A Legacy of Excellence: The History of Wichita State University Baseball
The Wichita State Shockers baseball team boasts a storied history, marked by consistent success and a national championship. Representing Wichita State University, the Shockers have established themselves as a force in NCAA Division I baseball. This article explores the program's evolution, highlighting key figures, achievements, and the enduring legacy of Shocker baseball.
Early Years and the Stephenson Era
The genesis of Wichita State University baseball can be traced back to 1899 when Fairmount College, the university's earliest predecessor, first fielded a team. Their debut game occurred on April 14 against Southwestern College. After joining the Missouri Valley Conference, The University of Wichita revived the sport in 1948. The program experienced a modest rise, developing MLB players such as Don Lock ’70, who began his Shocker collegiate career in 1956.
The modern era of Wichita State baseball is inextricably linked to Gene Stephenson, who arrived in 1977 and transformed the program into a national powerhouse. "In the beginning in 1977, there were no facilities of any kind, no team, not even a baseball," he recalled. Stephenson's impact is undeniable. He guided the Shockers to 27 NCAA Regional appearances, two NCAA Super Regional appearances, 20 MVC regular-season titles, and 17 tournament championships. Most notably, he led the team to seven appearances in the College World Series, culminating in the national championship in 1989.
Stephenson's individual accolades include being named NCAA Coach of the Year three times and MVC Coach of the Year 11 times. A 2014 inductee of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, Stephenson was also inducted into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 for his career achievements. Wichita State has 2,187 wins in program history, and Stephenson was the head coach for 1,768 of them.
The 1989 National Championship and College World Series Appearances
The pinnacle of Wichita State baseball history is undoubtedly the 1989 national championship. This victory cemented the program's place among the elite in college baseball. The Shockers have made a total of seven appearances in the College World Series, showcasing their consistent competitiveness on the national stage. In addition to their championship year, they achieved runner-up finishes in 1982, 1991, and 1993, further demonstrating their sustained success.
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Individual Standouts and All-Time Greats
Wichita State's baseball history is filled with exceptional players who have left an indelible mark on the program. Here's a look at some of the all-time greats:
Phil Stephenson: It's almost an overwhelming process to sort through Stephenson's career statistics and accolades in order to properly and somewhat succinctly sum up his college career. Stephenson has more career hits (418), runs (420), total bases (730), steals (206), and walks (300) than every other player who has every played DI college baseball. The three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and two-time First Team All-American hit .443, .411 and .447 in his first three seasons in college, which rank fifth, 17th and fourth in program history, respectively. His 47-game hitting streak as a junior is tied for the third-longest streak in DI history. As a junior, Stephenson was named All-America Baseball News Player of the Year and a Golden Spikes Award finalist.
Joe Carter: You could make the case that Phil Stepenson and Carter are the two best players in Wichita State baseball history and remarkably, they were part of the same recruiting class and spent three seasons together. It was clear from Carter's first season on campus that he was going to be a special player for Wichita State, as he set WSU freshman records for batting average, hits, triples, home runs, RBI, runs, slugging percentage and total bases. Carter, who was later a World Series hero with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, led the country in total bases as a sophomore and junior, plus he led the NCAA with an impressive 120 RBI in his final season in college. Carter on HOF ballot for first time.
Joe Morman: We're exercising some creative freedom with this selection because Morman's bat is too valuable to leave out of Wichita State's all-time lineup. As an All-American designated hitter in 1982, he batted .378 with 24 home runs and 130 RBI, which both led the NCAA that season and still stands as a school record, while leading the team to its first-ever College World Series. He also had 20 doubles, seven triples, 63 walks and 27 steals, giving him an elite combination of power, patience at the plate and speed. He once hit safely in 10 consecutive at-bats, the second-longest such streak in school history. Morman split time at first base and in the outfield in 1983, when he was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year after hitting .439 with 25 home runs, an NCAA-best 105 RBI, an .831 slugging percentage and 40 steals. His career average of .406 ranks fourth all-time and his .769 career slugging percentage is second.
Casey Standiford: Standiford wasn't just a great power-hitting second baseman, he was a great power hitter. Period. His 69 career home runs are the most in program history, as are his 94 doubles. Standiford is arguably the most productive Shockers player in Wichita State's NCAA tournament history. He holds program records for most home runs (9) and RBI (25) in the NCAA tournament, and his .426 batting average in the tournament ranks third in school history. The infielder had a batting average above .340 every season, including a career-best .374 average as a senior, when he was named a First Team All-American and a member of the College World Series All-Tournament Team.
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Pat Ryan: In his first season on campus, Ryan put together a campaign that ranks in the top five freshman seasons in program history in terms of batting average (.391), slugging percentage (.667) and on-base percentage (.514). Ryan reached his pinnacle as a junior, when he was named a First Team All-American and the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year after he batted a ridiculous .441 with 33 doubles, 23 homers, 105 RBI, and a national-best 109 runs. His .885 slugging percentage and 231 total bases that season are program records. For his career, Ryan was a .367 hitter overall and .342 in the NCAA tournament.
