[00:00:15] Speaker A: Hello.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: Welcome to the Roundhouse podcast with Paul Solentrop of Wichita State University. Strategic communication. Thanks for listening. Today we have David Johnson and Jaden Gustason. Jade Davin is a senior center fielder. He is from Gardner, Kansas. Jaden is a sophomore from Mays High School. David is transferred to Wichita State from Crowder College in Missouri. He is hitting 380 with a home run, three doubles. Jaden is hitting 278 with two doubles in five games. Both of them earned spots on the Jacks CBC all tournament game over the weekend. The Shockers are three and three. They are entering this week. They have a game at Oral Roberts on Wednesday. They have their home opener 03:00 p.m. Friday against Utah Tech with games following Saturday and Sunday. Shocker is coming off an interesting weekend in which it faced three ranked teams losing to number 14 Virginia, five to four in ten innings, 19 to eight, lost to number 20 Auburn and ended the weekend by rallying to defeat number 18 Iowa, twelve to six. We'll talk about the weekend in a few minutes. David, you're number nine. I looked at the history of number nine here at Wichita State baseball. There's some really good baseball players that have worn number nine. Is there a story with you wearing that number?
[00:01:28] Speaker C: Yeah, my dad wore number nine growing up, so ever since, he kind of put it upon me and I wear it with a lot of pride just to know that a lot of my family members have worn it as well.
[00:01:39] Speaker B: Okay, tell us about your dad. Was he a baseball player?
[00:01:41] Speaker C: My dad ran track, played football and basketball. He competed at Ottawa University in Ottawa. Kansas played football and ran track and now he's a professional bodybuilder.
[00:01:53] Speaker D: Okay, excellent.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: Jaden. Number 21. Is there a story with that?
[00:01:56] Speaker E: Normally I'm number 23, but Seth has number 23. So I think next year I'm going to try to snatch that up. But 21, there's not really a story behind that. I just thought it was next thing closest to 23. Besides 22 and 24 is taken.
Yeah, I'm just number 21 this year and 23.
[00:02:14] Speaker B: Would that be a Jordan thing?
[00:02:15] Speaker E: Jordan thing.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: A Jordan thing. All right, good numbers, Jaden. This is Jaden's second appearance here, so he's a veteran. He was on in the fall. Later we may just have him ask the questions and I'll take a nap. He's been through this before. All right, for fans coming to X Stadium this weekend to watch the shockers. David, what's your walkup song? What will they hear?
[00:02:37] Speaker C: My walkup song is rebels kicking it by NBA Youngboy.
[00:02:40] Speaker B: Tell us a little bit about that song. Is there a special significance?
[00:02:43] Speaker C: It all started last year. I chose it at Crowder and then I had the best season I've ever had, so I just kept it going.
[00:02:51] Speaker D: Okay. Makes sense.
[00:02:52] Speaker B: Jaden, how about you?
[00:02:53] Speaker E: Mine is. It was a good day by Dr. Dre. It was a good day by Dr. Dre. It's classic. And I just like the feel of it when I walk up there.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Okay, who has the best walk up song on the team? Who has the worst walk up song on the team?
Oh, man, there's somebody's song who you heard and you go, man, I wish I had thought of that one.
[00:03:18] Speaker E: I'm trying to remember what Darnell's was in the fall, but I didn't think that was good.
[00:03:22] Speaker C: I think the one that fits the best with the person would be Mauricio Milan. I feel like his fits perfectly with who he is and what he does.
[00:03:31] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:03:31] Speaker E: I'd agree. I say Moses, probably up there. Yeah, probably best.
[00:03:35] Speaker B: Mauricio Milan, catcher. You will see him a lot this weekend, I'm sure. Jaden, favorite major league baseball team?
[00:03:43] Speaker E: I like watching the Houston Astros and the.
[00:03:46] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:03:47] Speaker B: Favorite player on one of those teams. Or any favorite player.
[00:03:50] Speaker E: I like Jordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman for the Astros and then the Phillies. I'd probably say Bryce Harper.
[00:03:56] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Former shocker. Alec Bohm would have been a good answer, too.
[00:03:59] Speaker E: He's great, too.
[00:04:00] Speaker D: He's great, too.
[00:04:02] Speaker B: David, favorite major league baseball team?
[00:04:05] Speaker C: I'm going to go with the Texas Rangers. My dad's from Texas, so I grew up. I'm a fan of every Texas sport. And just watching them back in the day with Josh Hamilton. Josh Hamilton's my favorite player.
[00:04:16] Speaker B: Josh Hamilton is your favorite player. Okay, David, who's the best pitcher you've faced any game, any time in your baseball career?
[00:04:24] Speaker D: Oh, man.
