[00:00:14] Speaker A: Hello. Welcome to the Roundhouse Podcast with Paul Sullentrop of Wichita State University Strategic communications. As always, thank you for listening. We really appreciate your time. Our guests are Wichita State softball assistant coach Easton Herring and and senior third baseman Kristen Nelson. The Shockers are about three weeks into spring practice. We're going to get you ready for the openers. Wichita State opens the season on February 7th versus Northern Illinois in Phoenix, Arizona. They will also play Grand Canyon, which is the host to school Colgate and Montana over that weekend. Easton is in his second season as a softball assistant. He also worked for the Wichita State baseball staff previously. Kristen is from La Porte, Texas. She's a three year starter at third third base. Last season she hit 3, 11, 403 in conference play. She had nine doubles and one of my favorite stats that sometimes gets overlooked. She walked more times than she struck out. She was an all American scholar athlete and a member of the AAC's all academic team in 2024. Kristen, take us through that feeling when you're thinking about the first game. You're getting ready, you're tying your shoes, you're putting on your visor, you're getting ready to take infield. What's that feeling like for a softball player?
[00:01:27] Speaker B: I think the first game is like often one of the games that gets overlooked just because I mean it's the beginning of the season. But I think the first game of every year that I've played, I'm never less nervous. Like I'm always the most nervous the first game because you have nobody, you have no idea what's going to happen, you have no idea how the season's going to turn out. And it's just obviously it's new team every year so you just, you have no idea what it's going to be like. So you have the butterflies in your stomach, like your hands are shaken and honestly like nothing's really going through your mind except for this is the first game. Like this starts the whole season. And I think especially this year is one I'm not really prepared for just because it's my last first just because it's my senior year. So I think that's what's gonna hit hard this year.
[00:02:19] Speaker A: Do you have strategies for dealing with nerves?
[00:02:22] Speaker B: Yeah. So we actually attend our psychologist here, Ms. Malley. We go to her once, once a week. We try to go to her once a week and she gives us a lot of strategies and like we practice like the deep breaths and practicing our breathing and finding something outside of softball to kind of comment calm us down. So I think that's what's really helped me a lot.
[00:02:44] Speaker A: Mally hall is who you're referring to, One of the sports, I guess, sports psychologists, sports mental health people that Wichita State has, has invested some in. Definitely. Do the nerves go away after that first ground ball? What's the.
[00:02:58] Speaker B: It's usually kind of once you get through, like the anthem and everything, once you take the field and you're getting your ground balls from your first baseman, like that's when it. You kind of settle in.
[00:03:08] Speaker A: The Eastern. The Shockers have been practicing about three weeks or so. Take us through the routine. What are you building up and to before that first game?
[00:03:17] Speaker C: Yeah, we, you know, we haven't had an outdoor practice yet. Hopefully today we can get outside and kind of move around, do that type of stuff.
But yeah, I mean we, you know, this, let's see, we got this week and then probably three or four more days until we head off to Phoenix. But we try to start prepping for pitchers. I know Coach E does a really good job with that.
I'll look at the defense type of stuff. Do their offenses have slappers, hitters? Do they like to bun a lot? Do they run?
So we just try to make sure our girls are prepared for anything and everything.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: Will there be more scouting, more video preparation for these opponents? Just because you have so much more time as opposed to what you might have in a month. How does that work?
[00:04:05] Speaker C: Yeah, and we have a quick turnaround from here to Clearwater or from our first weekend to go to Clearwater.
So, you know, softball, you play what, four or five games in a weekend? Baseball, it's probably three. And you're playing the same opponent usually in baseball, you know, I think we play four different teams the first weekend and then we turn around and play four more teams. So you're kind of prepping for everybody and it makes things a little difficult at times. Just from a scouting perspective. You know, I know Coach O's had to watch, you know, 15 hitters from one team and then turn around and watch another 15 hitters. And you know, Coach E now with pitching staffs and prepping for them, they're adding more pitchers to each staff. So it's not usually a one or two pitcher staff.
It's more of like five to seven.
So I mean going through and breaking down each one of the arms and prepping for them, I know that that can be a little tough as well.
[00:05:15] Speaker A: Kristen. One of the team building things, I think Christy Bredbenter always does some interesting stuff. You've read books in the past. There was one year they did a project about dominant college teams in different sports. Soccer Challenge. Describe that. It's a year round thing that the competition that the team takes place in. Describe that for us.
