[00:00:13] Speaker A: Hello. Welcome to the Roundhouse Podcast with Paul Sullentrop of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. Thanks very much for listening. Sarah Drizinga is Wichita State's softball pitching coach. Sarah joined the staff in June after seven seasons coaching at Central Michigan. She played at the University of Michigan, where she earned all regions and all Big Ten honors three times. She played in three College World Series.
Sarah attended Hudsonville High School and was Michigan missed softball in 2011. The Shockers wrap up their fall scrimmages this weekend at Wilkins Stadium. You have two chances to get out and see them play. They play Murray State College 2pm Saturday and Johnson County Community College at 1pm Sunday.
Sarah, describe why you chose coaching as your career path.
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Hi Yes, I think one of the most attractive things about coaching that really drew me in was that it's about developing people.
My experience as a player I think, really developed a lot of the coaching strategies that I bring about now, too, and it was so influential for me and I just want to give back to those into the sport that really gave me so much.
[00:01:26] Speaker A: Did you walk into the halls of Ann Arbor saying, I want to be a coach, or did it develop over time?
[00:01:31] Speaker B: That's a great question. I had definitely developed over time. It's always been something that's been in the back of my mind. You know, I grew up giving lessons and really loved that time, developing myself and working with coaches in that format. And so that was always something that I I was interested in. And you know, I started out right after college in leadership development at the University of Michigan, working in athletics. And then a coaching opportunity came about and so I moved and started that and, you know, it worked out for seven years. So it's been something that I've just really loved and it's something that I love to do is spending time with the girls and seeing them become their best selves, too.
[00:02:17] Speaker A: Who are your coaching mentors? Whose voice is maybe in the back of your head when you're getting ready to hit the bullpen and work with people?
[00:02:25] Speaker B: That's a great question, too.
Carol Hutchins. She was my head coach at the University of Michigan. She's always in the back of my head, for better or worse. And then the pitching coach that I had when I was at Michigan was Jennifer Brundage. And so again, a lot of the workouts that I do are really formulated after a lot of the things that we did when I was there, obviously always evolving and coming up with some new and other drills, adding those in and collaborating with some other pitching coaches around the country, but that's really the base of where I pull from.
[00:02:59] Speaker A: Do you have a favorite drill or a favorite coaching lesson that you lean on a lot?
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Oh, gosh. Drills. I.
You know, I think our pitchers here would say it, too, but I love drills and trying different things and really having different focuses for each pitcher, even during the same drill.
But really, a lesson that stuck with me from Michigan is really becoming.
Becoming an expert on yourself. So I think throughout a lot of, you know, obstacles and adversity that we experience, that's something that we're just constantly learning about ourselves, learning how we respond, whether we need to respond a little bit better the next time. So that's something that always sticks with me, and I really try to instill in our kids here, too.
[00:03:45] Speaker A: So you started coaching seven years ago at Central Michigan. How have you changed over that arc of time?
[00:03:51] Speaker B: I think I matured as well throughout this. These seven to eight years. You know, I started actually as a volunteer at Eastern Michigan for one season, actually, and during that season was when that program was cut. So I think throughout my journey, I've had adversity. Right? Like, I think a lot of success, yes, but a lot of adversity and a lot of things that have maybe gotten come across my path and made me kind of have to change direction. And so that was, I think, starting there and then moving on to working in athletics and then realizing I wanted to be with the team every day and getting into coaching, that was. I think I've just developed and learned more about myself and how to interact with each individual that's on our pitching staff and on our team, too. You know, I have a lot more interaction with our pitching staff every day in the bullpen. But that's something that I think, you know, I've become more authentic. Right. You get more comfortable with yourself and how you interact with others and where you need to meet them at in order to take them on this journey with you, too.
[00:04:58] Speaker A: You mentioned adversity. So you had an injury that cost you most of your senior year, then came back as a fifth year. Going through those kind of experiences, how does that help you as a coach?
