three, walked one and hit a batter in the ninth. He struck out Cooper Moore looking to end the game.… The Mustangs are ending a 10-game road trip and will throw their two top pitchers on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s starter is Erich Uelmen, who is 3-0 with a 2.02 ERA.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 10:31 PM with the headline "Wichita State’s Willie Schwanke shuts down Cal Poly in series opener."