[00:00:14] Speaker A: Hello. Welcome to the Roundhouse Podcast with Paul Solentrop of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. Thank you very much for listening. We appreciate it. Our guest today is Mike Kennedy, voice of the Shockers. Mike will retire at the end of the baseball season as radio voice of the Shockers.
He is, of course, a graduate of Wichita State and Southeast High School. He started doing WSU football and basketball on the radio in 1980.
Since then, he's been the main voice of the Shockers on the radio, also doing ESPN TV for volleyball, men's basketball, baseball, and assorted coaches shows. Mike is 77. He worked on TV and radio in Wichita, did Wichita Arrows minor league baseball games, did Wichita Open golf, and much, much more. It's just a superb career. My favorite way of summing up is that Mike has witnessed and described almost every significant Shocker event over the past 46 years.
So our format today, we're going to play a clip from a memorable game and then we will test Mike's memory. We'll let him reminisce about the moment, the process, about how his color man stepped on his lines.
Before we start, let's address some significant gaps in this history. We'll give Mike a chance to talk a little bit about some things that we don't cover in the clips. But Mike started in the MTXE era of Shocker basketball with Antoine Carr, Cliff Levingston, Xavier McDaniel, Aubrey Sherrod, on and on. Just a really well regarded time. Mike, do you have a favorite game from that era?
[00:01:44] Speaker B: I would have. Well, it's kind of a tie. The very first year that I was the full time, play by play voice, we get to the NCAA tournament and the Shockers won the just absolutely memorable game against Iowa here at the Roundhouse in the second round of the tournament. Tremendous comeback in the second half which matched them up with KU in New Orleans at the Superdome, which was the first time the two schools had played each other since 1955, I believe. So those were really significant. They were both dramatic, exciting games.
And certainly in that beginning era, I got pretty spoiled just having the opportunity to do that right off the bat. I thought, well, I hope it's always like this, which of course it hasn't been.
[00:02:26] Speaker A: And that would have been the 1981 NCAA tournament, certainly two really memorable.
So Mike also did Shocker volleyball during that program's rise. You've talked a lot about your friendship with Chris Lamb, how he helped you learn the sport, how the athletes on the team in those times were really helpful. Is there A volleyball season. A volleyball match that will stick out
[00:02:47] Speaker B: in your memory, you know.
Yes. But also the one that maybe still sticks with me the hardest is a really sad one. And that was that very first year, 2005. They had a tremendous season. I think they'd lost three matches all year, ranked in the top 20.
And they lose in the championship game of the Valley tournament to Missouri State.
And, you know, no question they're a top 20 team that they're going to the tournament and we all get together at a sports bar to watch the selection show and they don't get picked. And it was just a horrible disservice. It was, I think, the worst thing I've seen in college athletics. And all the girls are crying and I mean, it's horrible moment, but certainly it's something that sticks with you for the rest of your time.
[00:03:33] Speaker A: Career, definitely. I was there too, at the Fox and Hound, and that was not. Not good. I think it led to some changes.
[00:03:41] Speaker B: He heard from every major coach in the country what an injustice it was, and they moved quickly to change the whole selection process.
[00:03:48] Speaker A: So I'll give you another chance to leave volleyball on a. On a higher note. What else might stand out?
[00:03:53] Speaker B: Oh, certainly beating KU to get to the only Sweet 16 in program history, beating KU on their home court in Lawrence. So, I mean, that's.
And then also hosting the first and second rounds here. That was such a significant achievement. And to have what, seven or 8,000 people there to watch volleyball. It was the second largest turnout of any of the first and second rounds in the country behind Nebraska. So that was really something.
[00:04:19] Speaker A: And that was Wichita State's first season in the American Conference. They went unbeaten in conference play, hosted the 2017 NCAA Regional. As you mentioned, the win at KU would have been 2012, correct?
[00:04:31] Speaker B: I believe so.
[00:04:32] Speaker A: Defeated Arkansas in the round.
[00:04:33] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:04:34] Speaker A: And then defeated Kansas in the second round to advance into the Sweet 16 of NCAA play. You did shocker football. And I was reminded of this a few weeks ago at the Letterman's Gathering. Hank Schiestel was there. He was your color man for at least a part of that.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: Part of that time. Yes.
[00:04:50] Speaker A: Tell us about shocker football.
What's the game? What's the memory that stands out?
[00:04:55] Speaker B: Certainly the game that stands out was beating KU and Lawrence in 1982. And that didn't end up being a great KU team, but just the significance of Wichita State beating KU in the sport of football. And it was an exciting game. Prince McJunkins hit Don Dreher with a game Winning touchdown pass.
So that one certainly stands out. During Ron Chismar's tenure, they had a really nice win at Kansas State that was certainly memorable.
But it was also.
I could write a book on all the weird, interesting things that happened with shocker football while I was doing their games, one of which was.
As a sports historian, I've been very well aware of two very famous wrong way runs in football history. Roy regals in the 1920 Rose bowl and Jim Marshall when he was with the Vikings. A famous game with the 49ers. We're playing Illinois State and late in the game Wichita State's winning. And so significantly, both teams have some of the reserves in. Terry George threw a pass and the linebacker jumped the route, got bumped as he intercepted it. Gets turned the wrong way, running upfield going the wrong way and I'm going crazy. And one of Wichita State's players, I won't throw him under the bus, chased him down and tackled him before he could cross his own goal line. I mean, just stuff like that used to happen. It was just amazing.
[00:06:17] Speaker A: When you've done 46 years, you're going to see a lot of interesting things. No doubt the final omission that I don't know that anybody has talked about this in any of the retrospectives that have gone on. The Brent Chemnitz show was a staple of Missouri Valley conference weekend baseball series. I spent many a Saturday press boxes in Peoria, Omaha, writing stories for the Wichita Eagle Wall. You and Brent talked shocker pitching.