[00:05:09] Speaker B: I think it's extremely helpful. You know, again, during the time, obviously not the most fun thing to have a season taken away because of injury, but, you know, coming back, it really wasn't a question whether I was going to, because I just wanted to compete. And I think I see that in some of our athletes, maybe going through injury or going through their own healing process.
You know, they want to be better right now, but we're playing the long game, right. We want to be ready for the spring and be ready to, you know, put their best foot forward in the circle.
And so I think I can relate in that way knowing that, yes, of course you want to be able to help your team now, but we. We just have to find other ways to try to be helpful and to be a good teammate. And I think that was something. I really dove into that my senior year while I was out and I learned from the coaches, and I think a lot of that kind of prepared me and also made me want to go into coaching even more so, too.
[00:06:05] Speaker A: Highlights of playing at Michigan, a lot of success. Obviously, national runner up one of those years. Right. And then two other trips to Oklahoma City. What do you remember most when you start thinking about your time playing at Michigan?
[00:06:16] Speaker B: Oh, gosh. I mean, obviously the World Series, but it's the time spent with your teammates. Some of. Some of those girls are still my best friends to this day. And, you know, we love the wedding reunions and all those times that we get to get back together and reminisce on all of our times that we had together. And it's especially fun doing that with our coaches, too. And I think, you know, we continue to stay in touch, which really, I think speaks volumes to the experience that we had. And we all can't wait to go back to Ann Arbor every chance we get.
[00:06:49] Speaker A: How did you get to Wichita State?
[00:06:52] Speaker B: Christy Breadbenner thankfully reached out to me in, you know, earlier this summer in May, and we've actually known each other for about six years.
Our nfca, the National Fast Pitch Coaches association, has a mentorship program that you can opt into every year. And I was actually put into Christie's in about. Yeah, five or six years ago. So that was my first year of coaching right after Covid, and we've kept in touch ever since. And so she had reached out, and obviously, I know the success that this program has, has had and is going to continue to have. So that was definitely something that I wanted to be a part of and be surrounded by these type of people every day.
[00:07:39] Speaker A: So you get hired in late June. Take us through the process of. All right, I've got a new roster to get to know.
I've got to move. I've got new coaches to work with. What are some of the first steps you take to get comfortable and get to work?
[00:07:52] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, relationships are always number one. So really diving into those with the coaching staff and with Our team, You know, obviously I, again, I spend the most of my time in the bullpen, so really focused on all of our seven pitchers that we have on staff and chatting with them, talking with them, learning more about them outside of softball, I think is important too, to be able to get the most out of them on the field and in the circle.
But then, you know, the recruiting trips were really helpful this summer. One going with Coach B and then one going with Coach E. So I got to spend some one on one time with both of them and just really get to know them and the program and where. Where we want to go.
[00:08:32] Speaker A: So you start with a new group in the bullpen.
How quickly or how do you think about this needs to be changed? But I don't want to move too quickly. What's kind of your overall philosophy on, you know, some people will say I want to let them fail first and come to me.
How do you think about that whole big picture thing? Sure.
[00:08:53] Speaker B: I think, you know, as. As a coach, I'm. I'm in it with them, right. I'm supposed to take them to levels that they haven't reached yet, and I have to figure out how to get them there.
So obviously being there with them through that and helping them sort through, whether it's a response when they're in the circle, whether it's a physical adjustment they need to make, just being there with them and meeting them there, and that's something, right? Like for me, coming into a new program, obviously getting a lay of the land we had, or we have four returners and three newcomers. So obviously there were four that had been here for the last year or two years.
And so, you know, getting their feedback, what they are looking for in a pitching coach and what they're needing from me. And then, you know, obviously they might have blind spots there too. So I know there's other gaps that I'll fill in, but. And then our newcomers, the three. The three freshmen, we're going through this together, which is, you know, hopefully bonding in that way, I think I found. But they don't know any different than us coming in together. And so that's something, you know, I've really tried to express that to them too, that we're in this. And that's my goal, is to get the best out of you and to really help you continue to develop.
