Future of Wichita State baseball rests with strong class of freshmen hitters

Eck Stadium is more museum than ballpark these days, a quiet place filled with empty seats and memories of the days when Wichita State baseball mattered.

It did not in 2016, continuing a decline that started in 2009, ended the mighty tenure of coach Gene Stephenson and picked up speed in coach Todd Butler’s three seasons. WSU hasn’t won a Missouri Valley Conference title since 2010, hasn’t played in an NCAA regional since 2013 and hasn’t won an NCAA game since 2008.

If that is going to change, it is up to a promising group of freshmen hitters who took over the top of the order for the Shockers during a season that ended with a 21-37 record and a tie for fifth-place in the MVC. WSU is saddled with two straight losing seasons for the first time since 1964 and 1965.

“We come out here every day and we look at this nice, big stadium and we always talk about what it would be like to have that thing packed,” freshman outfielder Dayton Dugas said. “A lot of it is going to have to do with us.”

There are several examples in the Valley where patience with a coach paid off and a program, while moving more slowly than most desire, can still progress and prosper.

Missouri State finished sixth in the MVC in 2014. One season later, it won the MVC, hosted an NCAA regional and advanced to a super regional. Bradley coach Elvis Dominguez took over in 2009 and didn’t record a winning season until 2015, when the Braves earned a No. 2 seed as an at-large pick in an NCAA regional with an RPI that ranked No. 19. The Braves backed that up with a 29-21 finish, third place in the MVC, this season.

Southern Illinois appears recovered from the transition from former coach Dan Callahan, who died in 2010, to Ken Henderson. After finishing with losing records in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the Salukis improved to 31-25 this season and finished fourth in the MVC.

Expectations are higher at Wichita State. Butler believes that his recruiting can meet those expectations given time to deal with a college baseball trend that demands most high school players commit entering their junior season.

Butler was hired in June 2013, too late to dramatically alter his first roster in 2014, one that was loaded with returners — including 18 juniors and seniors — from Stephenson’s final season. Butler started his second season with 26 newcomers, 10 of them transfers, a recruiting class assembled during the summer and fall of 2013. Collegiate Baseball ranked it the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, based largely on drafted players and number of recruits.

The focus of last season’s class switched to bringing in freshmen, athletes who Butler and his staff were able to recruit and land commitments from on a timetable similar to other programs.

“We got to really get on those guys early,” Butler said. “Recruiting is two years out, if not three. When you walk into a job, you’re already behind two years. So you’re trying to catch up. The first year, we mainly went junior college. It took us two years to get the high school players. We want to recruit high school players.”

Freshman second baseman Luke Ritter, for example, committed to WSU the summer after his sophomore season at Kansas City’s Rockhurst. He signed with WSU in November 2014, came to WSU in August 2015 and played his first game in 2016.

“People are growing up faster and college coaches see projectability and swings and arm action and size,” Ritter said. “I think that’s why everything’s moved up a year or two. A lot of it is timing, and when you get seen.”

Dugas, who started 46 games and hit .304 with four home runs, is one of those freshmen.

First baseman Greyson Jenista shared MVC Freshman of the Year honors after hitting .326 — .382 in Valley games — with five home runs. Third baseman Alec Bohm led the Shockers with a .489 slugging percentage after he hit six home runs and a team-leading 13 doubles. Ritter started 43 games, mostly in the outfield and at second base. Redshirt freshman Travis Young hit .317 and grabbed the job of center fielder and leadoff hitter late in the season.

“They have to stay together; they have to trust each other,” Butler said. “Then they turn into sophomores and you have to keep demanding from them. We can’t let them get complacent.”

Offensively, the freshmen appear to be on track for good things at WSU. Defensively, their inexperience showed. Bohm must improve his footwork and range at third. Ritter needs to get smoother turning the double play.

“I don’t want to say you want to forget about this season, because you want to learn from it,” Young said. “After awhile, you want to drop it and move on and get better from it. It’s tough. We’re looking forward to next year.”

WSU’s youth isn’t limited to freshmen. Sophomore Gunnar Troutwine is a two-year starter at catcher and led WSU with seven home runs. Sophomore shortstop Trey Vickers was WSU’s lone first-team All-MVC pick after hitting .306.

While the future looks solid in the batting order, the pitching staff is a major issue after a season in which it compiled an MVC-worst 5.97 ERA. Injuries, for a second season, robbed the rotation of Sam Tewes and Willie Schwanke. In their absence, sophomore Cody Tyler grabbed a weekend role and earned second-team All-MVC honors. Eight pitchers made weekend starts and Tyler and Schwanke (in nine starts before his injury) were the only ones to finish with an ERA below .500.

Pitchers such as Clayton McGinness and Connor Lungwitz gained experience and will need to return next season capable of more consistency. WSU’s 2016 recruiting class, currently numbering 15, includes 10 pitchers.

“It’s been tough on the players,” Butler said. “We need to keep recruiting, add another group to this group.”

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Future of Wichita State baseball rests with strong class of freshmen hitters."