Series Preview
- Friday: 12:00 p.m., Rosenblatt Stadium
- Saturday: 12:00 p.m., Rosenblatt Stadium
- Sunday: 1:00 p.m., CU Sports Complex
Every time I watch, listen to, or think about Creighton and Wichita State playing at Rosenblatt Stadium, my emotions throw a ragging kegger in my brain complete with joy, sorrow, and the occasional dry heave.
The Shockers eliminated the Bluejays from the magical 1991 College World Series a few weeks shy of my 11th birthday. I was smack dab in the middle of my adolescent development, and I fully planned to celebrate the anniversary of my birth early with a CWS championship. Sure, it might have seemed outlandish, but I was entranced. In my still-growing mind, Jim Hendry and the Bluejays could do no wrong.
But Mean Gene and the rest of the Shox spoiled things for me. And 10-year-old me will never forgive or forget them for the 3-2 and 11-3 losses at the ‘Blatt that summer.
Ever since that time, I’ve always considered WSU the Valley’s Litmus Test. No matter how excited I get about a particular Bluejays team, I always try to reserve judgment about their particular fate until I’ve seen how they compare to that season’s Shockers team. It is the ultimate compliment for WSU and the ultimate torture for me as a Creighton baseball fan. The team I dislike the most in the conference is the team I most want my school’s squad to equal or surpass, at least when it comes to wins and losses.
So, more than two months into Creighton’s 2010 season, I’ll watch intently as CU and WSU square off to see exactly where the Jays are 40 games into the year.
Weather Forecast
When you show up to Rosenblatt Friday and Saturday, turn your eyes immediately to the flags. The weekend promises to be windy, which surely will dictate the amount of crooked numbers on the scoreboard and ultimately the outcome of the series.
Last weekend… Creighton finally settled in at home. The Bluejays swept Evansville and pushed their MVC record to 9-9. League leader Illinois State got to compare itself to the Shockers, and Wichita State showed yet again why the road to the Valley title heads through Kansas. WSU claimed a 2-1 series win, pushing its league record to 10-5.
Last year… Creighton beat Wichita just one time in five tries. Sure, that win was a 7-inning no-hitter by Brandon Koenigstein in the MVC Tournament, but the Shockers ended the Bluejays’ season in the Valley title game.
Historically… Wichita State owns a 105-42-1 edge in the all-time series between the two schools. Under Ed Servais, the Jays are 13-14 against the Shockers.
On the Mound
- Friday: CU’s Jonas Dufek vs. WSU’s Jordan Cooper
- Saturday: CU’s Ty Blach vs. WSU’s Josh Smith
- Sunday: CU’s Brandon Koenigstein vs. WSU’s Tim Kelley
Friday’s matinee promises to be another solid pitching duel in a series that’s seen its fair share. Dufek was exceptional last Friday at Rosenblatt against Evansville, winning his league-leading 7th game. Meanwhile, Cooper is arguably the best pitcher in the Valley. He is a preseason first-team All-Valley selection, and he has done nothing to disappoint those preseason predictions. He is a two-time MVC Pitcher of the Week in 2010, and he is among the MVC leaders in ERA, opposing batting average, strikeouts, and innings pitched.
Oh, and Cooper one-hit Creighton over 7 innings last May.
Overall, Creighton betters the Shocker staff in ERA (4.71 vs. 4.79), runs allowed (206 vs. 252), walks (111 vs. 160), and opponent batting average (.269 vs. .283).
At the Plate
Creighton’s pitching staff will have its hands full this weekend. Wichita State leads the Valley in runs scored, RBI, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, total bases, and walks. Clint McKeever, a 2009 all-Valley pick, hasn’t played much for WSU in the past month, but the Shockers’ offense is still rolling along.
While WSU has a solid combination of power and speed, the Bluejays continue to play small ball and manufacture runs. Case in point: three of the top five sac bunt totals in the Valley belong to Bluejays (Alex Staehley leads the league with 11, Jimmy Swift has 10, and Carson Vitale has 7). In fact, Creighton has 58 sacrifice bunts in 2010, while Wichita State has 16.
Still, the Bluejays are among the league leaders in slugging percentage, thanks to being at the top of the Valley leaders in doubles (3rd), triples (3rd), and home runs (4th).
In the Field
The broken record strikes again! Creighton continues to lead the league in fielding percentage. The last place team in the category? Wichita State (the Shox are tied for last with SIU).
Facts, Figures, and Fodder
Robbie Knight, Creighton’s ailing senior outfielder, owns a .400 career batting average against Wichita State in 13 games… Gene Stephenson owns a career record of 1,712-594-3 and has one national championship ring (1989)… Creighton hasn’t scored more than 3 runs in any of its losses to WSU since 2003…One win this weekend would give Servais 250 for his career. He reached another milestone victory total against Wichita State previously, when his 2006 CU squad beat the #13 Shockers 2-1 for his 100th win…WSU’s Preston Singer and Ryan Jones have each won the MVC Player of the Week twice in 2010.
Media Guide
The Bluejays are back on the tube Saturday. Nebraska Public Television will broadcast the television over the air and on the Web (www.netnebraska.org/television/sports).
All three CU-WSU games will be on local radio. KOIL 1180 AM will have Friday’s 12 p.m. start, while Jays fans can hear the Saturday and Sunday games on KOZN 1620 AM.