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WEDNESDAY MARCH 11, 2015 VOLUME 119 ISSUE 75
2015
Baseball
& Softball Guide
Keep believing Softball has unfinished in baseball Baseball at Wichita State is a proud program with an illustrious history. In case you forgot: WSU has 55 All-Americans, one national championship, seven College World Series appearances, two NCAA Super Regional appearances, 20 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles, and 17 MVC tournament titles. Find those numbers anywhere else in the Valley? Don’t worry, I’ll wait. You won’t. The baseball team here is something worth being proud of. However, things have since changed. The team is 4-10 (3-5 home, 1-5 away), and is the fifth best batting team in the conference — and the second worse in field percentage. With no conference games played at this point, the Shockers’ record has them as the second worst team in the Valley in front of Southern Illinois. That is unacceptable. That’s not WSU baseball. And the players know it. “It comes down to us as the players,” junior outfielder Daniel Kihle said.
Illustration by Tarun Bali
business in MVC
“Our coaches have done their jobs. They’ve brought in the players. We have a great recruiting class, one of the best we’ve had in school Last year, Wichita State won its history.” first Missouri Valley Conference Kihle said he believes everychampionship in softball. Don’t be thing will ultimately come down surprised if — when — it happens to how the players respond again. because the coaches have put in I’m calling it now. the time, brought in the players COLUMNS BY After finishing last season with and provided the resources. RAHIM THOMPSON the most wins in conference play “The coaches got us prepared,” (21-6), the Shockers fell short of Kihle said. “It’s about us going expectation, finishing tied for third in the out there and doing what they taught MVC tournament. us to do. We’re not doing the things we That won’t happen this year. wanted or thought we would do, but it’s Here’s why: the Shockers brought back baseball. 14 letter winners and seven starters after “There are a lot of games left. We are only losing one. The team will have six putting in the hours and are doing newcomers, too. Of the 14 letter-winners more to get us prepared.” are two NFCA All-Midwest Region players Some of the newer things Kihle said in Cacy Williams (First Team) and the team is doing to get prepared is Brittany Fortner (Second Team); three practicing in-game situations so when All-MVC first team selections in Fortner, the time comes in the game, it’ll be Melanie Jaegers and Williams, who were almost second nature. also voted Newcomer of the Year and That’s a start. Player of the Year; and one All-MVC See BELIEVE on page 2 second team selection in Paige Luellen.
Talk about star power. This team is loaded with young talent. Last year, the Shockers led the MVC in batting with a .314 percentage. Williams lead the MVC individually in batting average (.424). Williams led in hits (72) and runs scored (57), too. Williams was second in RBI’s (47) only to her teammate Luellen who had 48. Williams led in home runs and total bases. I won’t go down her entire stat line. She was voted Player of the Year for a reason. Nonetheless, the Shockers will repeat in the regular season and carry that momentum — along with the feeling of tying for third in last year’s tournament — to the tournament this year. And they will win it. No other team in the conference brings back such firepower and yet still has the feeling of unfinished business to motivate them. You won’t see it in any other team this year. See MVC on page 2