But kind of learning about what was and then also what their goals are and where they want to be and then really something that was important to me this fall was doing a lot of One on one, right when we got here so that I could build the relationship with them individually. And then now we're really diving into a little bit more of what our staff looks like as we started to play and started to compete.
Just how we work together and how they complement each other, who maybe follows who in.
In an order in a game, things like that. But the one on one time I really valued so that we could have, you know, so many other conversations happen in the bullpen, too. I think that's. The bullpen is notorious for those types of things, you know, whatever, whatever different conversations we're having and different topics that we. We touch on depending on the day.
But that's really where our relationship begins.
And even outside of there, too, with
[00:11:11] Speaker A: the returners especially, although I guess there's probably video on the high school athletes as well. But with the returners, over the summer, how much did you look at video so you would have a starting point or did you prefer.
I just want to go in fresh?
[00:11:23] Speaker B: Yeah, great.
I dove into a little bit of video on each of our returners and then something that was really nice was I got to see two of our freshmen compete this summer out recruiting. So that was great just to, you know, see them, see them in their element. And that was where, you know, I got to meet them at that same time too. So that was in person, at least. You know, we had chatted before then, but good, good to see them in person, good to see them compete and then see, you know, you can see a lot in video, but it's always good to see things right in front of you and be able to talk some things through. So that's really what we focused on that first week too, was, hey, I just want to see where you're at. And coming off of the summer, sometimes, you know, you're diving in to developing other pitches or making mechanical adjustments. So I just want to know what you really focused on this summer and let's see it and give you a week to settle in. You know, that first day I feel like, oh, everyone's maybe a little bit nervous or, you know, they want to put their best. Their best stuff, show you their best stuff and put their best foot forward. But I think it takes a couple days to really lay that out and to get comfortable with each other too.
And I think that's happened over time.
[00:12:33] Speaker A: For sure it'll be a lot new for the freshmen from the level of competition, weights, classes, all that kind of stuff. What's kind of your lead advice to a Freshman as they start to make
[00:12:44] Speaker B: this adjustment, just that it takes time and to use your resources. We have so many resources here, whether it's obviously the coaching staff, other support staff around, like take knowing where to go and where to look when you need something.
We have mental health resources, all those different things.
But I think they. They get here and obviously you're getting familiar with the schedule, but then, you know, you're practicing at an elite level every day, which is something that they're not used to. And just that transition, you know, they're used to maybe being the best. The best player on whatever team that they've been on before here. And so now they're come. They come here and they're, you know, just trying to find. Find their footing and find where they fit in.
So that's something I just tell them it takes a little bit of time and just to trust that process because it just oftentimes takes longer than you think.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: You mentioned the three freshmen, all of them this fall are pitching and hitting. You did that at Michigan. That can be really challenging.
Describe the challenges and then what, as a coach, how are you evaluating who can stick with this? Who is maybe better focusing on one or the other?
[00:13:55] Speaker B: Yeah.
So I think it's such a blessing to be able to do, to be able to do both and just to have that opportunity to maybe to prove yourself.
I know it was an outlet for me to be able to pitch and to hit and, you know, hitting was fun. I feel like pitching maybe I took a little bit more seriously because that was my area that I knew I had to contribute in. So really being able to contribute offensively is a bonus. And I think I see that with our. Our pitchers who hit as well.
And we do have one more. She's a junior. Gabby Fakes also is. Contributes offensively. So with that group of four, you know, as long as it's something that is benefiting them and not taking away from their pitching, I think oftentimes when we naturally, when we put more time into one thing, another thing maybe suffers.
So I think for them also knowing that some of their time, their individual time that we spent together was mostly spent on pitching, they had to put in a lot of individual work on their hitting and offensive work.
