Baseball season is near and broadcaster Shane Dennis joins the podcast to discuss the 2021 Shockers. We talk about newcomers to the pitching staff, the impact of a healthy Paxton Wallace on the lineup and how the Shockers might navigate four-game weekend series. Dennis also details how coaches Gene Stephenson and Jim Thomas handled losing spades games on baseball bus trips in the 1990s, his favorite teammate nicknames and the case for playing Cooper Elliot at all nine positions in a tribute to former Shocker Mike Jones.
Bartlett, a senior outfielder on the baseball team, is a transfer from Saint Louis University. He talks about his first impressions of the coaching staff, talking hitting with his teammates, why he keeps a journal and the Shocker pitcher who causes him the most headaches. Bartlett also discusses dealing with failure in baseball, a future in school psychology and which teammate is the best hunter/fisherman.
Seniors Murkel Dellien and Marius Frosa are preparing for their final season and a chance to add to the accomplishments of one of Wichita State’s greatest doubles teams. They reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 NCAA Doubles Championships to earn All-American honors, becoming the second Shocker duo to earn that honor. They talk about their teamwork, their goals for this season, favorite Grand Slam tournament and plans after college.
Steve Strain and Bob Hull join the podcast to break down the early results for Wichita State women’s and men’s basketball. The women are off to a 3-1 start and Strain details the improvements he sees and how the Shockers can improve. Wichita State’s men are 1-1 and Hull talks about the new faces and how they might help as the roster returns to full strength.
Senior associate athletic director Becky Endicott is retiring after a career at Wichita State that started in 1993 as an intern. She helped steer Shocker women’s athletics to its successes of the past 20 years and earned a reputation as a wise guide through the NCAA manual and an effective advocate for women’s athletics. Endicott discusses her time at Wichita State, how athletics has changed, her best Grier Jones story, rooting for the Chiefs and advice for young people considering a career in athletics.
Javelin thrower Taran Taylor and John Wise, assistant director of track and field, discuss workouts during a pandemic and prospects for an indoor season. Taylor, from Ark City, details his rise as a standout thrower, his return from elbow surgery and how his engineering major might relate to the javelin.
Shocker volleyball scrimmaged Saturday and associate head coach Sean Carter joins the podcast with his impressions of the action. Brylee Kelly continued her strong fall and several freshmen played well. Carter details about how the program is handling the pandemic, the candidates to take over at libero and his best and worst birthday presents.
Wichita State coaches Keitha Adams (women’s basketball) and Danny Bryan (men’s tennis) join us remotely. Adams updates fans on three new Shockers, tells a few Don Haskins stories and discusses what she misses the most about pre-pandemic life (Hint: Social distancing is tough for Adams). Bryan describes the abrupt end to the season, how his international athletes adapted and his pick for TV documentaries to watch.
The Roundhouse brings in voice of the Shockers Mike Kennedy and Bob Lutz, long-time chronicler of Shocker athletics and host of The Drive on KFH, to dive into Wichita State “What Ifs?”
Included are links that explain some of the history behind the questions.
In the 1990s, Wichita State considered throwing its influence behind a downtown arena by offering Shocker basketball as the prime tenant. How did the decision to remove basketball from that discussion and renovate Levitt Arena play out?
The Roundhouse podcast talks to Wichita State’s Jack Sigrist (baseball), Michelle Ledermann (golf), Trajata Colbert (basketball) and Megan Taflinger (volleyball) about life during the pandemic. How are they staying active? What are they reading and watching? How are they studying? What do they miss away from teammates, teachers and coaches?