What do you remember about being with Brent and why did that work so well? There weren't many pitching coaches who could pull off a radio show.
[00:06:48] Speaker B: Well, first of all, it kind of moved around at one time. It was on Friday afternoon before the series started.
Then it was on Friday evening after the Friday night game. And then as you said, I think at times it was on Saturday.
One of the things was nobody took losing any harder than Brent. So if there had been a loss, it was just trying to find positive ways to approach things and try to kind of talk through it. He said many times he called it his therapy that I got him through a losing game when we did that. But such an interesting guy, such an interesting outlook on things.
And so I think it was a perspective people didn't normally get and I think enjoyed just hearing his outlook and not only just on pitching, but just kind of the. The psychology of baseball and some of those kinds of things that came out on the show.
[00:07:44] Speaker A: We're going to start with 1987 basketball game the Missouri Valley Conference tournament at Tulsa.
[00:07:52] Speaker C: Boudreau cross the timeline. Double teamed out front. Fires for three and misses off the heel. Rebound Henry Carr. He was hammered.
[00:08:00] Speaker D: Loose ball.
[00:08:01] Speaker C: Grayer with rebound.
[00:08:02] Speaker D: They'll have to foul him.
[00:08:03] Speaker C: And they do. Three seconds left. This is it. Wichita State is on its way back
[00:08:09] Speaker D: to the big dance.
[00:08:10] Speaker C: The Shockers cannot lose this one unless they get a silly technical foul or something. Three seconds to go. Even if Prayer misses here, the Shockers can just get out of the way. Tulsa would have to make a three pointer and then try to get a timeout called. And even at that Wichita State, they probably would not have time to do both. If Freyr makes any of these, it's all over. Well, where are all these people going, for heaven's sake? You must be right, Michael, because everybody's leaving. Steve Greer with a career high in rebounds. 12. And the last two have been huge ones for Wichita State.
Steve Finn. Shoot Scott. Steve Grayer. 3 for 2 for 2 from the line. 14 points.
Wichita State is on the way to the NCAA Tournament.
An ecstatic Shocker. Bench Gray are ready again. Three seconds to go. Five point lead in overt throwing trash. Very nice sportsmanship. People are throwing trash onto the floor.
And you know something? That's insulting to the Telco team also. They have played a marvelous game. And then to mar the ending to something like that, what a great college basketball game this has been.
Grayer ready, pushes it up short. This time, Steve just kind of gets
[00:09:26] Speaker D: out of the way.
[00:09:26] Speaker C: Lloyd fires at the length of the floor, hits the backboard. It's over. Wichita State on the way to the NCAA Tournament. Final score in overt.
Wichita State 79, Tulsa 74.
[00:09:40] Speaker A: So that was March 4, 1987. Wichita State returns to the NCAA tournament with a 79, 74 overtime win at Tulsa in the championship of the MVC tournament. Gary Cundiff, named the tournament's most outstanding player, made three three pointers. That was a lot in those days. Six of seven shots. He scored 17 points. Steve Grayer added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Shockers. One of the high points of the late 80s and the coach Eddie Fogler era. Mike, take us back to 1987. And that would have been the Tulsa Convention Center.
[00:10:12] Speaker B: Is that where they played in Jose Downtown?
Of course, that's always been a great rivalry and still was then, I think certainly going into Tulsa, Wichita State would have been a significant underdog. That was a really good Tulsa team. And you know, the end of Eddie Fogler's first season and to get to the NCAA and your very first season as a head coach.
One of the other things that I think is significant about that season, you mentioned Gary Cundiff's performance. He had a very good senior year. Henry Carr had a really good year. And those were players that had hardly played the year before. And Coach Fogler kind of saw some things in them, kind of brought them back into more prominence in the lineup. And they were a big part of that season because, you know, they were seniors. Gus Santos was another one. There were, you know, he did a great job with kind of molding it all together in that very first season.
[00:11:09] Speaker D: The count, 02. Brummett throws.
The Shockers are national champions. An unbelievable story. Wichita State has won the national championship. Craig Brummett with a complete game victory, fittingly struck out Kevin Pate to end the ball game.
And Wichita State has done it in unbelievable fashion.
The celebration going on in the middle of the field. Cliff Gustaf hugging Gene Stevenson.
You'll never see another one like this no matter how long Wichita State plays baseball. An unbelievable comeback from adversity to win the first national championship in Shocker history.
And the victory was accomplished with the same kind of guttiness and key clutch play that have keyed this team throughout post season play. Texas goes in the ninth. 1, 2, 3. Wichita State wins it 5 to 3 to capture their first national championship.
[00:12:09] Speaker A: So that was Mike's call on June 10, 1989, College World Series championship game, Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. The shockers defeated Texas 5 to 3. Pitcher Greg Brummett strikes out 6, holds Texas to 6. Hits shortstop Pat Mears homeward for the Shockers off the scoreboard. If I'm remembering right, maybe a light beer, light beer sign on the Rosenblatt scoreboard. Greg Brummett, College World Series MVP honors.
Mike, before we talk about the moment and what that meant to you, how do you prepare? What do you remember thinking going through on Saturday morning as you're getting ready to call the biggest game in Shocker
[00:12:48] Speaker B: Athletics history as far as the preparation, nothing different than what I would do for any game.
And I didn't really think about what I might say either. It was sort of a reaction thing. I do remember very distinctly walking into the stadium from the parking lot game that you get the same kind of butterflies in your stomach as if you were playing, you know, that anticipation that.