[00:15:01] Speaker A: Sometimes when you talk to people who do both baseball or softball, they will say, hitting is good for me, because if I wasn't hitting, I'd be in the bullpen or on the bench grinding over my last. Over my last few pitches. Is that maybe a little mental break from pitching? Is that part of what might be an advantage?
[00:15:18] Speaker B: Absolutely, I think. And just having another way to contribute to your team, knowing that, okay, even if maybe it wasn't your best day pitching, you can still contribute and help the team win. But I think that's something, you know, as sometimes pitchers do who come into college, who do hit, making that transition to not hitting and only pitching, understanding that you don't have to be on the field to contribute and help your team win. Right. So even our pitchers, if they're not in the circle and they don't hit, they're still contributing and they're still a part of this team. And they can do a lot of other things that aren't on the field that maybe go unseen, but those are the things, I think, that make a huge difference and even instill confidence in the rest of your team that, you know, yeah, you're still in it even though you're not in the lineup.
[00:16:08] Speaker A: I feel like I should name these people. We've talked about them. We haven't really given anybody a name yet. So let me run through the names.
Freshman Taryn Ford, Hayden Mowry and Sarah Wiggins. And then the returners you mentioned. Gabby Fakes. She is back. Riley Neihart is back. Ava Sligar is back. And Janelle Wilson. So that's the seven pitchers that I should have named much earlier in this podcast.
My apologies. We'll do better.
Most positive development of the fall. Has there been a surprise? Has there been somebody who's had a light bulb moment that you've been really happy about? Anything like that jump out at you?
[00:16:47] Speaker B: I think just as a whole, I've been grateful at how receptive and how open they are to making adjustments, whether that be physically, whether that be with their approach and how they're just that mental side of the game and how they're going into something.
And I think that's where some of the breakthroughs I've seen have happened, of like, hey, I'm really thinking about this as I go out and I throw this pitch, which isn't going, you know, maybe not as positive. So it's not going to give them their best chance at having success. So even shifting that mindset is something we've really been focused on, which is, you know, a part of the process. But I think something that I've loved about each and every one of our staff is that they are all very different. There's no two pictures that are the same. And. Right. Obviously, I know Riley and Ava really contributed last year, and had had more innings under their belt. And so I'm really hoping that all of our staff can have at least some play some part in that in the spring and really alleviate some of that load that those two may be carried so that we can be really fresh at the end of the season. Right. Which is really when we want to peak.
But that's something I think we're playing with a little bit now, I would say. I know I would just name. I think Hayden Mowry has really had some breakthrough moments. The this last probably two weeks really mechanically, and I think we really saw that this past weekend against Missouri and then the KC Diamonds just having a few shutout innings and kind of figuring that out. And you know, Riley's been steady this whole fall and Gabby's come back really well as well. And I know a few injuries that we're working through with our other returners, but I think that's part of it too. I think oftentimes it's not a matter as a pitcher, you know, and having experienced this myself too, but it's not a matter of sometimes if we're going to feel something in our body, but when. And so how do we manage that and how do we really try to do our prehab and do these other things that maybe help prevent us from, you know, from our bodies breaking down and staying healthy as long as possible.
[00:19:02] Speaker A: So Riley Neihart, all conference pitcher last year. Ava has been injured this fall, expected to be back from the by the spring.
Take us through Riley's fall. What has she been working on?
[00:19:14] Speaker B: Yeah, really just developing, continuing to develop all of her pitches. You know, she has some great use of different speeds and I know that's been something that's been fun for me to kind of play around with when, when and where to use those pitches.
Um, and I think that's part of this journey too with them this fall is kind of figuring out one, what they like to throw in certain situations in certain counts, but then also getting comfortable, even if they might not be comfortable with certain things. So working through those. But Riley, we're working on really splitting, going up and down and then continuing to develop that off speed and change up and being able to mix speeds too. So she really came back and worked on a lot this summer, which is awesome to see kind of those gains from the end of last season to even now.
