FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Head coach Gene Stephenson will begin his 32nd season as a Shocker with two returning starters and 13 returning lettermen from a team that went 48-17 in 2008. Wichita State advanced to its 26th NCAA Tournament, won its 19th Valley regular-season title and 16th Valley Tournament title, advanced to its second-straight Super Regional and won more than 40 games for the 31st-consecutive year.
Stephenson has posted a 1,653-550-3 overall record in his 31 seasons at Wichita State, which ranks him first in winning percentage among active coaches and second in wins. Stephenson knows there is a lot of talent on the 2009 squad, but that there is not much experience.
“It’s the least experienced team that we’ve ever had excluding the team in 1978,” Stephenson said. “We have just one returning full time starter. We have a very difficult task in front of us. Much work needs to be done before the start of the season in order to have a chance to be successful.”
Stephenson also stresses the importance of surrounding himself with quality coaches, as he has demonstrated with the make-up and tenure of the program’s assistant coaches.
Pitching coach Brent Kemnitz returns for his 31st season, while assistant coach Jim Thomas begins his 17th. Volunteer assistant coach Jerod Goodale will begin his third year.
PITCHING
The 2009 pitching staff returns seven pitchers from the 2008 staff that posted a 3.88 ERA, which was 15th-best in the nation. The Shockers’ starting rotation loses first team All-American and 14th-round draft pick Rob Musgrave (12-1, 2.51), second-round draft pick Aaron Shafer (11-4, 3.26) and fourth-round draft pick and third team All-American Anthony Capra (9-1, 3.54), while the bullpen will be without Khol Nanney (5-1, 1.80), Andy Womack (0-1, 5.82), Matt Smith (0-0, 6.11) and Dusty Coleman (0-1, 10.80).
WSU returns just 23 percent of its wins from the 2008 pitching staff and five pitchers that earned a decision a year ago.
“We are very excited about the ability of the pitching staff,” Kemnitz said. “The talent is as good as it’s ever been in my 30 years at Wichita State. However we are very inexperienced. Our success will be determined by our ability to hit the ground running. We expect that to happen so our goals remain the same to have the best pitching staff in America.”
Returning to the Shocker staff in 2009 and expected to be in the starting rotation is redshirt sophomore Tim Kelley. Last season, he went 4-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 52 innings.
“Tim was our most consistent pitcher,” Kemnitz said. “He left the fall as the ace of the pitching staff and continued to improve on his solid freshman spring.”
Six other pitchers return to the Shockers from 2008 including junior Clint McKeever (0-0, 1.86) and sophomores Clint Maune (2-0, 5.56), Justin Kemp (0-2, 6.89) and Grant Muncrief (0-0, 7.36). Seniors Tyler Fleming (3-1, 4.00) and Logan Hoch (2-1, 5.16) return, but will miss the 2009 season with injuries. Fifth-year senior Max Hutson does return after missing the 2008 season with Tommy John surgery.
“Clint McKeever established himself as a short reliever and possible closer late last spring,” Kemnitz said. “He is the leading candidate to be the closer this year. He has an outstanding makeup on the mound.
“Clint Maune showed great improvement this fall and had a good summer in Virginia. He has refined a lot of things that caused him problems last year. With continued improvement, he will be very beneficial to the pitching staff.
“Justin is very talented. He had a good summer, but needs to gain consistency. He had flashes of brilliance last spring and with consistency will be a mainstay on the pitching staff.
“Grant had a wrist injury that caused him to miss the fall. He had an outstanding summer in the Northwoods League. He has a good makeup and good stuff, but is just very inexperienced.
“Hoch and Fleming are both devastating losses. They were the guys in my mind that we could not lose because they gave us experience either as starters or out of the bullpen and it looks like we aren’t going to have either of them.
“Max is one of our only experienced pitchers. He missed last year with Tommy John surgery. He threw in a lot of big games his first three years and is a strike thrower with a three-pitch mix and a good makeup. He will be invaluable to this pitching staff as a starter or reliever.”
Eight newcomers will look to make an impact in 2009 including Jordan Cooper, Cameron Maldonado, Chance Sossamon, Josh Smith, Dalton Banwart, Cobey Guy, Brian Flynn and Charlie Lowell.
“Jordan Cooper is as talented as any freshman in America,” Kemnitz said. “He is one of the guys that give us great optimism for the spring. He is very mature. He has a good three-pitch mix and has good command and a tremendous makeup.
“Cameron continues to be a huge question mark. He came out of last fall as the top rated pitcher, but continues to have arm issues that remain today. We are now hopeful that they found a fragment of a bone in his shoulder. If he is fine, he will be right in the middle of it.
“Chance has outstanding stuff. He is very talented and is a legitimate two-way guy. He probably will work out of the bullpen and is a possible closer option. He has a good live arm and outstanding breaking ball potential.
“Josh is the biggest most pleasant surprise of the fall. He is a walk on and took a backseat to none of the new guys, many of who were highly recruited and drafted. He should be an integral part of the pitching staff.
“Dalton has a good three-pitch mix. He has good knowledge of how to pitch and is very similar to his brother Travis. He has a good makeup and should be a big contributor this spring.
“Cobey came in with arm issues and was very inconsistent. He has an outstanding breaking ball, but needs to be more of a strike thrower to be a big contributor.
“Brian has a huge upside. He is very projectible and made big strides this fall. He was very inconsistent early in the fall, but continued to make progress. He has a very exciting upside.
