BSB: Cougs pitching must reduce walks, wild pitches in 2018 (Part 2)
(Part 2 of a 3-part series previewing the 2018 WSU Baseball Season)
Two numbers stand out for Washington State coach Marty Lees when he talks about the improvement he wants to see from the Cougars’ pitching staff in 2018.
WSU walked 223 batters, uncorked 69 wild pitches and hit 60 batters in 463.1 innings pitched last season. That’s a lot of free baserunners. In contrast, Oregon State’s hurlers threw 100 more innings and issued 61 fewer walks.
Lees’ message to his pitching staff as the Cougars prepare to begin the 2018 campaign Friday in Tempe, Ariz. against UC Riverside is simple and straightforward – throw strikes.
“We have to throw more strikes,” Lees said earlier this week. “We have not done that the last couple of years. We have given up too many base on balls, hit by pitch and wild pitches the last couple of years. Hopefully, it will be better.”
The 2018 pitching staff will be anchored by three seniors – LHP Cody Anderson (5-4, 3.40 ERA in team-high 79.1 IP, .239 OBA), LHP Scott Sunitsch (2-4, 4.17 ERA, 8 saves in 41.0 IP) and RHP Ryan Walker (5-5, 5.67 ERA in 66.2 IP).
Anderson and Sunitsch will comprise two-thirds of the weekend starting rotation along with sophomore LHP Isaac Mullins (2-3, 6.14 ERA in 29.1 IP), while Walker returns to the closer role after serving as a starting pitcher most of last season.
Essentially, Sunitsch and Walker have switched roles.
“We’ve reorganized our staff to see how good we can be at the front,” Lees said. “We’re going to keep Cody Anderson in that starting role. He gave us some quality starts last year. Isaac Mullins has really come along. He showed really well in the fall and winter. Coach Spence has done a tremendous job with both (Anderson and Mullins). Sunitsch is ready to be a starter. We need him to have a good year.”
Anderson, Sunitsch and Mullins gives the Cougars three southpaws in the weekend starting rotation to begin the season.
“Eventually, we’ll like to get to one of those righthanders if one of them emerges,” Lees said. “That would give us flexibility against lineups. But as it is right now, that’s where we’re at. Coach Spence has a good plan and I see it working.”
Walker had five saves and allowed just 48 hits with 50 strikeouts in 63.2 IP when he was a reliever in 2016, compiling a record of 6-3 with a 2.40 ERA and sparkling .210 OBA.
“We’ve tinkered with the closer role the last couple of years”, Lees said. “Ryan Walker has gone back and forth. His best role for our team is for him to be pitching at the end. So, we’re going to use him that way. He has taken a big jump with his velocity. Coach Spence did some things in the fall and winter that got him on top of the baseball. He has more sink and a little more depth in his breaking ball.”
Is this the year we finally see the Parker McFadden the Cougars thought they were getting two years ago when he signed with WSU out of Yelm (WA) High School? McFadden, a junior, possesses a power arm (high 90s fastball) but has been held back by injuries and ineffectiveness. Last year, he was 0-1 with a 7.52 ERA and 24 walks in just 20.1 IP.
However, he allowed less than one hit per inning (16) while averaging more than a strikeout per inning (23), proving he has the chops to be a very good pitcher when he’s totally healthy and throwing strikes (an issue in 2017).
“Parker is back healthy and doing well,” Lees said. “He’s had a couple of outings this winter (that were very good). We’re going to try to start him. We have four games opening weekend. We’re planning on starting Parker in that fourth game if he’s ready to go.”
The fifth starter, when needed, will likely be lefthander A.J. Block (0-3, 6.89 ERA in 32.2 IP). WSU plays five games (Sunday DH in Tempe) in the first five days of the 2018 season, so Block is penciled in as the starter for Tuesday night’s game at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
“A.J. could be anywhere from our Friday night starter to our Tuesday starter,” Lees said. “He has made a jump over the past few weeks. His last couple of (scrimmage) outings were outstanding. We play five games that first week. Tuesday against Grand Canyon, depending on who we use in the first four games, A.J. is definitely in the mix. He can do a lot of things from starting, relieving or closing. He has that type pf talent.”
An assortment of juniors, sophomores and freshman will fill the middle relief roles. JUCO transfer RHP Nick Strange (Tacoma CC) has pitched well in the scrimmages, Lees said. Freshmen Hayden Rosenkrantz (West Jordan, UT) and Michael Newstrom (Puyallup HS) have impressed as well.
Seven of the 17 hurlers on the 2018 pitching staff are freshmen.
“We have some youth on the pitching staff, but we have some older kids too,” Lees said. “It’s time for the older kids to start doing what they came here to do. We need to have a jump there.”
2018 PITCHING ROSTER (17)
Seniors (4) – Scotty Sunitsch (LHP), Ryan Walker (RHP), Cody Anderson (LHP), Collin Maier (RHP);
Juniors (2) – Nick Strange (RHP), Parker McFadden (RHP);
Sophomores (4) – A.J. Block (LHP), Isaac Mullins (LHP), David Baillie (RHP), Will Heward (RHP);
Freshman (7) – Conner Nantkes (LHP), Hayden Rosenkrantz (RHP), Michael Newstrom (LHP), Mathew Ellis (RHP), Brody Barnum (RHP/OF), Dylan Orlando (LHP), Bryce Moyle (LHP),
2018 WSU BASEBALL SCHEDULE (FIRST 10 GAMES)
Fri. Feb. 16 vs. UC Riverside, 11 a.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)
Sat. Feb. 17 vs. Nebraska, 11 a.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)
Sun. Feb. 18 vs. Nebraska, 11 a.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)
Sun. Feb. 18 vs. UC Riverside, 3 p.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)
Tue. Feb. 20 at Grand Canyon, 6 p.m. (at Phoenix)
Fri. Feb. 23 at Alabama, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
Sat. Feb. 24 at Alabama, 11 a.m.
Sun. Feb. 25 at Alabama, 7 a.m. (SEC Network)
Thu. March 1 SACRAMENTO STATE, 4 p.m.
Fri. March 2 SACRAMENTO STATE, 4 p.m.
2018 PAC-12 SCHEDULE (30 Games)
March 16-18 at UCLA
March 23-25 at Arizona
March 29-31 ARIZONA STATE
April 6-8 at Oregon
April 13-15 CALIFORNIA
April 27-29 at Washington
May 4-6 OREGON STATE
May 11-13 USC
May 18-20 at Stanford
May 24-26 UTAH