Mike Blake: With consideration also given to Brandon Green, Conor Gillaspie and even current Wichita State infielder Alec Bohm, we went with Blake, a career .354 batter who ranks fifth in program history in hits (347) and RBI (269). As a freshman, Blake was a Baseball America Freshman All-American and College World Series All-Tournament Team selection as the Shockers finished as national runners-up. - Wichita St. His numbers dipped some as a sophomore - .323, five home runs and 46 RBI - before he turned in back-to-back All-American campaigns as an upperclassman. He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a senior after hitting .360 with 22 home runs, 101 RBI and a .729 slugging percentage. Blake's 41 career home runs rank 12th in school history and he's top 10 in games played among Shockers players.
Eric Wedge: In 1989 he hit a team-high .380 with 27 doubles, a team-high 23 home runs, 99 RBI, 98 runs, a .738 slugging percentage and .527 on-base percentage, while leading the country in walks (88) and total bases (206). He had a 25-game hitting streak and an 11-game hitting streak in the NCAA tournament. For his career, Wedge hit 54 doubles, 45 home runs and 206 RBI with 173 walks and 454 total bases. Congrats to Eric Wedge on being inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame this morning! - Wichita St.
Wimmer: This was a tough call as Mike Lansing (1987-90), Jason Adams (1992-95) and Zach Sorensen (1996-98), along with Wimmer, gave Wichita State a decade-plus of strong shortstop play and each player warranted consideration. Wimmer's power numbers don't jump off the page, but as we craft an all-time Wichita State starting lineup, his speed, fielding and high average are huge additions. He had a .992 fielding percentage as a freshman, which is remarkable for any position but especially for shortstop. As a sophomore, he was a member of the Shockers' College World Series runner-up team, while leading the country in hits (125) and runs (99). He stole 136 bases in three seasons, including a career-best 54 as a sophomore and national-best 52 as a junior.
Steenstra: Wichita State has had several outstanding college pitchers in the last 40 years and Bryan Oelkers, Ken Greenwood, Greg Brummett, Darren Driefort, and Braden Looper are among the players considered for this spot. During the 1991 season, Steenstra was named a First Team All-American, Golden Spikes Award finalist, Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, and College World Series All-Tournament Team honoree as the Shockers finished as national runners-up.
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These players represent just a fraction of the talent that has come through the Wichita State baseball program. Their accomplishments have contributed to the program's rich history and tradition.
Coaching Changes and Continued Development
Following Stephenson's departure in 2013, the program has seen changes in leadership. Todd Butler was hired as the second coach of WSU baseball's modern era. Butler was fired following the 2019 season in which the Shockers finished 28-31 after making the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. In June 2019, Eric Wedge was hired as the third baseball coach in Wichita State modern era history, leading the Shockers to a 13-2 season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After Stephenson left the program in 2013, WSU baseball continued its tradition of turning out pro players. One of them is Alec Bohm, who arrived from Omaha, Nebraska, to play for the Shockers as a freshman in 2016. Since 2020, he has been third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Known for strong defense and an uncanny aptitude to produce RBIs, Bohm was selected as a pro All-Star for the first time in 2024. After being hired on June 7, 2023 as the fifth head coach in the modern era of Wichita State baseball, Brian Green started his first season with the Shockers in 2024, coaching the team to a 32-29 record.
Impact on Professional Baseball
The Wichita State baseball program has a strong track record of producing players who go on to successful careers in professional baseball. Claude Hendrix was the first former Shocker to make it to the Major League level. There were forty-three former Wichita State University ballplayers (not counting the three students who went to Wichita, but did not play baseball there: Daryl Spencer, Fritz Brickell, Larry Foss) who made it to the majors. Sean Johnson ’99, a back-up catcher for the Shockers under head coach Gene Stephenson from 1996-98, graduated with a degree focused on sports management and served as the team’s director of operations for the 2000-01 season before making his 2002 Major League Baseball debut as a rookie scout with the Minnesota Twins. Johnson is one of many former Shockers who’ve made a name for themselves in professional baseball after their playing days at WSU. In 2018, third baseman Alec Bohm was drafted in the First Round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Facilities and Fan Support
Wichita State baseball benefits from strong fan support and dedicated facilities. Thousands of fans turn out to watch Wichita State in their Riverfront debut.
The Future of Shocker Baseball
Looking ahead, the Wichita State baseball program is focused on maintaining its tradition of excellence and developing future generations of talented players.
Stephenson has committed $20,000, as an annual gift to the Wheat Shock Collective, intended to supplement Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes, which in the long-run will help ensure the program can retain and recruit elite-level talent, say Stephenson, Green and WSU Athletics Director Kevin Saal. Collectively, they add: “We are so thankful for fans and the greater Wichita business community for embracing our mission and providing vital assistance in achieving the support essential to past, present and future success. We know that Wichita will accept the challenge of NIL/Revenue Share, as we have, providing championship-level resources for our program.
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