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| The Shockers forged a 47-17 overall record, nabbed WSU’s 16th regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title and won the program’s 12th postseason Valley Tournament title. |
Despite the fact that No. 4 seeded Oral Roberts ended the season too early for No. 1 seeded and regional host Wichita State with a 15-8 win June 1 in NCAA regional tournament action, there’s still plenty of good news to report from Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field.
For one thing, head coach Gene Stephenson has agreed to a five-year contract extension that ensures his employment through June 30, 2008, and affirms Wichita State’s commitment to maintaining a nationally elite baseball program. “I am delighted we were able to reach a new agreement with Coach Gene Stephenson,” Director of Athletics Jim Schaus reports. “Without question, he’s one of the greatest collegiate baseball coaches ever. It’s a tremendous comfort to know he will be leading our baseball program for many years to come.”
Stephenson had a year remaining on his previous contract, and the extension provides that he will be compensated at a base salary of $150,000, plus additional incentives, for the next six years. Additionally, increased salary provisions have been made for Brent Kemnitz, a nationally recognized pitching coach and a 24-year member of the WSU staff, and Jim Thomas, a former Shocker All-American and an 11-year member of the staff.
Stephenson, WSU head coach since March 1977, when the school reinstated baseball for the 1978 season after a seven-year hiatus, is currently ranked first in winning percentage of all active coaches (.762). During his 25 seasons at WSU, the Shockers have made seven College World Series appearances, won the 1989 National Championship and had runner-up finishes in 1982, 1991 and 1993. This year, they played host to the ncaa Wichita Regional, where they went 1-2, to forge a 47-17 overall record, the 25th straight season WSU has won more than 40 games in a season. WSU also won its 16th regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title in the past 18 years and its 12th postseason Valley Tournament title.
Player Honors
Wichita State second baseman Brian Burgamy and starting pitcher John Tetuan have both been named third team All-Americans by the American Baseball Coaches Association. This marks the fourth time this season that Burgamy, a junior from Lawton, Okla., has been named an All-American. He was named to the third team by Collegiate Baseball and to the second team by Baseball America and Baseball Weekly. It was the second All-America honor for Tetuan, a junior from Topeka, Kan. He was named a first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Burgamy and Tetuan also earned recognition as the mvc Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. In addition, pitcher Mathew Jakubov has been named an honorable mention Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
Players Drafted
Eight Shockers were drafted during the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, six on the first day of the draft and two on the second. Junior pitcher Justin Maureau was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third round followed by junior pitcher Adam Peterson (4th, Toronto), Tetuan (9th, Colorado Rockies), Burgamy (9th, San Diego Padres), junior outfielder Randy Walter (9th, San Francisco Giants) and junior catcher Ryan Owen (12th, Los Angeles Dodgers). During day two, junior pitcher Reuben Kerbs was selected in the 31st round by the Montreal Expos, and senior outfielder Dustin Hawkins was taken by the Houston Astros in the 37th. Two Shocker recruits were also drafted: Kendall Bergdall by the Seattle Mariners and Mike Pelfrey by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
— WSU Sports Information, Contributing, Connie White