I don't know, that anxiety anticipation. It was a special feeling. And knowing that you were walking into something special, no matter how it ended,
[00:13:24] Speaker A: were you Happy with the call. Do you listen to it now and think I nailed it?
[00:13:28] Speaker B: I am actually.
And it was a case of just reacting to what happened. And yeah, it was very natural. And yes, I think it's one of my best ones. Here's the thing that I've told people a time or two that was so unique. I talked about the comeback from all the adversity injuries and they in the regional, they'd lost in the winners bracket final in Michigan, had to come back and beat Fresno State on their home field with three major leaguers in their lineup and then beat Michigan twice just to get to Omaha. Then they lose to Florida State in the second round in Omaha. I have to come back and beat them twice to get to the championship game. And Bryant Winslow's playing on a stress fracture. They lost Mike Lansing, an All American going to the regional, all that stuff.
And it just kind of hit me. We went to the break right after that call. Casey Scott was working with me. We came back and I started to recap everything and it all kind of hit me and I choked up. I honestly almost started to cry. And it's the only time in all my career that that's ever happened in any moment. And Casey recognized it and he jumped in and started talking and then he started to choke up and by then I'd recovered and took it back. But that's the only time in my entire career that I've ever experienced an emotion like that.
[00:14:48] Speaker A: Quite a moment. Was that also the year Jeff Montequista got hurt?
[00:14:51] Speaker B: Broke his kneecap coming home on a wild pitch. And that was with maybe the third of the games left to go in the season.
[00:14:57] Speaker D: He's back in from the left side. Green ready.
The one two wild catch. Back to the back. Stop Werner going to third. They got a chance to throw. Not in time. Tyler really tried to uncork one and that went flying all the way back to the backstop. It was so wild that it hit the backstop on the fly, bounced back hard enough to Mike Jones that he almost had a chance to throw the
[00:15:18] Speaker C: runner out at third.
[00:15:19] Speaker D: But both runners advance. Now it's second and third still two hops. Two and two to count. Now to Pescada.
Tension Matic Green with the side still working from the stretch.
The two two missed outside and now it's three and two. Mike, I think that Jones would have had a chance to throw him out. He just didn't field the ball cleanly. Kind of bobbled it trying to get it out of his glove and his Throw to third was just a hair late, getting the advancing runner down to a three two pitch with two men on, two outs in the ninth.
The stretch by Tyler Green. Here it comes. Struck him out a no hitter for Tyler.
[00:16:00] Speaker C: Tyler Green.
[00:16:02] Speaker D: A strike three call on the outside corner and Tyler Green has pitched the
[00:16:06] Speaker C: fourth no hitter in Wichita State history,
[00:16:10] Speaker D: the second in as many years as he joined fellow classmate Charlie Jindrome 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 ninth inning. Tyler Green completes a no hitter and Wichita State defeats the Mexico 12 to nothing.
[00:16:32] Speaker A: So that was Mike describing Tyler Green's no hitter. March 20, 1990 at X Stadium, a 12 nothing victory over New Mexico. Mike, take us through the process of. All right, you're getting into the fifth, sixth innings and Tyler Green was just a fabulous pitcher. He was probably a threat to no hit a lot of people. What are you doing as far as preparing for. Okay, if this happens, what do I need to know? What do I need to tell the listener?
[00:16:57] Speaker B: Well, the main thing was there is this long time baseball superstition that you don't mention a no hitter while it's taking place. And I've read different comments from different broadcasters about their feelings about that, that you need to let your audience know what's going on. And others that, yeah, I don't want to jinx it, you know, I don't want to break the spell.
So what I did, what I arrived at was occasionally I would give the totals for the two teams and I'd say for New Mexico, no runs, no hits and whatever errors.
Never said he's throwing a no hitter, but kind of if you're reading between the lines or paying attention, then the audience was aware of it.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: So you would have called Charlie Jindrones.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: I did not. That was on a trip to Hawaii and I did not go on that trip. And it was, I think his was because those tournament games sometimes were shortened because it was a tournament, a lot of games to play. His was five or six innings where I think Tyler Greens was the first nine inning no hitter in program history.
[00:18:01] Speaker A: How many no hitters have you called?
[00:18:03] Speaker B: That's it.
[00:18:03] Speaker A: That's the one.
[00:18:04] Speaker B: We've come real close a couple of times.
Pretty sure Mike Bradley took one into the ninth at Southern Illinois a couple of years after that and somebody got a single with one or two outs in the ninth. But that's the only one that I've taken to. Conclusion.
[00:18:19] Speaker C: Rick Freeling on deck for the Blue Jays, they'll have two cracks to get that runner home from second with one out here in the bottom of the twelf run at second, the tying run in the ball game.
Fast ball line to center, base hit.
[00:18:33] Speaker E: Jim Oddly charges it on the Hopkins, sending him home.
[00:18:36] Speaker C: Here comes the throw.
[00:18:37] Speaker E: It is in time.
[00:18:39] Speaker D: He's out. He's out to play on a sensational throw by Jim Oddly.
[00:18:43] Speaker C: One hop right on the money and Steve Bruns is dead at home plate. And now there are two down. Shocker fans, you may look at that Saturday afternoon, that one play, that might be the play to get you the championship ring. What a throw, Mike. It's the Big show and Rose Stadium.