[00:05:36] Speaker B: Yeah, so we've done Shocker Challenge all four years I've been here. And it's kind of where. So we have three coaches this year. It was Coach Easton, Coach E and Coach O. They all like, draft teams of the girls on the team, obviously. And there's like six to seven players on each team. And we just complete challenges throughout the year of, like, we do pickleball and like, whoever.
Like, you have a team of two with pickleball, but it's within your team of seven.
So whoever wins that, like, gets the most points. And it goes. It like all of those points goes towards, like, rewards, I guess. Like, we get stuff from Lululemon. We get bags.
Some of the. Some of them are like dinner at Coach B's house. Everyone's favorite.
[00:06:26] Speaker A: Why is that everyone's favorite?
[00:06:27] Speaker B: She just cooks so good.
[00:06:28] Speaker A: Great cook. What's her specialty? What does she roll out?
[00:06:31] Speaker B: Probably her ch. Steak is her best.
[00:06:34] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:06:35] Speaker B: And she makes this, like, potato casserole thing. It's so good. But yeah, like, we have pickleball. We do like, weight room challenges.
Well, sometimes we'll do like, live situations at practice. And like, the teams for that will be within your Shocker Challenge teams. So you'll get teams for that of, like, who scores the most, who gets the most outskirts and things like that.
[00:06:59] Speaker A: Who is the best pickleball player on this team?
[00:07:01] Speaker B: Taylor. She's so good. Her and her mom.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Taylor sla. Okay.
[00:07:06] Speaker B: Yeah, her and Cece. So Cece is our GA this year and so she wasn't allowed to play because they win all the time.
[00:07:14] Speaker A: Okay. So they're very good at that. Then. I was. My next question was going to be who wins the weight room contest. I was going to guess it was Taylor. Just based on what?
[00:07:21] Speaker B: Between Carol and Taylor.
[00:07:22] Speaker A: Carol, Talon and Taylor SLA can't beat them. Okay, very good. Do those things help?
[00:07:29] Speaker B: I think it just keep, like, it's just a reminder to like, just keep things fun. Like, we are here for a reason. And but it is a good reminder to just like softball is a game. Like, we chose to play this game for fun. Like, it's not like it is a job. It is our job to get things done and win and prove who we are. But it also, like, it is just a game. So I think just keeping Things like light hearted and just keeping it fun.
[00:07:52] Speaker A: So Houston, you mentioned not practicing outside to this point. What's it like practicing indoors while you're watching the softball indoor facility come up arise next door to Wilkins Stadium.
[00:08:05] Speaker C: Yeah, you know, we've done a lot of, you know, individual stations, breakdowns, infield, outfield, split catchers, catching bullpens. And then we, you know, we're fortunate enough to have the baseball indoor to where we can, you know, do a full field scrimmage, you know, live arms, it's good for hitters to see live abs. But, you know, the indoor facility that we're getting built down our left field line is going to be huge. It's a game changer, especially from the recruiting piece too.
I mean, it's going to be one of the nicest facilities, you know, in the Midwest.
[00:08:42] Speaker A: Yeah, you're really good about posting updates on Twitter, taking pictures of steel beams arising, rebar coming out, all that fun construction stuff. Does that kind of thing resonate with recruits?
[00:08:52] Speaker C: Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, you know, I always try to tell kids, you know, anytime I work at camp, you know, off campus or at a tournament, you know, if we can get kids on campus, we probably got a pretty good shot at them just because, you know, how revamped our campus is, you know, with the innovation side of campus and, you know, our facilities and what we have to offer and that type of stuff too. So it's huge. I mean, social media is such a big part of recruiting nowadays.
That's the reason why I have Twitter. You know, it's a huge recruiting tool. You know, kids messaging you and tagging you in videos and that type of stuff. You know, you may not know about a kid and they tag you in a video and you're like, okay, we got to go watch this kid, you know, over the summer or in the fall. And you know, things travel fast on the Internet too, so.
[00:09:48] Speaker A: So, Kristen, you would have grown up in this era of social media. How much did you use social media during your recruiting process?
[00:09:55] Speaker B: Actually, during recruiting, I feel like we were kind of the last class to not use it that heavy. Like, you see kids now. I say kids, they're the same age. But like, you see players now, like they're posting videos of them practicing on Twitter and Instagram. Like, I never did that. And those were just things like coaches were coming to you face to face. They're talking to you, they're watching you play and you're going to their schools, to camps. And like, I just, I didn't utilize Social media that much. And I think a lot of people in my class could say the same thing.
