Leatherneck Nation

Western Baseball beat SIU-Edwardsville 18-11 today.

Western is now 2-13 on the season.

Attendance at SIU-Edwardsville = 191

Western will now start Summit League play with a 3-game series this weekend at Northern Colorado.
 

Watched the stream today.  Planning on seeing them in person at Iowa City on Tues.
My observations after looking at the stats so far this year are in line with what the guy doing the color commentary said after game today.
Pitching is a huge issue.  No depth at all in the department.  Way too many free passes.

Football motto is #PoundTheRock.  Baseball needs to go with #PoundTheDish

 

It's not just the pitching, although that part of it is brutal.  When you are 4-32 it's obviously many things.    I've watched about 4 games on ESPN+ and our everyday lineup has no power offensively.  In our last game on Sunday, the first five hitters in Western's lineup have 6 home runs combined for THE ENTIRE 36 GAME SEASON TO DATE.  The player who hit third in the lineup, we is is generally your best hitter, has zero HR's.  WIU opponents have 144 extra base hits and 47 HR's to WIU's 60 and 14.  We have been outscored 335 to 172.  We strike out 30% of our at bats.  Our pitching staff has a WHIP of 2.00, and anything over 1.50 is beyond bad. 

We apparently think the state of Illinois is devoid of talent south of I-80.  We have three kids on our roster from downstate Illinois.  We have no players from the Springfield area and two from the Peoria area and one from BloNo.  All of these areas generally produce a lot of baseball talent.  But we do have 18 players from  nine different states and Canada.  My son is playing JUCO baseball right now and I have seen probably 30 games this spring and there are a bunch of guys out there who could start for WIU right now.  A prime example is Ben Higgins who is from MACOMB, and played at Carl Sandburg College the past two years.  He is now at IPFW and is second in the Horizon League in HR's and was the Horizon League offensive player of the week last week.  Probably could have used him.

I know most of our coaches are a little behind the 8 ball when trying to compete with limited resources.  But in this case it almost looks like we aren't trying.  15-74 during coach's tenure.  Sure Covid-19 was a thing, but it was the same for everyone.  I text and email with a lot of former players, and to say they are are not happy with the current scenario is putting it mildly.  But know one knows what to do about it.  My two cents.

It is just embarrassing at this point. Haven't had a winning season since 2007 and never won the Summit Tourney ever. 

Now a robust 4-35.  My prediction is they will finish 7-45.

Just got an email that the WIU baseball alumni tribute weekend has been cancelled.  I think this nicely sums up the state of the program.

wiu wrote: Just got an email that the WIU baseball alumni tribute weekend has been cancelled.  I think this nicely sums up the state of the program.

 

Wow... what is going on with baseball? 
Also this isn't a great look:

https://goleathernecks.com/news/2022/5/ ... homas.aspx

We lost 12-2 but says we only lost 2-1.

This squad has literally had more than twice as many runs given up than scored. To cause such a detrimental ratio, is it:

-Lack of respectable pitching
-Lack of players producing at the place
-Poor defense allowing extra runs
-Combination of all of these things. Which, if that is the case, that is the Coach's fault.

 

Necks2003 wrote: ↑Wed May 04, 2022 2:57 pm This squad has literally had more than twice as many runs given up than scored. To cause such a detrimental ratio, is it:

-Lack of respectable pitching
-Lack of players producing at the place
-Poor defense allowing extra runs
-Combination of all of these things. Which, if that is the case, that is the Coach's fault.

 

 

It certainly is all of these things.  I watched them lose to a below average Bradley team 11-1 last night.  Pitiful.  Time for a change.

The NCAA stats reveal all.  293 D1 teams.  The only area of respectibility I see is we CAN play small ball just a bit.  Get a hit (or take a hbp) now and then, move him over with a bunt or stolen base, and pray he occasionally finds home plate.

Oops, I tried to copy and paste them but did not come out pretty.

You can go to http://stats.ncaa.org/rankings/ranking_summary and look at them yourself.