[00:18:58] Speaker D: He came up throwing and he threw
[00:19:00] Speaker C: a strike down Main Street. I think Bruns may have stumbled just a little bit coming around third, but Jim Oddly charged that ball. It was a line single by Dax Jones. Fielded it cleanly on one hop and threw a perfect strike to the plate on one hop to get the runner. But on the throat of the plate, Jones goes to second. So a very fast man at second base with two outs and the still dangerous Rick Freeling up there. The pitch to him, a strike on the outside corner. How about Doug Mirabelli with the bluff at Mike? He stood up there like a statue, like there was no play. He caught it. He made the tag. Oh, man, what a big play. Tying run still out there at second base, though. With two down now the 01 to Freeling. Sharp ground ball is short. Wimmer has it, throws the first. Shockers win an unbelievable ball game. Wichita State in 12 innings has held off Creighton 3 to 2. It took a scratched out run in the top of the inning and a sensational throw by Jim Oddly, who is now being mobbed by his teammates as he comes in from Cent Field. Just an incredible victory for Wichita State and probably the most heartbreaking loss for Creighton in their long history of frustration against Wichita State.
[00:20:11] Speaker F: One of the great moments in the College World Series as described by Mike and color man Tom Kosich on June 3, 1991, in Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium. Wichita State 3, Creighton 2 in 12 innings in the second round of the CWS Shocker. Center fielder Jim Oddly, with one out, throws out a pinch runner trying to score from second base to preserve a two lead in the bottom of the 12th inning. A great decoy by catcher Doug Mirabelli adds to the drama.
[00:20:39] Speaker A: A ground ball out ends the game
[00:20:41] Speaker F: with a runner on second base. Oddly had scored the go Ahead run
[00:20:44] Speaker A: in the top of the inning.
[00:20:45] Speaker F: I'm looking at Scott Shoemaker's scorebook from that game, and of course, it is
[00:20:50] Speaker A: a thing of Beauty.
[00:20:51] Speaker F: That was WSU's seventh straight win over the Blue Jays in the 1991 season. A record crowd of 18,206 filled Rosenblatt Stadium. Shocker pitcher Tyler Green strikes out 14 in nine innings. Jamie Bluma hold holds Creighton to one hit over three innings to earn the win. Just a fabulous game. A great pitching performance between two excellent teams. Shockers ended the season second in the College World Series after defeating Long Beach State and Creighton twice before losing to LSU in the title game. Creighton defeated Clemson in its opener before losing twice to the Shockers. Creighton's Allen Bennis allowed four hits and no earned runs over his 813 innings. You might remember Scott Stochowiak, Chad McConnell, Dax Jones, Rick Freeling among the big names on the Blue Jays roster, reliever Brian O', Connor, who won the 2015 College World Series title at Virginia and is now coach at Mississippi State, pitched three innings in relief for the Blue Jays and took the loss.
[00:21:52] Speaker A: Mike, that was a maybe the most dramatic play in Shocker baseball history, maybe in college baseball history. Just a great throw by oddly great decoy by Doug Mirabelli. What do you remember about trying to capture all of that?
[00:22:06] Speaker B: Well, first of all, that was, of course, the first time that Creighton had ever been to the World Series, and Omaha always turned out and supported that event. But that was such a big deal to have Creighton there. And I swear, and I've heard this comment from other people, Skip Burtman, the LSU coach who was at the game, that you could literally feel that place shaking from the intensity of the noise in the crowd. It was so you certainly didn't have to do anything to create the atmosphere. And anytime, you know, you make a play like that, how often do you see somebody get thrown out from the outfield? I mean, it happens, but more often than not, that run's going to score, and so it's a little bit of a surprise. And obviously you're hanging, waiting to see what happens. And of course, you go off when he makes the throw and they get him at the play.
[00:22:54] Speaker A: Did Doug Mirabili's decoy throw you off at all?
[00:22:59] Speaker B: No, I don't. I think I was just so intent on the throw. I didn't really see that much of what he did until seeing highlights afterward.
[00:23:08] Speaker A: I was sitting down the first baseline at that game and Burtman's description is totally accurate. And what I remember is just a roar and then silence, like all the air came out of the place and then another roar. And then as that, as that play unfolded, one of the greatest sporting events I've been to. I really, really enjoyed that.
[00:23:33] Speaker B: And you mentioned seventh straight win and they played him again.
That was a really, really good Creighton team. Jim Hendry did a great job with that team. They had a bunch of future pros and Wichita State swept a four game series from them. Beat them twice in the conference tournament and twice again in the World Series. Eight times against a really, I mean, they were top four team in the country, so I don't know anything like that's ever happened.
[00:24:02] Speaker A: Yes, an excellent Creighton team. Alan Bennis was the other pitcher that night.
Scott Stahoviak was on that team, Correct?
[00:24:09] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:24:10] Speaker A: Steve Hinton. Yeah, just a really fantastic Creighton team in Wichita State. Beating them eight times in a row.
Defies description, no doubt.
[00:24:21] Speaker B: Bradshaw into Wingate. Wingate's going to dribble it a couple
[00:24:24] Speaker E: of times and throws it in the hands of Kuznard. Threw it away to Ryan Martin for the dunk. The Shockers are going to the Sweet 16.
It's all over. The Shockers up 7, 3 seconds, 2 jeopardized by Smith is no good. Wichita State to the Sweet 16.
[00:24:41] Speaker A: That was Mike Kennedy and Dave Dahl. March 18, 2006, the Greensboro Coliseum. Wichita State upsets second seeded Tennessee 8073 to reach the Sweet 16.
PJ Cusnard, one of his best games as a shocker. He had 20 points along with nine rebounds and five assists for the Shockers. Mike, it seemed like there was a lot of excitement in your voice, but also some, I guess, relief and maybe a little bit of disbelief that this was finally happening for Wichita state after an NCAA drought.
[00:25:13] Speaker B: It had been a long time. Yes, and 21 years, I guess, since the Shockers had been there.
