Wichita State’s baseball farewell to the Missouri Valley Conference faded out quickly and quietly, in contrast to most of the previous 38 seasons.
A fifth-place finish led to a 1-2 exit from the MVC Tournament characterized by poor starting pitching and an inability for hitters to move runners. Top-seeded Missouri State ended Wichita State’s third straight losing season with a 6-3 win on Friday at Hammons Field.
WSU’s Alec Bohm flew out to center field to end it, the final moment in the MVC for a school that defined the sport for many years. Its 1989 College World Series title, seven CWS berths, 27 NCAA regional trips and 20 MVC titles since 1978 established the Shockers as the conference’s black-and-yellow bully.