[00:04:26] Speaker C: I would say probably Riley Pint. I faced him when I was in high school and he was working upper nines, low hundreds. So he really blew me away in high school. I'd never seen anything like it.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: Riley Pint, St. Thomas Aquinas.
[00:04:40] Speaker D: He was.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: Was he the number one overall pick or. He was definitely high in the first round.
[00:04:45] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:04:45] Speaker B: There was kind of a rivalry between Gardner and St. Thomas Aquinas. Am I understanding that correctly?
[00:04:49] Speaker D: Yep.
[00:04:49] Speaker C: Seems like we never won it either.
[00:04:51] Speaker B: Okay, Jaden, how about you? Who's the best pitcher that you've faced?
[00:04:55] Speaker E: It was pretty recently, actually, the Iowa starter, Cade Obermuller, he had a slider that. It was buckling me up. And I was having trouble with it and I've never seen a pitch like that. And credit to him, he has my number and I'd say another one's probably Trey Savage and Danny Beal from ECU. Those are two other ones, too, that they just had some stuff that I've never really seen before before college baseball.
[00:05:21] Speaker B: That leads us perfectly into the next topic. Big lessons from the weekend. You faced three really good teams. Three teams that probably going to be in regionals come June. Big lessons from the weekend. Jaden, what did the Shockers learn from facing that kind of competition?
[00:05:36] Speaker E: I think we learned that we can compete with anyone.
When we limit free passes, I know we can hit the ball. So I think really what we took away was from everyone went to the weekend kind of looking for answers of where they were at. I think a lot of people came away knowing that they can compete against anyone as long as they come locked in. And as a team, I think we really showed that we can compete with anyone.
[00:06:02] Speaker B: David, what did you learn from the three games over the weekend?
[00:06:05] Speaker C: I agree with Jaden 100%. I think that a lot of people didn't know what kind of fight we were going to put up, but I think we came into the weekend knowing that everyone was thinking that we weren't going to be what we were going to be. Everyone was thinking we were going to come in and get blown away and to come in and show the heart that we did and fight with all these ranked teams, I think showed a lot about who we are and what we can be.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: So, David, I think people were curious about everything, about the Shockers, but particularly about the offense because there's so many new faces in the lineup. Offense performed well over the weekend, performed well at Little Rock in the opening weekend. Take us through the fall and maybe how a sense of confidence in this team's hitting ability developed.
[00:06:45] Speaker C: Yeah, the coaches have done a great job. We drill it day in and day out, work the other way, be able to hit off speed early in the count. So them just being by our side and coaching us through everything has made a big difference in us. And I think our entire team has taken that into account and trusted what they have to say. And I think that is why we're having so much success, is trust in the process. That's what they always say, just trust the process. And I think we're doing that right now.
[00:07:10] Speaker B: So coaches say that a lot. Trust the process.
How do they get you to implement that and not just be words that go through your brain? And never make an impact from a.
[00:07:21] Speaker C: Player perspective, it's either you take it or you don't. They can tell you all they want, but if you don't take that into account, then you won't have as much success as you should. So for me, it's just trusting what they have to say and implementing that into my own game, just trusting that they have the experience to know what works and what doesn't.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: So, Jayden, the Shockers on Sunday fell behind five nothing against Iowa. And the outstanding starting pitching that you mentioned describe the dugout. How did the Shockers stay on the right track and end up rallying?
[00:07:55] Speaker E: Not going to lie at the beginning of the game, like I said, the starting pitcher, he was doing a good job at pitching anyone in our lineup and it was kind of quiet in the dugout at the beginning. And you can kind of tell the last few innings that we were starting to figure him out a little bit more, I would say. And people started making louder contact, like DJ right here. And I think we just got a little more confidence and we had the players in our dugout kind of build the energy up to kind of tell us like, hey, let's go, let's go. And as soon as he went out, we started going back to our approach and what we do will, and that's what I think helped us come back in that game.
[00:08:36] Speaker B: You had one of the big hits in that game, a one out single, tie it at five all in the 7th inning. You had Derek Williams at third. Take us through that situation, that at bat and approach.
[00:08:48] Speaker E: Well, my prior three at bats, I struck out three times. And so going into that at bat, I knew I really had to lock in and I had to trust everything that's made me good in the past and completely forget about the three prior at bats. I had to know that. I knew that. I just had to put it in play and get there again and hit or not, I would be happy with the run scoring. And I think that's just kind of what I did. I stayed simple and I put it in play and we scored.
[00:09:14] Speaker B: Forgetting about bad at bats or bad pitches, if you're a pitcher, that's something you hear a lot from baseball players. Tell us how you've gotten to that point where maybe you can do that. Is that something you're better at now than you were six months ago or.