Well, no, not quite that long. Eighteen, I guess, since they had been to the NCAA tournament. And so you just didn't know quite what to expect. The other thing that I really distinctly remember though is after Wichita State beat Seton hall in the first round, Dave and I sat and watched the game between Tennessee and Winthrop, coached by Greg Marshall, who he'd never seen or heard of at the time.
And we sat there feeling like we hope that Tennessee won even though they were the two seed, because we felt like Winthrop was maybe better and a tougher matchup for Wichita State. But that was our first view of Greg Marshall and also Jim Schous first view of Greg Marshall, which he filed. And so I felt like the Shockers certainly had a chance against Tennessee, but you know, it's an SEC team, two seed in the region. So clearly Wichita State was an underdog, but we felt going into it that they really had a chance.
[00:26:15] Speaker A: The Shocker team that year won the Missouri Valley Conference title, went on to the sweet 16 to play George Mason. Mark Turgen, the highlight of his tenure at Wichita State, what made that team click?
[00:26:27] Speaker B: I think it was a good combination of people that just, you know, one year Matt Breyer was like a grad assistant on the staff here and we were talking about that season and we started naming off guys and it was like not very deep. I mean, you had Ryan Martin, who's in that clip, and Stefan Butler was a third guard. And that was really kind of Karon Bradley.
[00:26:52] Speaker C: Sorry.
[00:26:52] Speaker B: Yeah, Karon Bradley. And then you had the two walk ons, Nick Rogers and Cameron Ledford, who were, who provided a lot of leadership. But you had Paul Miller as a fifth year senior, was the Valley player of the year. Cusnard was just at the beginning of his career, a sophomore, Kyle Wilson. But I mean, you just had. It was a really good blend of people and personalities and talents. There's some, you know, everybody kind of knew their role, had their unique talents that they could contribute. Sean o' Geary had a great tournament shooting the ball, so I think that's what made everything go.
[00:27:27] Speaker A: O' Garry had the big game against Seton hall in the opener, if I'm remembering that. Remembering that, right. Just a really special season for the Shockers, no doubt.
[00:27:35] Speaker B: The wide and the pitch.
[00:27:37] Speaker E: McKeever drives it to right field. That's deep toward the corner, way back. Be fair. Grand slam. Clint McKeever.
What a tremendous story this is turning out to be.
Clint McKeever against the team that didn't want him, hammers an opposite field grand slam inside the right field foul pole. And he is mobbed by his teammates at home plate.
Unbelievable.
What a story for Clint McKeever.
[00:28:05] Speaker A: That was Mike Kennedy and Clint McIver. Stillwater, Oklahoma, June 1, 2008 Clint McKeever's grand slam in the 10th inning gives which state an 117 win at Oklahoma State championship game of the Stillwater Regional. Logan Hoke pitches the final two innings. He strikes out two hitters with two runners on to end the game. Just a heartwarming story. As you can tell by the call, Clint McKeever had been at Oklahoma State, they had cut him, sent him on his way.
However it works, comes back to not only hit the grand slam, also drove in a run earlier in the game. Pitched in that game. Just a great day for Clint McKeever.
Mike, you call that one of your favorite calls? Tell us why.
[00:28:48] Speaker B: Just the way it turned out. I mean, it was, you know, you never know what you're going to say. And I just, and you know, I haven't that often said something like be fair, like I did there. I remember Tyler Weber hitting one one time in the Missouri Valley tournament, a big game in Springfield. I was saying, get up, get up because it was a line drive and I wasn't sure if it was high enough to get out. Occasionally something like that will come out, but I don't do that too often. So that was part of it, but just the story itself.
It was such a special story. Great kid Clint McIver. And that was still a big, big rivalry. Wichita State and Oklahoma State, there had been plenty of postseason meetings in all of our histories and that was a really special moment.
[00:29:31] Speaker E: They'll play for one shot. It's tied, so they don't have to go too soon. Malcolm Armstead, 10 seconds to go one on one against Webber.
[00:29:40] Speaker C: Malcolm.
[00:29:41] Speaker E: Malcolm. Tom pulls up, takes the jumper. Good, good, good, good. From the top of the arc.
[00:29:45] Speaker A: That was Mike Kennedy in Richmond, Virginia. November 13, 2012 Shockers defeat VCU 53, 51. Malcolm Armstead, as you heard on the call, hit the game winning shot. 17 foot jumper with 3.8 seconds to play. Cleanthony early scored 13 points for the Shockers. Malcolm Armstead finished with 11 points, six assists and five rebounds. That had turned into a little mini rivalry with VCU. The teams met the previous year in the NCAA tournament. The year before that, 2011, VCU came into Wichita State and won a bracket busters game on their way to the Final Four.
This was a really important game in that Final Four season for Wichita State as far as burnishing their NCAA at large resume. Mike, take us back to Richmond and Malcolm Armstead's big shot.
[00:30:35] Speaker B: Really, really tough place to win. First of all, they were a perennial NCAA tournament team under Shaka Smart. As you mentioned, a little bit of rivalry had developed, but certainly you knew going in there that would be a big win on your resume. As you talked about, and we were still, it was early in the season, we were still kind of getting to know Malcolm Armstead and it was just the kind of play, it wasn't that he so much made a bunch of game winning shots or that type of thing, but just that he had the confidence to make those kind of plays and was a great leader for that team and really had a great season. That was a big part of the Shockers eventually getting to the Final Four
[00:31:16] Speaker E: and they let him pass it up court and then it gets picked off a long three by Pangos.
[00:31:20] Speaker B: No good.
[00:31:21] Speaker E: One second. It's over. It is over. And Wichita State has beaten the number one team in the nation to go to the Sweet 16.
Go crazy, Wichita, I know you are.
