Mormann will return to WSU

[Ferd Berfel]

Good news along with some others that decided not to take the late money offered.


Stolen from the Wichita Eagle:

By Paul Suellentrop
The Wichita Eagle
Wichita State pitcher Mitch Mormann turned down the Detroit Tigers on Monday.

"I am coming back to school," he said. "I think the biggest thing was that I get to finish my degree. And, seeing the progress that I made and what another year might do. I want to help the team win a championship."

Detroit drafted Mormann in the 25th round in June, even though he didn't pitch last spring. The Tigers watched him put together a strong summer, capped by his selection as NBC World Series MVP. He pitched seven shutout innings for Santa Barbara (Calif.) in Saturday's 1-0 win over Kenai Peninsula (Alaska) in the title game.

Mormann, a senior, sat out last season after transferring from LSU. He is expected to be a key piece of WSU's starting rotation in 2012.

"I'm thrilled," WSU pitching coach Brent Kemnitz said. "Anybody who saw (Mormann) pitch in the finals of the NBC tournament knows this guy is a special talent. I think he can come back and make another big jump."

He is one of five drafted Shockers who had not signed entering today's deadline day. Senior pitcher Josh Smith, first baseman Johnny Coy and utility player Tyler Baker, an incoming freshman, all said they intend to choose school.

Pitcher A.J. Ladwig, an incoming freshman, was considering an offer from the Philadelphia Phillies, but has decided that College ball will be his path to the majors and will attend WSU.

Hall returns to WSU — Former Shocker second baseman Billy Hall will work as a student assistant to the coaching staff.

"I'm itching to get back home," he said. "Gene (Stephenson) and I have talked about it for the last two or three years."

Hall, 42, needs to complete 10 hours for his undergraduate degree in psychology. He played 14 minor-league seasons, reaching Triple-A. He retired in 2005 after playing with Somerset (N.J.), an independent team. Since then, he coached baseball and softball players in Bridgewater, N.J. He often worked camps at WSU.

Hall, who played at Northwest and Butler County Community College, earned All-America honors in 1991 at WSU. He led the nation with 59 stolen bases, hitting .364 and scoring 94 runs.

Former Shocker Brandon Hall is returning as volunteer assistant. Hall, WSU's volunteer in 2010, spent last season as assistant coach at Newman.

He played catcher and third base at WSU from 2003-06.


Postseason honors _ Mormann, reliever T.J. McGreevy and second baseman Tyler Coughenour were named to the NBC World Series All-American Team.

McGreevy, a junior, went 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA for Santa Barbara. Coughenour, a sophomore, hit .526 with three doubles and four steals for the Valley Center Diamond Dawgs.

Coy was named to the Northwoods League All-Star team. He hit .309 with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs in 48 games for Rochester (Minn.). His slugging percentage of .557 ranked second in the league.



Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2011/08/15/197541 ... z1VHZYZorB

GO Shox, with these guys at least they have a chance to finish in the top four or five in the conference in 2012.

[bigdawg]

I'm sure gene is pleased. You think he lasts past this year if the Shox underachieve again?

[Ferd Berfel]

With the A.D. that we have in place at this time I doubt that he would ever make that type of move.

[bigdawg]

With the A.D. that we have in place at this time I doubt that he would ever make that type of move.

Gene has earned quite a long leash but it seemed like last year was the first time I recall Shox fans publicly questioning his position. Shox should win the Valley next year, but if they don't it could be interesting.

[Snaggletooth]

Shox should win the Valley next year

Why? They lost all their best pitchers and hitters. This program is devoid of proven talent.

Pitching wise Gone is Kelley, Lowell, and Flynn. Only proven starter is Josh Smith. They have Cale Elam in the BP. The rest of the returnees is a bunch of unproven players who where not very trustworthy on the mound last year.

Hitting wise - Gone is O'Brien, Grimes and Springer. That leaves them with a bunch of 0.240-0.250 hitters. Best player is Coy who had a good summer. But 1 player doesn't build an offense.