But, yeah, I think we were the last class that we weren't very, like, social media heavy.
[00:10:36] Speaker C: I'd probably say Covid really spiked that. You know, you have, I think, your 20, 24 class. The kids who are soft, fresh, let's see, sophomores this year were the big, you know, Covid kids. I guess they would be the 23 class.
[00:10:56] Speaker A: So they were kids who. Coach, can't come and see me. I'm not playing games. The best thing I can do is send them pictures from a video from a batting cage, correct?
[00:11:04] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:11:04] Speaker B: Because even at that point, like, apps were created so that you could upload videos. Like, there's apps like Huddle that you can upload videos of you playing and practicing and just like getting extra work in. And you upload those videos and coaches can access that. We're like, we never had that.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: So I do seem to see this a lot. It seems like softball and baseball, which I guess are sports very conducive to video, you can get in a batting cage, you can get on them, you can throw off a mound and take videos of that. What's the. As a coach, how are you evaluating that from the standpoint? Well, a lot of people can look good in a batting cage. I need to find out they can do it, you know, in April against live pitching. What's the. What's the process? What's the next step then?
[00:11:45] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, you know, you could put your best five swings you had on on the tee or on the machine or in game on Twitter and, you know, but I think us as a coaching staff, you know, we want to see the other things, the intangibles, how you get on and off the field, you know, how you carry yourself, how you deal with failure, that type of stuff. So I feel like identifying talent, you know, it's easy. It's. It's easy to see the kids who are really good and very high level. I think it's a little bit, you know, tougher to find the diamonds in the rough. And I think that's kind of our bread and butter, you know, finding those kids that really work hard and, you know, want to develop and want to get better, and then they come here and they thrive, like Kristen, they, you know, Lauren Lucas and Sidney McKinney and those types of even. I would even put my sister in.
[00:12:37] Speaker A: There, you know, your sister Neely, who was outstanding first baseman for the Shockers.
[00:12:41] Speaker C: Absolutely. So I think just finding Those kids that have that, you know, want to. Of getting better every day and, you know, developing and our coaching staff, I think, you know, you can put us up against anybody in the country. I feel like we, we get the most out of everybody, which is huge.
[00:13:01] Speaker A: So, Kristen, I think coaches would describe you as the best defensive third baseman in the, in the conference. Take us through your evolution about working on defensive skills, taking pride in that in that part of the game.
[00:13:13] Speaker B: I think you'll hear a lot of times that a lot of players think offense is like the fun side of the ball. But I've all. I have always thought the opposite. I've always thought that defense has always been my bread and butter just because from. I was probably 12 when I really started like 10, 12 when I really started taking softball seriously and like, I knew that's what I wanted to do. And even from coaches from that age, they were like, the basics. The basics are going to be like, you have to have them and you have to focus on those. So even like to this day I'm just doing everydays and you focus on getting your fingertips back, working through the ball. Like you hear that all the time. But like some players, those aren't the things you work on just because you should be able to do it. Well, I just think the basics are kind of what I guess are my bread and butter and defense is my fun.
[00:14:07] Speaker C: She's. She's probably just saying that because I'm in here. I'm sure if coach was in here, she'd be saying that offense was her favorite. But it's okay. We get it now.
[00:14:16] Speaker A: Right? And so to be clear, Easton works a lot with the infield on the defense. That's kind of one of his main areas of responsibility. Coach E, who we referred to a couple times, Elizabeth Economan, famous for her love of hitting.
[00:14:29] Speaker C: Absolutely. And you know, it. It's funny with her, you know, I would always probably enjoy us to do a little bit more defense and she loves doing her offense stuff. But, you know, when we have camp, she, she'll introduce herself and say, go offense. And I'll obviously rebuttal back and introduce myself and say, go defense. So it's kind of a fun, you know, banter back and forth between us two. But obviously you got to score runs to win games. And you know, I think playing defense is important too. You know, I love to watch the ESPN plays and that type of stuff. And I also like to see the ball fly out of the yard, so.
[00:15:09] Speaker A: And the other assistant coach, we've mentioned a couple times, coach O Courtney Oliver Elkins. Just familiarize people with that. Kristen, how'd you fall in love with softball? How did that become your game?
[00:15:21] Speaker B: Well, both my parents played, so it was kind of a have to. You have to love it.
Both my older brothers played, so I just grew up at the baseball fields, grew up at the softball fields. It's just was meant to be.
[00:15:36] Speaker A: So now you're a senior.