[00:20:04] Speaker A: And are these scrimmages especially useful for pitchers such as Gabby and Janelle? You're trying to figure out where can they help us down the road? For an inning or two in the spring.
Scrimmages a great opportunity to get a
[00:20:17] Speaker B: feel for that 100%. I think that's. This is the opportunity right now, right, that's in front of us, for them to kind of show what it is they've been working on and then also to figure out one who should they follow, whether it's starting a game, whether it's coming in, middle relief or closing.
And so we've been playing a lot with that. But it's been fun to see them again, maybe adjust their mindset depending on when they're coming in and figuring out how to just get out. So. And even if it's coming in, like you mentioned, too, just coming in and, you know, shutting things down, just giving us a couple innings here and there, whenever, whenever they can.
[00:20:59] Speaker A: The Shockers defeated two junior colleges, Emporia State, Oklahoma State and Missouri, this fall.
Dropped a scrimmage to the Professionals KC Diamonds in Kansas City last weekend. Was there an overall theme? What did you want to see from the pitchers and how much did you get done in those scripts?
[00:21:16] Speaker B: Scrimmages so far, I think we've really accomplished a lot.
Something that I've really wanted to see out of them is just going out there and competing and trusting. Even though we were working on some things this fall, we can still try those things out in a scrimmage situation. Not against ourselves and not against our Shocker offense, which I think is exciting, too, because it's always, you know, we scrimmage ourselves a lot, whether it's during the fall, but also, you know, in January when we come back. But to be able to play someone else and to, you know, take that factor away of them being your teammate has been, I think, a game changer and really is going to drive us in finding other things that we need to continue to work on.
[00:22:01] Speaker A: I think scrimmages are always interesting because I think coaches probably go into them with a plan of we want to see. We want to see everybody and, you know, we want to get our weaknesses explained, exposed, and then you get out there and, boy, you also really want to win.
How much do you do of saying, all right, Riley, I know you can throw this pitch to this spot in this situation.
I want to see you get somebody out with a different pitch. Do you prohibit them from throwing certain pitches at some time? How do you go about accelerating that learning in these scrimmages?
[00:22:30] Speaker B: Sure, I don't prohibit things or different pitches in different situations, but, you know, I might call something that's maybe a little risky. Right. But big risk, big reward. We kind of have to go for it in order to be confident in that come springtime. So I think if they're able to do that and trying those things out. But
[00:22:52] Speaker A: yeah, that would be such an interesting opportunity. I mean, I've been out there. False scrimmages and a pitcher will really struggle, but I'm imagining you leave them in there in some cases because you've got to learn how to get out of this.
[00:23:04] Speaker B: Exactly. And that's actually what fall has been great for because we really do try to make everything equal in the fall. And, you know, I think that's really different from what happens in the spring, of course, but in the fall, things are equal. People are getting equal opportunity. And so there's, you know, there's nothing that blocks them from being able to show off what it is that they've been working on too. So I think that, you know, it is an opportunity to work through some things which maybe otherwise we would have made a. Made a switch sooner. So that's, I think, something to take into account and. But also for them, pros and cons to that. Right? Like sometimes when you're figuring out, sometimes we dive deeper into a hole and we spiral a little bit. But that's also exposes some things for us to continue to work on just mentally with them too.
[00:23:55] Speaker A: It will be maybe just a couple months. The Shockers are scheduled to move into the Wadsworth Team operations center. That's new offices, locker room, training facilities, et cetera, et cetera. Probably be in there by December, certainly before you come back in January. Have you checked out your new office yet? Have you planned your decorations for the new place?
[00:24:15] Speaker B: We've definitely checked it out. To be able to see the progress on the building has been unreal. When we get in there, I know the reveal is going to be amazing.
I mean, first of all, like, just thank you to the donors and whoever's made this possible because it's gonna be really game changer for this program and having that space.
