Shox @ Birds

[redbirdtim]

Birds take game one from the Shox 5-3. Huge win for the Birds over the #23 Shox. Very chirpy game from the players and fans. Both coaches getting into it with the umps. Should be a very spirited rest of the series. Birds end the Shox winning streak against them at 12 games...at least that was a lot less than the last losing streak (25 games). Brownlee's Boys have a huge game tomorrow as the Birds will face Shafer.

Big credit to two true freshmen pitchers, Ian Berger and Dan Sorce on 2 very good pitching performances.

:redbirds: :redbirds: :redbirds: :redbirds: :redbirds: :redbirds:

[shocker3]

The Shox out hit the Birds 10-5, but lose 5-3.

Banwart gave up a couple of big HRs.:valley: :shockers:

[WuDrWu]

I have say, with fans like redbirdtim, it's hard to not to at least be happy for ISU pulling off a big win, even if its against my beloved Shox.





OK, lovefest over. Gotta hammer the Birds Saturday. :bash:


:innocent:

:shockers: :redbirds:

[outpost]

Chalk it up to the law of averages.....I won't bring up the all-time series record because it's a moot point. I will say that our winning % vs. ILSU dropped to 84% all-time.

The Birds were due. Credit to them, they did what they needed to do.

Let's hope the Shocks do a better job of putting the ball in play today.

[redbirdtim]

I won't lie, the Shox are the best MVC team I have seen so far, and I have seen almost all of them. The problem the Shox had is they couldn't capitalize on getting 4 hits and 2 runs in the first inning. It seemed like it was going to be a very long day when the Shox had 2 runs and we had one out in the first. However, Berger settled down and had 9 Ks.

I thank you WuDrWu, this win meant a lot to us. It also keeps us in the Valley tourney. When we first came into the Valley, the series was pretty much even, Birds even won the first year in 1981 2-1 (we took 2 in Normal, you won 1 in C-Dale in the tourney). After a few even years though, the Shox would go on amazingly long winning streaks. We are now like 3-37 in our last 40 games against the Shox...that's dominance. Hopefully that improves now, however we're facing debatably (is that even a word) the best pitcher in the Valley. We have a guy who is 3-6 pitching, but he has approx. a 2.80 ERA. The guys are finally giving him run support now that he isn't throwing in Fridays. Today is a big game as Sajewich (Sunday starter) has been rocked hard lately. Our bullpen really has to step up like Sorce did. I could see him throwing on Sunday as he has been our only consistant arm in the pen. Frega showed how dominant he could be the other night, but this is against Wichita. He can hit 94-95 on the gun though and will hopefully notch some Ks.

I have heard that Sublett had a successful surgery...here's to him recovering. My estimate will be 20-22 days. If he tries to come back in less than that, it could be very dangerous. I hate to say it, but he won't be back in two weeks (at least for his well-being, I hope).

I hope today is another hard-fought game. It is exciting to watch, and the game should be well-attended if last night is any indication.

[redbirdtim]

Birds learn a very important lesson. You cannot walk a lot of guys and expect to win. Hit-wise, we were about even with the Shox, but our starter, Kitt Kopach was wild and had 7 walks. Wichita took advantage of those and a big fielding blunder to put 5 up in Kitt's last inning. You get the out on the blunder and you're out of the inning and still close.

Game started out much like yesterday with the Shox scoring runs early. Birds came back to bring it to 3-2 but the Shox busted the game open.

Shafer is a great pitcher; he shut us down after giving up 2 in the 2nd.

Tomorrow makes or breaks the series for the Birds. We will rely heavily again on a freshman arm, and possibly two if Sorce throws in relief.

[outpost]

Aaron Shafer with 8 good innings. ILSU had the tying run on 3rd at one point, and Aaron gets the strikeout. Only real trouble in the 2nd, giving up both runs.

He built upon his case for possible MVC POY honors.