Take us through leadership duties, leadership skills. Being that you're one of the most experienced people on this team, I think.
[00:15:46] Speaker B: Leadership a lot of times kind of just comes naturally to people. And obviously your older girls on the team have had the most experience, so you kind of just look up to them.
But I feel like even from freshman year, like people viewed me as a leader on this team just because, I mean, sometimes you just have to take charge. Even if you are the 18 year old playing with girls who are 21 and 22, like, it's kind of just, I don't know, it's just a thing.
[00:16:17] Speaker C: I guess comes natural for Kristen. I feel like, you know, not. Not only is she a vocal leader in the infield, but I feel like she leads by example too.
You know, being able to, you know, be the first one there or do extra and you know, I mean, she's. It also starts in the weight room too, you know, and I think the leadership piece from this whole senior class even, you know, they lead by example. They're the ones that are working hard and doing all the things that need to be done, you know, in order for us to be successful.
[00:16:54] Speaker A: So Kristen, let's say we're in Wichita State's in a bad spot inning, couple runners on pitchers struggling a little bit. What is your go to way to kind of calm things. And I hear, I heard Sidney McKinney for years say you go to the mound and you say we got your back. Throw the pitch, we'll field it. What's your tactic when you're in. In that kind of a nerve wracking situation?
[00:17:15] Speaker B: I'm definitely one to call time. Like, especially if I see my pitcher struggling, I'm usually the one that kind of takes charge in that instance. And I'll just like, my thing is I usually try and kind of crack a joke. Like I'm gonna walk up and I'm gonna make sure I like obviously in that situation you're nervous, like you're tight but like you can't walk to the mound and show your pitcher that like you have to put on a face for not only yourself and your team, but for your pitcher too.
[00:17:41] Speaker C: Because.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Because your pitcher needs that. Like, you have to walk up to the mound confident and be like, we got you. Like, you have. Like, you gotta understand we got your back, but you gotta have ours too. And so just walking up there, like, kind of. I always like to walk out there. I'm not gonna look nervous. I'm gonna put a smile on my face and like, make things again light hearted, like, trying to make it a game, trying to make it fun. Cracking jokes with the pitcher and the catcher and like, because when your pitcher struggling, so is your catcher. And I feel like that's what a lot of people don't understand is that your pitcher and your catcher, they're their own team too.
And so just trying to be a leader on the field and when you walk out there, just be light hearted, make it fun and just crack a joke. And that's kind of my thing to do, is make things fun.
[00:18:24] Speaker A: So, Kristen, nice offensive year. Last year, the coaches loved referring to you as a second leadoff hitter, hitting ninth in the lineup. Hit.311. As I said, take us through your offensive improvement during your time here.
[00:18:36] Speaker B: I think my biggest improvement was honestly my brain. Like, I knew physically I could do it, but it kind of just took Coach B one time to kind of dig into me and be like, because it was at Arkansas, I would think I was. I've had an 019 year. I've had 0 for 20 something one year. Like, I like offense is something I've struggled with usually towards the beginning of the season.
But we were at Arkansas, I believe it was. I think it was last year and she had pulled me for one inning and obviously, like, I'm getting myself worked up just because I'm an upperclassman and I know I should be playing. Like, I know my ability. Like, I know I can physically do it, but I can't get my thoughts out of the way. And so she pulled me to the end of dugout and she was like, this is gonna be the last time I pull you. Like, I'll never pull you again because we need you defensively for sure.
But you have to know you could do it offensively, like you're going to play. And I think it just took that of, like, knowing that the coaching staff, like, really believes in me and that I can do it for me to believe in myself. And I think that's when things really took a turn. Like the next weekend we went to Nebraska and I went. I got at least like three Hits in every game that whole weekend. So.
[00:19:58] Speaker C: Hotter than a pistol, I'm telling you. I've, you know, and she says, oh, for 20. It wasn't an over 20 with 20 strikeouts or rollovers. I mean, she was squaring the ball up, you know, hitting it right at people. It was a loud over 20.
[00:20:15] Speaker A: And we're talking about the beginning of last season.
[00:20:17] Speaker C: Absolutely. Yeah.
[00:20:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Christy, and you have talked about that story, that moment from Arkansas, that's familiar to me. So it sounds like just a coach expressing confidence in you that really, really cleared your mind up and allowed you to hit.