[00:31:34] Speaker A: It was Mike Kennedy calling the March 23, 2013 win over number one Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament. You hear Bob Hull cackling in the background as there's all kinds of celebrations about to unfold there in Salt Lake City. Ninth seeded Wichita State defeats Gonzaga 76 70. Shocker has made a season high 14 three pointers, including five straight in the final minutes of that game. Ron Baker, cleanthony early, both 616 points for WSU.
Mike, the win over Gonzaga, certainly one of the most memorable in Shocker basketball history. What are your thoughts on that moment?
[00:32:10] Speaker B: You know, one thing we weren't aware of at the time, and I can't remember the exact amount of time in the score, but there was a timeout, might have been the, I don't know if it was the under eight maybe and the Shockers were down, but I don't know, maybe eight points or something like that. And we found out later that Greg Marshall said, said to the team in the huddle, if I had told you at the beginning of the season you'd be down eight to Gonzaga with seven minutes to play, would you have taken it to go to the sweet 16? And they all said yes. And they said well then let's go out there and win it. And he had a knack during that run for some of those kinds of things, saying the right thing at the right time. And the 14 threes, I mean that team had some good three point shooting games, but there was nothing like that. It was just a magical night. And, and Ron Baker of course had missed a lot of the season, had just come back for the Valley tournament a few games before that. And so to get him back and make that kind of contribution, it was all just pretty amazing. And then afterward there was not as big a crowd of Shocker fans there as there was later in the tournament. Some had gone the year before to Portland, kind of been disappointed when they lost in the first round and they were all behind the Shocker bench and where we were sitting. And then the band was right around. Around the corner at the end of the court. And the band started playing that. You don't want to go to war with the Shockers. And the fans started singing it. And the team, including the coaches, lined up on the end line in front of the band and were dancing and singing that. It was, I think, the single most spontaneous, joyous moment of that entire run to the Final Four that year.
[00:33:44] Speaker A: Yeah, I think that picture would be one of the most famous images coming out of that game people will remember. That was the game Fred Van Fleet hit the. That kind of desperation. Unlikely. Maybe not unlikely for Fred, but against the shot clock, three pointer, arm extended
[00:33:58] Speaker B: up in the air like he knew he had made it.
[00:34:01] Speaker A: Yeah. In front of the WSU bench. They later told the story. They watched Gonzaga play in the first round. And I think they said they all walked out of that arena that night feeling like they could really compete with Gonzaga. Just a really special moment for Wichita State and started them on their way to the Final Four.
[00:34:18] Speaker B: Four.
[00:34:19] Speaker E: It's over. It is over, ladies and gentlemen. Say it slowly and savor it. Wichita State is going to the Final Four for the first time in 48 years.
[00:34:33] Speaker C: Unbelievable. What a scene, folks. The Shocker fans are just going crazy in the stands.
[00:34:39] Speaker E: Just maybe the greatest win in the history of Wichita State basketball.
[00:34:44] Speaker A: Again, Mike Kennedy and Bob hull during the 2013 NCAA tournament. This was 3-3-30. Wichita State returns to the Final Four, defeating Ohio State 70 to 66. In Los Angeles. Malcolm Armstead leads the Shockers with 14 points. He was named West Region Most Outstanding player.
Cleanthony early. 12 points and 7 rebounds for WSU. Mike, that's the moment that a lot of broadcasters never get to experience. What do you remember about the Staples center in that time?
[00:35:15] Speaker B: Well, I have to.
I've told people this story a few times. You know, some of the clips you played earlier and asked me about them were totally spontaneous, just reacting to what happened. What I said at the end of that was something that I actually had thought about a little bit.
Just as that season went along, just thinking, you know, what if that ever happened? What if Wichita State ever got back to a Final Four? What would I say? And that was kind of. Kind of in my mind. But it took just the right circumstances because if it had been won on a last second shot, I just would have reacted to that and gone crazy. But the timing was perfect. They were up 4. All Ohio State could do was launch a desperation shot from half court. So it was decided. And that Just came to mind. And that's what I went with. But that's the only time in my entire career I ever kind of semi prepared something I was going to say in a moment like that.
[00:36:10] Speaker A: So preparing for those kind of moments, how much of that did you develop by listening to other broadcasters? How much of it is trial and error where you would go back to a game and you say, I just didn't handle that the way I should? How do you get to that point where you're ready to meet the moment?
[00:36:27] Speaker B: That's a good question. And I don't know if there's any one answer.
I think so much of it is just describing what you see and just letting it go. And there have been times, times that, you know, Al Michaels. Do you believe in miracles? Yes. Or Jack Buck with the Kirk Gibson home run. I don't believe what I just saw. I mean, some of those calls, you listen to those and you go, wow, I wish I was eloquent enough to come up with something like that. So I don't know that you can ever totally prepare for something like that. Just be prepared for anything that might happen and try to react to it. And like I say, most of the time it's just been totally spontaneous, whatever came out. I'm sure there have been a time or two where I've just thought I could have done that a little better, but that just happened to work out.
[00:37:16] Speaker A: Yeah. How often do you go back and listen, or maybe you did earlier in your career and kind of critiqued yourself?
[00:37:22] Speaker B: The thing that I listened to more earlier in my career and even ongoing occasionally was more things like, am I using a particular phrase too often?
Am I getting locked into using the same thing every time? Or like I remember listening to football play by play and, and going to pass is high or something like that. And I thought to myself, I never said it was incomplete. You got to get the impression it was. But I never actually said that. So just things like that is what I always used to listen for. Not so much critiquing how I ended a game necessarily.
[00:37:56] Speaker A: Is there a rule of thumb how many times you need to get the score into a broadcast?
