The Wichita State Shockers baseball team is in an off-season the likes of which it has never experienced before, with the season behind them And former head coach Gene Stephenson’s departure, along with most of his staff, threw the team a curveball.

Fortunately, the 2013 team was a somewhat young one. There were only two graduating seniors from the 2013 season with first baseman Johnny Coy and pitcher TJ McGreevy leaving the diamond at Eck Stadium for perhaps their last time.

That means there is a good chance most of the players will return for the next season, and the team will remain mostly the same.

There will, however, be at least two spots to be filled since pitchers Brandon Peterson and Albert Minnis were both drafted in the MLB draft. Peterson was the 380th overall pick in the draft, going in the 13th round to the Minnesota Twins. Minnis went in the 25th round to the Houston Astros as the 737th overall pick.

This could perhaps stand as a testament to why pitching coach Brent Kemnitz is the only remaining staff member from the Stephenson era.

Kemnitz kept his job and the rest of the baseball staff was fired. He is handling the day-to-day operations until a replacement coach is hired.

Who the new head coach is going to be is anyone’s guess, but there is one frontrunner for a lot of fans – and he’s already synonymous with Wichita and Shockers Baseball.

Kevin Hooper was once a Shocker himself, playing for WSU from 1996-1999 before being drafted in the eighth round by the Florida Marlins. Hooper declined an offer to sign with the Cleveland Indians in 1998 in the 49th round of the draft.

In 2008, Hooper became the second manager of the Wichita Wingnuts, and has since led the team to four winning seasons with an overall record of 222-170. Under his guidance the Wingnuts have sold 15 players to Major League organizations.

If Hooper were to take the mantle as the next head coach of WSU baseball, he would have to leave the Wingnuts organization. But with his history as a Shocker, it’s not entirely unbelievable.

Hooper may have never coached a college team, but with the recruiting and managing experience he has with the Wingnuts, it’s no wonder so many people want to see him become a Shocker once again.