“Charlie has good upside. He should be among the best freshman in the country. He will be counted upon to be one of the starters and he is one of the reasons we feel like our pitching staff will be outstanding this spring.”
“We believe we have a talented group of pitchers, however we will need to be much more consistent than what we showed in fall practice,” Stephenson said. “Because of the inexperience of the entire staff there are many question marks. If some of the pitchers can become consistent between now and the start of the season, we will have a chance to be fairly good on the mound.”
Catcher
Former Shocker Tyler Weber started 53 games at catcher a year ago, while hitting .277 with eight home runs and 55 RBI. Stephenson sees junior Cody Lassley as Weber’s replacement. Last season, Lassley hit .209 with 10 RBI in 26 games.
Freshman Chris O’Brien will be Lassley’s top backup, while freshman Josh Rosecrans will also see some time behind the plate.
“Cody Lassley looked to be the leader at catcher after fall practice,” Stephenson said. “Chris O’Brien will be an outstanding player and probably at this point rates as the second-best catcher. We have really high expectations for Josh Rosecrans. We look forward to seeing what he can become next spring.”
Sophomores Ryan Engrav and Justin Kemp will also look to see time at catcher in the spring.
First Base
Former Shocker Tyler Hill started 49 games at first base a year ago and hit .257 with 11 doubles and 21 RBI. Junior Clint McKeever will start at first base after starting 32 games as the designated hitter last season. He also started 16 games at first base, while hitting .328 with 14 doubles and 39 RBI.
Backing up McKeever will be freshman Josh Rosecrans along with junior Taylor Gilmore and freshman Remington Johnson.
“Clint McKeever will be the starter,” Stephenson said. “He is much improved defensively at first base and we are hopeful that he will make the same kind of improvement offensively as he has defensively and become a very good player this year. Josh Rosecrans made very good strides at first base this fall and hopefully he will develop as a hitter to make great contributions this spring. Other backups include Taylor Gilmore and Remington Johnson.”
Second Base
The Shockers will be without former starter Josh Workman at second base after he signed a professional contract with the Detroit Tigers. Last season, Workman hit .318 with 11 doubles, 33 RBI and 10 stolen bases with 51 starts at second base. Junior college transfer Will Baez looks to be the top candidate at second.
“Will Baez has performed very well at second base this fall and has produced offensively as well and looks to be the leader,” Stephenson said.
Possible backups at second include sophomore Taylor Brown and freshman Chance Sossamon.
Shortstop
Two-year starter Dusty Coleman is gone after signing a professional contract with the Oakland A’s. Last season, he hit .314 with 19 doubles, eight home runs and 71 RBI with 65 starts at shortstop.
Freshman Tyler Grimes and sophomore Taylor Brown are in a battle for the starting job in 2009. Last season, Brown played in 28 games and hit .227.
“At the conclusion of fall practice, it appears to be a toss up between Taylor Brown and Tyler Grimes at shortstop,” Stephenson said. “Both showed very good defensive abilities most of the time, but need to be more consistent defensively. Taylor Brown is a much improved player from a year ago and Tyler Grimes has a great deal of talent.”
Freshman Chance Sossamon could also see playing time as a backup.
Third Base
Three-year starter and second team All-American Conor Gillaspie was drafted in the supplemental first round in 2008 by the San Francisco Giants and signed a contract over the summer. Last season, he started 60 games at third base and hit .419 with 16 doubles, eight triples, 11 home runs, 82 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
Stephenson considers freshmen Chris O’Brien and Chance Sossamon and junior Taylor Gilmore as the top candidates to replace Gillaspie.
“This position is a real question mark,” Stephenson said. “It will be between Chris O’Brien, Chance Sossamon and Taylor Gilmore. Again, consistency will be the most important factor.”
Backing up those three at third include sophomores Mike Williams and Grant Muncrief.
“Other possibilities at third will be newcomer Mike Williams or Grant Muncrief, depending on how he returns from surgery on his right wrist,” Stephenson said.
Outfield
The Shockers return one starter to the outfield in 2009 in junior Ryan Jones. Lost is third team All-American Andy Dirks and all-Valley selection Kenny Williams Jr. Last season, Dirks hit .388 with 22 doubles, 11 home runs, 62 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 58 starts in center field. Williams started 42 games in left field and hit .317 with 11 doubles and 25 RBI.
Jones started 61 games in right field and four in centerfield last season. He hit .326 with 11 doubles, five triples, 43 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
Jones will start in right field, while sophomore Kevin Hall and freshman Andrew Letourneau are the top candidates to replace Dirks in center. Junior Bret Bascue and sophomore Mitch Caster look to be the top replacements for Williams in left field.
“Ryan Jones is the only returning full time starter and he has all the tools to be an outstanding outfielder and made very good strides last spring as a hitter,” Stephenson said. “He did not have a very good fall practice offensively, but we are hopeful he will be a very good offensive player in the spring.
“Kevin Hall is the next most experienced outfielder. Again, he did not have a very good fall practice offensively. Mitch Caster had a very good summer in the Northwoods League and should vie for a starting position in the outfield this spring.
“In addition, Andrew Letourneau was very consistent throughout the fall and has moved into a position to challenge for one of the starting jobs. Bret Bascue is still trying to recover completely from shoulder surgery last year and has shown some great promise in opportunities he has had in the past.”