[00:09:26] Speaker E: A year ago for sure last year, if that same situation happened last year. First of all, I don't think I would have been in the game anymore. I probably would have gotten subbed out or if I was in the game, I definitely would have just froze up and thought about everything that went wrong that day and that run wouldn't have scored. So this year, I just had to really trust myself and know that I'm a good player and that I can put the bat in the ball. And I think it was a big growth moment for me and it was nice coming out of there with a win.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: Does it help when the coaches keep you in, show the confidence in you to have that at bat in that situation?
[00:09:59] Speaker E: Absolutely. I thank coach Green for that. I'm really thankful that he trusted me in that moment to stay in and do what he knows I can do, and I was thankful for him keeping me in the game.
[00:10:10] Speaker B: So, David, I'm told that hitting left handers has been a big deal for you, an area of improvement. Take us through that. How do you work on that skill? You are a left handed hitter yourself. How have you worked on the skill of hitting left handers?
[00:10:24] Speaker C: I try to try and be more simple when I'm facing left handers and make my swing less moving parts, less complicated, shorter to the ball, because everyone knows it's harder to see left on left. So the guys this weekend, Lefty's thrown pretty hard. I knew I had to get my foot down and got to be ready to go attack early in the count. So it helps when you're not taking strikes early in the count and you're being aggressive getting after it early.
[00:10:47] Speaker B: And coaches also mentioned they've worked with you on getting on top of the ball. Tell us about that and how that's helped.
[00:10:53] Speaker C: Yeah, I've been working on top hand a lot. I've been under the ball a lot, especially in the fall, and even coming back, I was under some balls. So being able to work on top has helped me a lot. Square more balls up and be able to hit balls the other way and more importantly, put barrel on the ball.
[00:11:08] Speaker B: And then, David, I'm also told you wear a daffy duck headband for each game. There's got to be a story with that. Tell us.
[00:11:15] Speaker C: Absolutely. I found it during the fall and I was like, wow, it fits me and who I am. So I saw it and I had to have it and I wear it every time I have two of them. I have a black one, but I haven't broke it out yet. So we've just been rocking the yellow one so far and it's been working well. So I'm just going to keep rocking it.
[00:11:32] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: So we're early in the tenure of the new coaching staff. Coach Brian Green, his assistant coaches at this point. Jayden, tell us a little bit about them. How do you describe their coaching style?
[00:11:45] Speaker E: It's very energetic and they place a lot of belief in us, which I think as players it makes it a lot easier to go out there and just play without having the weight of the world on your shoulders.
They prepare you well. Preparation is all on the practice, and I think that's what they do well when we get into the game.
I don't think anyone feels sped up. I think that's helped a lot. I think that's what players need is just their coaches belief in them and the preparation and the practice.
[00:12:10] Speaker B: So you hear that a lot from successful teams. Practices were harder than the games. How does this coaching staff go about setting? I guess that's setting a tempo, setting a pace at practice.
[00:12:22] Speaker E: So at practice, the past few weeks especially, we've been doing combating practice where the ball is kind of thrown in pretty outside and you have to let it get deep and it's a challenge. It's not supposed to be easy, and it's just things like that. We're not supposed to be hitting these pitches in practice that we're hitting, but we have to trust what they're telling us. Let it get deep. And in the games, the ball just looks really meaty.
[00:12:49] Speaker B: David, how about you describe the coaching staff?
[00:12:52] Speaker C: Yeah, I love the coaching staff. They're fearless and they tell us to be fearless, so I know they're not scared, so I shouldn't be scared of anything either. They're a great group. They really care about us and they want to see us succeed.
[00:13:04] Speaker B: And, David, I understand you committed to Wichita State out of high school.
[00:13:09] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:13:09] Speaker B: And then ended up Iowa Western crowder, and now back at Wichita State. Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you ended up being a shocker.
[00:13:16] Speaker C: Yeah, I committed here out of high school under coach Butler, and he ended up moving on. And coach wedge came in and I talked to coach Pelfrey and he said that they didn't have a spot for me anymore. So I went to Juco for two years, went to Nebraska after my two years, did a fall there, transferred to Crowder, had a great time, and then now I'm here.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: And you were teammates with Josh Livingston.
[00:13:41] Speaker C: Absolutely love that guy.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: Okay, so, Jaden, David, you will play together a lot in the outfield, take the fans behind the scenes. What's the communication like out there? What are we not able to see from the stands. That would be interesting when you're tracking down fly balls or line drives.
[00:14:00] Speaker E: Just our relationship off the field. We're pretty good friends off the field and out there we can have some know, and I think we trust each other to make plays, and I think that's just what makes it so much fun out there. It's just our relationship off the field as well.
[00:14:14] Speaker B: David, as a center fielder, do you have the final call? Are you kind of the ultimate responsible guy? How does that work?
[00:14:21] Speaker C: I trust my guys to my right, my left, so if I need to go get it, I'll go get it. But I know exactly what they can do. And so for me, it takes a lot of pressure off me knowing that the guys to my right and left have the same ability I do to go track balls. So it's not a huge weight on my shoulders to patrol the whole thing.