They are going to be scary mediocre (scary in a bad way). This will likely be Gene worst year yet. A 3rd or 4th place finish is very likely.

[shockalot]

You might be right Snag, but only if the "unproven" talent coming in fails to meet its potential. Pitching wise WSU is in excellent shape with Smith, Mormann, Minnis, Ladwig, and Beringer as strong starter group potential, with McGreevey, Elam and other good arms in relief.
Hitting is the bigger question, of course, but besides Coy we've got Coughenour and Green who as freshmen last year showed excellent hitting development. With a healthy Bayliff and Harbutz who both showed some skill at the plate, and with some new studs like Gillaspie, Baker, Hall, and Knight, I'm more inclined to see the bats as likely to be better next season.
Defensively WSU will be deeper and more experienced and athletic at most positions, though making up for the loss of O'Brien and Grimes will be the challenge.

[Ferd Berfel]

I am predicting 27 wins and 29 loses during the regular season and 0-2 in dogpatch.

You heard it here first.

[Snaggletooth]

You might be right Snag, but only if the "unproven" talent coming in fails to meet its potential.

Potential, your going to talk potential? This program has not been reaching it's potential. All you have to look at was this last draft and the talent that left the program relative to their performance.

Pitching wise WSU is in excellent shape with Smith, Mormann, Minnis, Ladwig, and Beringer as strong starter group potential, with McGreevey, Elam and other good arms in relief.

I will grant that Minnis, McGreevy and Mormann performance with the foresters this summer does give one some hope.

Hitting is the bigger question, of course, but besides Coy we've got Coughenour and Green who as freshmen last year showed excellent hitting development.

I don't agree they showed excellent potential as freshman. If you look at the average player development from year to year it around 3% for OBP and 6% for SLG. These guys don't have enough college eligibility to improve these number to respectable:

Coughenour 0.259/0321/0.322
Green 0.241/0.311/0.317

[BTW, Cougenour and Green had almost as many K's as hits in summer ball]

With a healthy Bayliff and Harbutz who both showed some skill at the plate,

These guys are wild cards, but it doesn't look like they played this summer (Bayliff was suppose to play for the Forresters but doesn't show up in their stats). So if they didn't play this summer, I would put any potential development in the high risk category (assuming they are healthY). Of course they may have played somewhere else.

and with some new studs like Gillaspie, Baker, Hall, and Knight,

What rounds where these studs drafted? Or are you talking skirt chasing studs?

Or are you predicting they are going to come out and hit 0.352 as freshman like Conor Gillaspie, if they would then there will be alot of people happy and this season might be a pleasant suprise. But there seems to be a lot of "Hope" and not enough substance to hang your hat on.

I'm more inclined to see the bats as likely to be better next season.

I really find it hard to believe they will be better (since they are losing their best hitters) except for the point that the 2011 team was one of the worst hitting teams in Shocker history. They can't get any worse can they?

Defensively WSU will be deeper and more experienced and athletic at most positions, though making up for the loss of O'Brien and Grimes will be the challenge.

Replacing Grimes (Mr. Error) should at least help their defensive numbers.

It has been along time since this program has played over their potential. Got to think they are due, but with the other veterans team in the MVC - 3rd or 4th still seems a strong possibility.

[shockalot]

Yeah, I'm talkin potential, which is about all one can talk about with college baseball these days outside of a handful of exceptions. I understand your skepticism, though you do concede that WSU pitching for the coming season looks to be in pretty good shape. Skepticism of WSU hitting is certainly in order given the last several years, however, I like the odds that Gillaspie could be a .300 hitter as a freshman, as I think he may be that good. I also see Coughenour's hitting as coming along better than at the average rate you mention. The rest are hard to impossible to evaluate based on anything I've seen, though again, I believe Green's bat showed improvement and a good probability of continued "above average" development. We'll see. As you'll note, I'm not predicting they will take the Valley or sniff the post season, but I don't think it is out of the question.

[Snaggletooth]

Do you know if Bayliff and Harbutz are healthy? Did they play summer ball?