[00:38:01] Speaker B: I think, I just think it's. It's a good thing to keep in mind to do it pretty often. The great Red Barber had a little.
What do you call the hourglass thing? And I forget how many minutes or whatever it was like a couple of minutes, but he'd turn it up when I see the thing drain out. Then he'd mention the score Just remind himself constantly that every so often you got to do that. And I'm probably a little guilty at times of not doing it quite often enough, but I try to always be cognizant of just doing it frequently. If I know I haven't mentioned for a little bit and it hasn't changed, be sure to do it. Do that.
[00:38:32] Speaker E: Memphis back up by two. A minute 22 to go in the overtime. Bijan Cortez just grabbed by Harris. No call at the top. Beverly back over to Cortez. A three go.
Bijan Cortez with a three. With a minute nine to go, the Shockers are ahead by a point.
That's his first three point basket.
[00:38:54] Speaker A: That was from February 16, 2025, one of the highlights of Paul Mills coaching tenure at Wichita State. Guard Bijon Cortez hits a three pointer in overtime versus the Memphis Tigers. That gave the Shockers a 78:77 lead. They had trailed throughout overtime. A minute ten seconds to play. Wichita State never trailed again on their way to winning by 84 79. Cory Washington followed Bijan's three with a layup. Xavier Bell made two foul shots to wrap it up. Quincy Ballard had 19 points in that game.
Corey Washington, 18 points, 15 rebounds. Mike, take us back to that game in Charles Koch Arena.
[00:39:35] Speaker B: Well, first of all, you know, we've been in an era and that was certainly a part of it, where Memphis was tough to beat. The Shockers didn't have a lot of luck beating him and had lost some really heartbreaking close games, including a couple in Memphis.
Bijan was a unique player. He was a talented kid, but up and down, you never quite knew what to expect. Not probably the person that most people would have chosen to take that shot at that particular time, but he had a knack for making some big plays, was very capable on any given night of being a real factor. So it was unique in that respect. But any time to beat Memphis in these last few years, and especially after a couple of the close losses they'd suffered, it was almost like, you know, taking another step in the right direction,
[00:40:24] Speaker E: I think, to work his way in the lane. Spins in the lane, put up a shot, no good. Rebound. Pinion had it, saves it to Brown, up to Enis. And now South Florida in control. They're up one with 25 seconds.
[00:40:36] Speaker C: Go.
[00:40:36] Speaker E: Chipped away and stolen by Giles. He goes to the basket. Reverse layup. Good.
[00:40:41] Speaker C: Wow, what a steal by Kenya Giles. That half court a huge play and then scores a reverse layup. And South Florida quickly calls a timeout
[00:40:50] Speaker A: Mike Kennedy and Bob Hull describing one of the many dramatic moments from Kenyon Giles career at Wichita State. That was his steal, his layup at South Florida, January 18, 2026. Shockers win that game 86, 85 in overtime. Bulls had the ball up one at that point. Kenyon made the steal near half court, threw in the layup for 86, 85 lead with 22 seconds to play. The Bulls missed their next shot and and that was the final score. Wild game The Shockers led 30, 15 in the first half. USF led by 13 in the second half. Kenyon Giles made 22 points, hitting 5 of 9 threes. Caron Boyd had 17 points. Michael Gray had a big basket in the final minute of regulation, ended up with 15 points. Mike, we could probably do a separate podcast on Kenyon Giles highlights, but that was another big mic moment of recent seasons. What do you remember about that day in Tampa?
[00:41:46] Speaker B: Well, first of all, we went into the two game road trip at Florida Atlantic and then South Florida and played pretty poorly at Florida Atlantic and got hammered, got beat very decisively and the South Florida game shaped up going into that trip as the tougher game of the two. So now you're thinking wow, this is a tough spot to be in. And they came back and played so much better and we're in that game all the way. And then the other thing that stands out to me in retrospect is when you think about how many big shots Kenyon Giles made through the course of the year, maybe more than any other Shocker player ever has in a single season. But this was a little different. This was not a game winning shot. It was a defensive play, a steal. And sometimes I think in all the things he did that got overlooked a little bit as anticipation and his quickness and his quick hand to make some plays. That one actually turning into a game winning layup.
[00:42:41] Speaker A: He really battled on defense. I think that was one of the things I came to appreciate because teams because of his size would try to pick on him.
[00:42:47] Speaker B: But he battled.
[00:42:48] Speaker A: He made it as difficult as he could. Yes, we could have gone with the two shots at D.C. carolina maybe my favorite was the one at Memphis in the final seconds of that game where he sized up the defender and made a three. That was really put that one away. He definitely had a lot of highlights.
We've heard from Bob Hull, Dave Dahl, Tom Kosich, color people over the many years tell people a little bit about the process. How do you, you know, how does the chemistry develop to where you're Speaking, then they're speaking, where it all flows and knits together.
[00:43:23] Speaker B: It started with the very first year that I had been selected to be the voice of the Shockers.
I was looking for someone to do the games with me. And two or three people at least that I knew and kind of trusted their judgment recommended Dave Dahl. I had met Dave, I didn't really know him very well, but I called him to see if he would be interested and he said that he was. And what we did back then, Wichita State played a. A full inter squad scrimmage, just like a game at the Roundhouse. And so we went out, hooked up the broadcasting equipment, fed it into a reel to reel, or not a reel to reel, but a cassette recorder, and did the game just like we were doing one. And it just clicked with him right from the beginning and even to the point, because when you're doing radio, the analyst or color man has a limited amount of time to kind of get in and out because then you've got to describe what's happening with the next play.