[00:20:30] Speaker B: Yeah. And I think that's honestly been a hot topic lately is, like, there's the app TikTok of, like, there's just a trend going around of, like, people's experience at schools, and I think that's something that, like, we really need to put out for WSU in general. Like, Coach B really cares about her players as people and not just softball players. Like, she really makes this program family program. Like, and you'll hear that across every player on this team, that this program is a family. And that's not just us players. It's the coaches. It's the supporting staff, like Gretchen. Like, it's everyone. We're just a big family here. And I think that's something that really needs to be put out for this program.
[00:21:15] Speaker A: Gretchen Torlein, Academic advisor. She's got a lot of pub on this podcast lately. I don't know if I'm totally comfortable with that, but she's. She has earned it. Easton, we're almost two weeks out from the first day. Run us through a likely lineup, possible lineup permutations. We won't hold you to it, but give the fans something to. Something to think about as the countdown begins.
[00:21:36] Speaker C: Well, obviously we're pumped that Lauren Lucas is back, you know, positional wise.
You know, I think behind the plate.
Any three of our kiddos behind the plate could. Could go at any time. You know, with Becker Lee, Gabby Scott and Sophie Johnson. We're young back there, but, I mean, anybody can go. Whoever's probably got the hot bat is probably gonna get, you know, their name called at that time.
Third base. I'd probably, you know, say the person sitting right next to me with Kristen Nelson, shortstop. I'd probably go with Taylor Solacek. You know, she did a phenomenal job last year coming in unexpectedly. You know, we were playing OSU at the time, and we had a few middle infielders that were down and, you know, we brought in Addie B. And Taylor and said, who wants to play short? And Taylor, before we got it, Coach B even got it out of her mouth of who wants to play short? Taylor was like, I'll do it. And sure enough she stepped in and you know, she did awesome. I mean she didn't put much pressure on herself, made all the routine plays, got after it, had a good attitude about it all and was awesome.
Second base, I'd probably say Sammy Hood, she's a phenomenal elite defender right there.
I think she's probably at her best right now.
First base, a toss up against three really good players with Cam Compton Carroll and Sid Zinnen. It's going to be a battle and I'm sure whoever ends up not playing first base will probably end up DPing, you know, maybe depending on our outfield situation as well. But center field, you know, I'm not going to go left field, center field, right field. But I would probably say Jody Epperson, our transfer from North Texas, she's a freak athlete, man. Has an absolute bazooka of an arm and what Coach Horn calls her Mighty Mouse.
Just so strong for her size and hits the ball out of the yard. And then we got Ellie Eck, who's also a transfer. I think she was committed to us prior to going to Stanford.
I think Coach B mentioned it in the podcast. How can you not turn down a Stanford education? So we totally understand from that point. But she brings a left handed stick. That's, you know, something that we probably wish we had for four years.
And then Lauren Lucas, you know, our all American that's coming off of an injury.
I think she's going to be a big piece and going to have a huge, huge season this year and we're excited to have her back and you know, some freshmen to kind of look out for Morgan Lloyd, you know, she's another left handed bat that's had some really good success, you know, this fall and, and you know, into the early spring. And then, you know, Mimi Navarro is another one of our transfers, has a, an elite glove and she's dealing with a few injuries and stuff like that for herself but she's, she's going to be back healthy as well when the season gets rolling.
So yeah, I mean we got some, some depth this year which is awesome.
[00:25:11] Speaker A: Kristen, give us a couple newcomers that fans should keep an eye on. What's been your observation of this? The class of newcomers, I want to.
[00:25:20] Speaker B: Think all of them. I think this class of newcomers has been absolutely insane from our transfers. I think Jody, that's another freak of an athlete like you just, she's just good at everything she does. And then Ellie, Ellie's the same way. She's just so raw. Like she's just absolute raw talent. And then Mimi has a freak of a glove. And then all of our freshmen, I think we have a really good freshman class. I think especially Morgan Lloyd. Like you can just tell in the box. She's just. You don't see it in many freshmen where you get in the box and you're just calm.
Like most of the time when you're a freshman, everything is running through your mind when you step in the box. But I feel like when Morgan steps in, it's just, she's gonna get a hit and she hits the ball hard. Like every time the ball, every time she makes contact, it's gonna be hit hard. And I think those are people that you really need to keep an eye on.
[00:26:21] Speaker A: Easton seven person recruiting class for Wichita State had five of the high schoolers in for a basketball game recently to check out campus. I think people are always fascinated by recruiting, especially these days, because so much is changing. Describe the recruiting class.
