Wichita State starts MVC baseball play after struggling through tough non-conference schedule

Wichita State’s schedule ranks No. 14 for strength, which coach Todd Butler knows is part of doing business.

With Missouri Valley Conference play starting Friday at Evansville, the effects of the first 29 games are up for evaluation. The Shockers (10-19) went 0-7 against teams in the boydsworld.com top 50 power rankings (RPI) and 3-8 against teams ranked 51-100.

“We’ve seen everything we need to see going into conference,” Butler said. “The big thing is, will we have confidence going in or will we be beat down from playing such a tough schedule? I’m trying to build them up, that it’s a positive playing that (schedule).”

The Shockers are 0-4 against teams ranked in this week’s Baseball America top 25, its opponents compiled a 56-percent winning percentage and Oklahoma State (2.33), Cal State Fullerton (2.45) and TCU (3.01) all rank in the top 25 nationally for ERA.

A strong schedule can’t be blamed for all of WSU’s issues — it has lost four games to teams ranked below No. 101. However, the final two months of the season should offer a relief from teams clearly out of its class. The rest of the schedule includes one top 50 school (No. 32 Creighton) and two more in the top 100 (No. 81 Missouri State and No. 85 Dallas Baptist).

The MVC is not the conference that put three teams — with Missouri State and Dallas Baptist hosting regionals — into NCAA play last season. It is ranked No. 14 among the 31 NCAA Division I conferences with two teams in the top 100. Last season, it ranked No. 6 with Missouri State, Dallas Baptist and Bradley in the top 25 and Indiana State No. 90.

Tuesday’s 15-8 win over Oral Roberts and the presence of ace Willie Schwanke starting Friday at Evansville (15-12) give the Shockers a reasonable shot to improve the tone of the season.It can start with a winning streak — they haven’t won more than two in a row and by winning a weekend series for the first time since opening weekend against Northern Colorado.

“The whole first half we played some tough teams and I think that schedule got us ready,” third baseman Chase Rader said. “It was a new start (against ORU). I think we’re learning.”

Butler’s question about confidence must be answered by the players. Recent games revealed both the fragility that hurts the Shockers, who are 1-10 in road games, and signs of resiliency and progress.

They won two games against Stephen F. Austin last week by grabbing leads early. Pitchers avoided handing out walks and the Shockers didn’t commit an error in either game. After Friday’s 3-0 loss to TCU, with Schwanke throwing a complete game, the Shockers regressed in the middle innings of blowout losses Saturday and Sunday.

On Tuesday, they railed 2-0 against ORU and responded to take a 10-2 lead. Four Shockers homered and WSU again played errorless defense.

“Those games necessarily didn’t beat us down, although it may have at times,” catcher Gunnar Troutwine said. “We look at it now that it really built us up. We played some really tough team, some Omaha teams. I think that’s really helped everyone grow, especially the freshmen.”

Butler used Tuesday’s margin to try to set up his pitching staff for the weekend. He held freshman Connor Lungwitz to three innings to make him available for relief duty. He tried to boost senior Chase Williams’ confidence with a no-pressure appearance and Williams, who started the season a weekend starter, walked the three batters he faced.

Butler got better results with reliever John Hayes, who struck out three hitters in the ninth and, after one reached on a passed ball, retired a fourth on a pop up. Hayes walked three batters and hit one in Saturday’s loss to TCU and Butler pitched him Sunday and Tuesday in an effort to restore his confidence.

“He’s responding,” Butler said. “For the first time this year we mixed in more changeups. That’s a good pitch for him. This team needs him.”

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Wichita State starts MVC baseball play after struggling through tough non-conference schedule."