And Dave always had a really good sense of that, an ability to do that. And then after 10 years of us working together, he reached a point in his life and career where he didn't feel like he could travel anymore and he was going to quit. And I said, don't do that. Please stay on, do the home games and I'll find somebody to do the road games. And a couple of different people did that. Steve sjogren for about 10 years and then was looking again. And I had thought about Bob Hull before and at the time, the first time I'd contacted him, he had enough things going on with his family, didn't feel like he could do it. And by that time his kids had gotten old enough and everything that he was interested. And again, it was just a kind of a natural click from the beginning with Bob and again with both of them. And Tom did it with me for a couple of years, as you mentioned. But Dave and Bob both had that unique ability to get in and out quickly, say something that mattered, and was insightful in that period of time.
And then both of them have been great friends, which has made it a lot easier too when you get along well and are spending that much time together.
[00:45:31] Speaker A: And would have worked with Terry Elliott on baseball radio for a long time now with Den and Gary, Shane, Dennis,
[00:45:36] Speaker B: did you, Shane Dennis and Mark Standiford, and at one point way back, Casey Scott and Scott Shoemaker, and all of them really made nice contributions.
[00:45:47] Speaker A: What's the Difference between working with a colored person, Basketball versus baseball, the big thing.
[00:45:52] Speaker B: Basketball is played in a more limited space.
You have 10 players on the floor at a time. And nevertheless, I mean, Bob and Dave have both been great about recognizing things away from the ball, maybe who set a screen or did something that I. I couldn't see. But with baseball and then years ago with football, you're dealing about a much larger field of play, more people involved, greater space to kind of COVID And you can't always see if you're following the ball or the baserunner, everything that happens. And so to have people that recognize, you know, why an outfielder didn't get to a ball or somebody missed being where they were supposed to be, those kinds of things are certainly added the description. And the guys that I've worked with have always been great at that.
[00:46:37] Speaker F: Do you have to have a system
[00:46:38] Speaker A: of tapping them on the hand or something like that to facilitate the flow of conversation?
[00:46:44] Speaker B: You know, some people I think do, or maybe, you know, at least starting out. Never, just never ever had to do that. I was always prepared to if I felt like I needed to.
Maybe occasionally one of them is just tapped me to let me know they had to. Something to say, which is great. You know, I was always fine with that and told him to do that. But that hasn't happened very often.
[00:47:05] Speaker A: The clip of Jim Oddly's throw, it felt like Tom Kosich was going to jump out of the press box at Rosenblatt Stadium. Did you ever have to hold him back close?
[00:47:13] Speaker B: A couple. I'll tell you a great Tom Kozich story. We went to Omaha one year. Might have been that year, went to Omaha one year. And I, to this day, I don't know where the expression came from, if it was already around before Wichita State ever went, or if that was something within our program that came up. But you'd go to Omaha and they had a big barbecue to welcome all the teams. And the expression was if somebody just seemed to be happy to be there and got beat in a couple of games, they're just here for two in the barbecue. Well, I'm doing a game with Tom, and he keeps talking about two and barbecue. Two and barbecue. Just two and barbecue. Well, the next day I went to watch one of the other games and a couple of people from Miami came over because back then in Rosenblatt, there were just these partitions. You could hear everything next to you. They said, what's this thing your partner's talking about, a Cuban barbecue? And I said, no, no, Not. Not Cuban two and barbecue.
[00:48:11] Speaker A: So Tom Kotis may be the originator of that well known phrase.
[00:48:14] Speaker B: No, he picked it up from somebody within the team. And I've heard that since we went there, I think in 82, the first time.
[00:48:21] Speaker A: Who, out of all those, you listed a lot of color men on baseball who kept the best scorebook. And I'm going to guess it was Scott Shoemaker.
[00:48:31] Speaker B: Yeah, probably. Or Casey Scott. Both of them were sids at the time. And so, yeah, they had to keep detailed accounts of everything. Both of them, I would say, certainly were right. On top of all of that, there's
[00:48:43] Speaker A: been some really nice remembrances, some ceremonies during the. During your farewell basketball and baseball season.
Who's the most unexpected person who reached out to you? Who have you maybe reconnected with that kind of came out of the blue?
[00:48:57] Speaker B: Oh, man, That's tough. I don't know if I can answer that. I mean, I've heard from a lot of people that I haven't heard from for a long time or.
And some of that started also that summer I did the TBT games. I heard from people I used to work with in TV that I hadn't seen for a long time. So that's, you know, the latter part of my career. That's been really kind of special. Just that to hear from people and from a lot of former student athletes.
When I announced I had cancer, I heard from a lot of them. When I announced I was retiring, I heard from a lot of them.
That's pretty heartwarming to know that what you hoped were connections that you made with people were legit. That it is a connection and a relationship that's going to last.
[00:49:48] Speaker A: And you were recognized at some visiting ballparks. I know KU broadcast crew did some things. Several basketball arenas, you were recognized.
[00:49:56] Speaker B: Yeah. And guys like Rich Hollenberg and Mark Adams on ESPN a couple of different times when they were doing our games. And almost to the point of embarrassment with all of the stuff that's been said and all the accolades. But I certainly appreciate it very much.
[00:50:11] Speaker A: Mike Kennedy is wrapping up 46 years as the voice of the Shockers. We are thrilled to have him on. I want to have him on again to take advantage of all the things he's seen, all the history he knows about Wichita State athletics. Mike, thank you very much for your time.
[00:50:25] Speaker B: Thank you for doing this. This has been a bl.
Thank you 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 find more roundhouse
[email protected] Malcolm out near the timeline left side of the Florida Baker Ron works deeper to
[00:51:01] Speaker E: the wing, fires a three. Good Ron Baker with his third three point field goal of the game and Wichita State goes ahead by four.