I'm really grateful to be in the space we are now and to be close with everyone. And then, you know, it's gonna. We're gonna have so much. So much room in this new building.
But I think it's important to appreciate the new right and being able to see the old.
So it's just a testament, I think, to where this program is going and where they've been and just all the development that's happened over the years too.
[00:25:04] Speaker A: Yes. We're just a few years away from alumni coming back and saying, these women don't know what we went through in those locker rooms and the old offices. No doubt.
The indoor practice facility opened in early 2025.
I'm not sure fans have a grasp on the. How widespread are those kind of facilities in softball? They probably know that most major colleges have basketball practice gyms now and volleyball practice gyms and indoor football facilities.
Coming from Michigan, give us some perspective on the indoor facility and how unique it is in the world of college softball.
[00:25:43] Speaker B: Of course, I think our indoor facility and coupled with our new.
New facility that will be finished in December.
You know, throughout the.
My recruitment process to coming here, Christy had just kept saying that we're going to have the best facilities in the country once this is done. Some of the top facilities in the country, I should say.
And she was absolutely telling the truth. These facilities, not all programs have what we have and the ability to practice in their own space and really determine their own practice times whenever works for them. So this is. It's been really awesome to see just our use of technology even in the indoor facility. You know, a lot of times when those spaces are shared, you have to move a lot of things. And just the time and effort that goes into that, it's been great to use that for other things and to really redirect that and spend that time developing our kids instead of having to, you know, get it ready for the next team who's coming in there. So those. These facilities that we have are really unmatched and especially once our new building is finished, too.
[00:26:58] Speaker A: Be very nice. And really, really big banners, too. You cannot miss the banners.
[00:27:02] Speaker B: You cannot miss.
No. And we're just continuing hoping to add to that. That's the plan.
[00:27:08] Speaker A: Yeah, That'll be interesting to see where they put the new ones. There may be some reorganization needed. What are you reading? What are you watching? What would you recommend people check out?
[00:27:18] Speaker B: Yes, what am I reading?
I actually just reread something I really recommend is Staying Sane in an Insane World by Greg Hardin. He was actually one of my mentors at Michigan, wrote this book. He actually, he passed in 2024.
So if you can listen to it, that's even better because you get to hear his voice through it. But, you know, he worked with great athletes such as Tom Brady, Charles Woodson.
Oh, gosh. So many athletes that came through Michigan. So I highly recommend that book. And it's just a great book that will help you in life, too.
Watching I just finished Ted lasso. The the new season just finished, so that was so fun to watch. It's really focused on a women's team this season, so that was something our staff has really been connecting on every week once we watch the new episode. And just it brings to light a lot of issues that female athletes and athletics in general have to deal with.
[00:28:22] Speaker A: So give us the name of the book again for people who might want to write it down real quick.
[00:28:26] Speaker B: Yes, it's Staying Sane in an Insane World, which I think is pretty applicable to some of the things that we deal with in our world now too, so can't go wrong.
[00:28:36] Speaker A: The Shockers wrap up their fall scrimmages this weekend. You can see them at Wilkins Stadium 2pm Saturday vs. Murray State College 1pm Sunday vs. Johnson County Community College Sarah, thank you very much for your time.
[00:28:49] Speaker B: Thank you,
[00:29:05] Speaker A: 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] she's
[00:29:20] Speaker B: just one of those players who could be a game changer, though with one swing of the bat she can send it over the fence. We've seen her do it time and time again. Is she do the fish?585 slugging percentage, nine home runs on the season.
We'll see what they decide.
[00:29:34] Speaker A: Swinging away and a drive to center. Are you kidding? Another walk off.
[00:29:38] Speaker B: It is ball game.
[00:29:40] Speaker A: Witchita State wins.
Two walk off home home runs today.
Bailey Lang in the first game and Lori Derico here and Wichita State has knocked off Central Florida five to four.