[00:14:42] Speaker B: One of the interesting things about this shocker team is the number of freshmen and the number of freshmen who are really playing some prominent roles, especially on the infield. So if you come out this weekend, you're probably going to see players such as Darnell Parker, Cam Johnson, Gannon Snyder, Cam Dernon on the left side of the infield, it seems like. Tell us a little bit about this group of freshmen. Is there something that stands out about them and why they're able to contribute this quickly?
[00:15:07] Speaker C: Yeah, they work hard. I mean, no one works harder than those guys and they really want to win. And I love to see the young guys with the drive to be great, and those are some of the guys that put in all the work and they deserve everything.
[00:15:23] Speaker B: Jaden, I've heard it's a chatty group that the freshmen people tell me that freshmen are among the most talkative guys on this team. Is that part of this picture and why they're making an adjustment?
[00:15:33] Speaker E: Definitely. I think they got comfortable really fast and I think that's a good thing. Especially now in the games, they feel more comfortable around the older guys and they can just go out there and do what they do, do what they've always done, and that's be successful.
[00:15:46] Speaker B: Cam Johnson maybe has made the biggest impression so far. He's off to a really good start. Tell the fans about Cam. What's put him in this position?
[00:15:54] Speaker E: I think over break he was with his family and he was kind of stressed out about his fall. He struggled in the fall and I think he was just kind of stressed out. And I think having talked with his family, they just told him like, hey, it's the same thing you've always been doing. And I think it just really simplified things for him. He has a good head on his shoulders now. He still has some moments where he gets frustrated, but, I mean, we're right there to pick him up and we know he's a good player.
[00:16:18] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:16:19] Speaker B: For a fan coming out this weekend, give them a teammate or two, maybe to watch closely. Who would you tell Shocker fans to keep an eye on?
[00:16:28] Speaker C: I would say Friday night, Kaden favors is going to be on the mound. That's something you can't miss. Kaden's been perfect all year. I mean, holding Virginia to three runs is really impressive. Nobody did that all weekend except for him. So I'd come out and watch him.
[00:16:43] Speaker B: Okay, Jaden, you have a nomination. A suggestion for fans.
[00:16:46] Speaker E: I would say Cam Johnson and Ryan Callahan. Just really good. Really good players, really good guys, and they compete hard.
[00:16:52] Speaker B: Cam Johnson's been playing mostly at shortstop, right? Ryan Callahan at first, yes. Okay, so you got the opener on Friday, 03:00. Jaden, take the fans through your game day routine.
[00:17:04] Speaker E: 03:00. So I said, I'm going to wake up around maybe 839, get some breakfast, come up here, hit a little bit, get Jersey Mike's probably for lunch. Yeah. Come back and then just chill with the team until it's time to go through whatever we have to do.
[00:17:20] Speaker B: Do you prefer afternoon games or night games?
[00:17:22] Speaker E: I prefer night games on Friday specifically.
[00:17:25] Speaker D: Why is that?
[00:17:27] Speaker E: It's a good vibe on Friday nights. Just playing on a Friday night under the lights. It's fun for me.
[00:17:32] Speaker D: Sure.
[00:17:32] Speaker B: David, how about you? What's your game day routine?
[00:17:35] Speaker C: I'll probably wake up 08:00 hang out for a little while. Me and Josh usually wake up and just talk in the morning, come over here, eat breakfast, hang out for a little while, hit a little bit and then just try and hang out before we get going. Just try and loosen up. I try not to think about the game that much because I feel like the more you think, the more pressure it puts on you just because it's a game you love and you want to be successful. So I try and take all that pressure off myself and give myself some time to relax.
[00:18:06] Speaker B: The shockers are three and three. They are at Oral Roberts on Wednesday and then the home opener, 03:00 p.m. Friday against Utah Tech. They will also play Utah Tech on Saturday and Sunday. David Johnson and Jaden Gustason, thanks for your time.
[00:18:20] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:18:21] Speaker E: Thank you.
[00:18:36] Speaker F: Great insight as always. Thanks for listening to the Roundhouse podcast. Courtesy of Wichita State University strategic communications. We encourage you to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can always find more roundhouse
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[00:18:53] Speaker A: Down to a three two pitch with two men on, two outs in the 9th, the stretch by Tyler Green. Here it comes. Suck him out. A no hitter for Tyler Green.
A spike three call on the outside corner. And Tyler Green has pitched the fourth no hitter in Wichita State history, the second in his many years, as he joins fellow classmate Charlie Gindrome as the author of a Wichita State no hitter and in the process, struck out a career high 13, including all three outs in the 9th inning. Tyler Green completes a no hitter and Wichita State defeats New Mexico twelve to nothing.