[00:26:35] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm really excited about it. You know, we put in a ton of effort, you know, with this recruiting class.
You know, we got Cammie Smith, kid from Oklahoma, hits the ball really hard.
You know, another small, smaller kid, I guess elite defender.
You know, it's funny, she. My uncle is a head softball coach, head high school softball coach in Oklahoma and they played Kiefer in a tournament and my uncle was like, how do I get this kid out? She's hitting like 650 or 700 and I'm like, you can't, you just can't pitch to her. She's, she's elite, man. She's really, really good.
So we're excited about Cami. She's a middle infielder. She'll add some depth to us. Skyler, Roger. Another Oklahoma kid, Rogers, sorry, call her Sky. She's, she's a really athletic long, you know, she can play pretty much any position.
I told her parents when they came up the other day, I felt like she grew another three or four inches. She's about 5:11, 5:10 from the last time I saw her this past summer.
And then you add another infielder in there with Kenzie Woody.
Just an absolute animal. I mean all these kids in this class can really hit and really go, which makes things really, really exciting for the future, you know. Another one, Mackenzie Rooney, an outfielder, left handed hitter.
She's a Missouri Kid or a Kansas kid, I'm sorry, from the Kansas City area.
You know, she can flat out fly. Probably one of the faster kids that I've seen.
And she just goes and gets it. She'll run into a wall, sacrifice her body for anything. Jenna Edwards was a late pickup for us. Another high school kid. She's a pitcher down ball kid. Really good change up is gonna bring something a little bit different to our pitching staff, which is great. And then our two junior college kids, Mikayla Tosh and Trinity Allen.
Trinity, I think she hit 25 home runs last year at McLennan. Both of those kids are from McLennan Community College.
Something that really excites me as a defense guy. They were both Gold Glove winners, which is really cool and kind of unheard of when you have two or three Gold Glove kids from the same team. But Chris Berry does a phenomenal job down there at McLennan of Developing Kids and getting the most out of, out of their kids, which is very similar to what we do here.
So, yeah, I mean, seven kids that are going to make a huge impact to what we have going and probably leave a really good legacy by the time they're done.
[00:29:39] Speaker A: And McLennan is where CC Wong started at before she went to Grand Canyon and then ended up here at Wichita State. Had just, I think she ended up third in the nation in hitting second or third in the nation. Just had a great, great season last year for the Shockers. Kristen, let's wrap it up by using your experience now as a, as a four year college athlete, let's say your high school says. Kristen, come on back. We want you to talk to some of our, some of our teams, some of our athletes. What's your advice for a high school athlete who is kind of getting started on I want to play college athletics.
[00:30:15] Speaker B: I feel like I preach this a lot, but just keeping softball fun. I think the game gets really hard when you make it strictly a job.
And softball was meant to be a game. It is a game and that's what games are supposed to be. Fun. And I think college, college softball is a completely different game than high school and travel ball. And I feel like that was really hard to accept my freshman year. And I feel like that's when the mental game kind of came into play. Where in travel ball, it's just softball. Like I feel like there was no mental side of it. You're just playing to play and get recruited. But when you get here, like it finally clicks at some point that this is what you have worked your entire life to do is play college ball. And I think that's when you really have to play. The mental side of things, of this is, this is what I've worked my whole life for. So keep doing the same thing. Keep having fun with it. Don't, don't, don't put too much pressure on yourself. And I feel like that's what's really hard not to do. And I think, especially for me, coming off from surgery and coming off from the season I had last year, there's a lot of pressure to perform, but I know, I know what I'm capable of. But the mental side of things is I like for me, I have to stay really calm and like I can't overwhelm myself and I can't get too excited or I get out of my realm and I one thing for me is I really, I do have to keep the game fun or I spiral.
[00:31:56] Speaker A: Wichita State Softball the Shockers open the season on February 7th. They're in a tournament down in Phoenix, Arizona. They play Northern Illinois. We'll also play Grand Canyon, Colgate and Montana over the weekend. Assistant coach Easton Herring, third baseman Kristen Nelson, thanks for your time.
[00:32:26] Speaker D: 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
[email protected] Martin left.
[00:32:43] Speaker E: Wing to Mike Jones, eight seconds left. Smithson out to Mike Jones, 25 footer. Good. He got it with three seconds left. Mike Jones, from about 25ft out, hit another long jumper. Two seconds showing on the clock. That may not be official. The Wichita State lead 66, 65. Timeout Kansas. Two seconds to go. Wichita State 66, Kansas 65.