[redbirdtim]

I have to agree that he is a top candidate for that award. He is 9-1 with a great ERA. In fact, I think him giving up 2 runs in 8 innings might have raised his ERA. He should be Valley Pitcher of the Year and Valley Frosh of the Year. He will be Frosh of the Year; I can't see how he wouldn't be. Only person that could compete with him for Pitcher of the Year is Magee from BU who has 5 CGs and 3 SHOs, a 7-3 record, and a 2.40 ERA. However, being 9-1 with a sub 2 ERA, that's dominance over the year. Magee had a great stretch but has had some rougher outings. Watching both Magee and Shafer, Magee has some great defense behind him. Shafer seemed to be more dominant on the mound against us. BU definiely played much better D behind him than any other pitcher.

[iSASO]

red, you are a class act.

[redbirdtim]

Well, thank you isaso. I know a lot of Shocker fans get a bad rep, but I have personally never had a run-in with a Shocker fan that has been hostile/verbally abusive towards me. In fact, Shocker fans have extended me some excellent offers of hospitality should I come out to Wichita, and for that I thank you all. In the next few years, I hope to make a trip out to Eck. Hopefully, it will be a Valley tournament that the Birds are playing in. I can't help look at the success Wichita has had though this year...titles in women's v-ball, women's indoor track, men's golf, men's basketball, likely men's baseball. Improvements in softball and WBB. Also, a women's tennis title. I know the men's sports in Wichita get a lot of good press, but the women's teams have had a great year. I remember when the Birds would have years like that, but they have been a little harder to come by lately.

I was sitting with some other donors behind the bench at the ISU/BU game in Peoria and the verbal abuse by the BU students, even to our university president and first lady, was horrendous. I mean, they were even heckling children. ISU was tied with them and they were cussing up a storm about how much we "sucked" and were "losing big time". We did end up losing the game, but them telling us to check out the scoreboard after some baskets was funny when the score was close/tied at that point in the first half. However, I have never had an encounter like that with WSU fans. In fact, my friends have made a few trips to WSU for the Birds-Shox MBB games and have been treated with a lot of respect. Nobody harasses them for wearing their red and white and cheering for their team. Much like it is with most Indiana St. WBB fans. I have had some good conversations with some of their die-hards, and it is great. To me, that is a a mark of a classy program, when you get treated with respect at an opponents place.

That being said, I have great respect for the program that Gene has built in Wichita. Seeing the younger players that Coach Brownlee has, I am excited for our future and what we are working to build. We have never won 40 games in a season like Wichita St., but I think we could do that in the next few years. We only lose 3 players via graduation (one more senior left the team during the year). However, we need to be hot on the recruiting trail to replace nearly 20 juniors that will be seniors next year. At that point however, we will have Ryan Annetsberger and Kevin Dubler leading the hitters and a host of experienced pitchers. I do like the looks of our rotation the next couple years, as we lose nobody next year and have a lot of youth. In fact, we will have our #1 starter back from missing this year with a torn labrum. We can throw Jim Sajewich (FR) into the pen in a long relief role, unless he keeps his spot. He seems like the odd man out right now, but next season is so far way. Except for SS, and CF/LF, we have everyone coming back, which is nice. Our pitching staff will only get better, and hopefully, we can increase our team power production.

[outpost]

Red, I've got a beer waiting for you if you can make it to the tourney this year.

ILSU 2-1 top of 5th. After today, I'll be pulling hard for you against MSU on the road and then hosting SIU.

[redbirdtim]

I wish I could make that tourney. Unfortunately I can't get that time off of work. However, outpost and isaso the same offer is open for you as well should you come to Normal sometime soon.

I have to give the Shox credit on a very exciting game. Unfortunately, one of the teams had to lose. I have never seen such relief pitching, sans the 10th inning for WSU, in Valley games. Both starters pitched decently, but the relief pithing was very, very good. I would hate to be the team the Shox play next week though as they will have 5 days to steam over this one.