Get set for the week with the Roundhouse Rundown podcast, the fastest five minutes in collegiate promotions. Former Shocker softball player Madyson Espinosa is our guest with the trivia question. WSU’s men’s basketball is on the road for two games this week. The women play FAU at home on Wednesday (6 p.m.) and UTSA on Saturday (1 p.m.). It’s a big week for tennis with home matches for the men and women. All that, plus promotions, ticket specials, Shocker trivia and Shocker history.
Shocker softball starts on Feb. 7, so we grabbed assistant coach Easton Herring and third baseman Krystin Nelson for updates. Nelson reveals the team’s best pickleball player and other team-building activities used by coaches. She details why she loves playing defense and how a conversation with coach Kristi Bredbenner early last season in Arkansas helped her hitting. Herring updates us on the recruiting class, construction on the workout facility next to Wilkins Stadium and an early look at possible lineups. WSU opens the season on Feb. 7 vs. Northern Illinois in Phoenix. It also plays Grand Canyon, Colgate and Montana over that weekend.
Wichita State outfielder Lauren Lucas and first baseman Cam Compton update us on fall practices and their rebound seasons after injuries sidelined both in 2024. They talk about staying engaged as unofficial hitting coaches last spring and how they leaned on teammates and family while out of uniform. They discuss outfielder Ellee Eck, one of the newcomers making a strong impression this fall, and freshman Ava Sliger. We also dive into growing up in a family of athletes, restaurants in Southeast Kansas and their advice for the younger Shockers.
Infielders CC Wong and Krystin Nelson join the podcast to prepare fans for the AAC Championship this week at Wilkins Stadium. They discuss how pitching and defense is coming together in recent weeks to lift the Shockers on a hot streak. They talk about pitcher Chloe Barber and how she’s improved over her freshman season. Wong tells us about her aspirations to play for Canada this summer. Nelson reveals why she gave up No. 12 and now wears No. 21. We also talk about Addison Barnard’s career with the Shockers and their advice for choosing a college.
Wichita State softball opens this weekend in Texas and associate head coach Elizabeth Economon gets fans ready with a look at the likely batting order. We talk about Addison Barnard’s recovery from a shoulder injury and newcomers such as third baseman CC Wong and pitcher Chloe Barber. We discuss how the Shockers thrive in the transfer portal and Economon reveals which player she thinks is the biggest Kansas City Chiefs fan.
Wichita State pitchers Alison Cooper and Alex Aguilar talk about the new members of the pitching staff and how they are ready to carry more of a load this season. Cooper tells us which former Shocker she shouts out with her uniform number. We discuss their favorite snacks at Buc-ee’s, why the Barnard sisters are good at pickleball and reveal the coach whose mantra is “It’s going to be fine.”
Former Shocker All-American shortstop Sydney McKinney joins us from her new job as assistant softball coach at Marshall University. We discuss her move to coaching, how often she says the same things her Shockers coaches said and her advice for recruits considering options. We learn that people in West Virginia put butter in their coffee. We also talk about Athletes Unlimited pro softball coming to Wilkins Stadium in June, how she saw Shocker softball grow and more.
Shocker softball is almost done with fall workouts, so we get associate head coach Elizabeth Economon and outfielder Bailey Urban to update us. We talk about newcomers to watch, how injuries are shaping the outfield and how this team grew offensively over the fall. Urban describes rehabbing from injury and how Economon gets the best out of Shocker hitters. We also discuss Shocker softball’s rise in popularity and Urban’s success in the first part of the CPA exam.
Wichita State assistant coach Easton Herring debuts on the podcast to talk about his journey from Pratt High School to Shocker baseball and into college softball. He talks about playing catch the right way, building relationships and the progress of fall softball. We also dive into his place in the Kansas high school baseball record book and what Sami Hood is working on as she moves to shortstop.
Wichita State softball pitching coach Courtney Oliver is at the microphone to talk about facing Shocker hitters from the opposite dugout, how her time as an athlete at Hofstra shaped her career and her pitching philosophy. Oliver, hired in June, came to Wichita State from Houston and also coached at ECU.
