The RoundHouse | 10/13/2023 3:32:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Brian Green was one day into his tenure as Wichita State baseball coach, driving on 21^st St. near Webb Road, and on the phone with a recruit who loved to talk hitting.
 
"We're five minutes into getting to know each other and we're breaking down the swing, mechanics, all of it," Green said. "As soon as we started getting into it, I thought 'I'll be shocked if this guy isn't a Shocker.'"
 
He was talking to lefty infielder Josh Livingston, thrilled to find a coaching staff who knew him and enjoyed deep dives into what happens in the batting cage.
 
"I could talk to them about hitting forever, and that was very clear from the first phone call," Livingston said.
 
Two weeks later, Livingston, a sophomore at Crowder (Mo.) College joined a Zoom with Green and assistant coach Anthony Miller. They talked more hitting and Livingston made his choice.
 
"Talk about lasting a long time, but in a good way," Livingston said. "I wanted to ask as many questions as possible and I wanted to hear everything they had."
 
Miller, an assistant at Johnson County Community College last spring, remembered Livingston's professional approach at the plate during a four-game series with Crowder in February. Livingston went 6 for 12 with a double and a home run.
 
"He could tell me my at-bats from the first week of the season," Livingston said. "That really stood out. I committed on the spot during that Zoom call."

Four months later, they still love talking hitting and Livingston, from Prosper, Texas, is one of the best Shocker hitters in fall practices. He will hit in the middle of the order when the Shockers play Cowley College in a 14-inning scrimmage at Eck Stadium at 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5.
 
"He is a true baseball junkie," Green said. "Smart hitter. Knows when to sit on pitches. Doubles power. Capable of being a double-digit home run guy if he doesn't try too much."
 
Those early conversations meant so much to Livingston because, as a transfer, he needed to find the right spot for his final two seasons of college. He had committed to Memphis, but a coaching change sent him looking at other options. He wanted coaches who knew his abilities and would use him the right way. He also wanted coaches who could fix his weaknesses.
 
"We talked about how he could help me hitting the ball the other way, tighten up the swing and make better two-strike decisions," Livingston said. "So far, I've seen a vast improvement."
 
Livingston spends a lot of time hitting off a tee and working on hitting the ball to the opposite field.
 
"In batting practice, my rounds have been very boring," he said. "If I hit six ground balls in a row to the shortstop, it's a success for him. Not 10 balls to the pull-side in the air. I can do that. It's about working through the process about what I'm trying to get better at."
 
Wichita State is using the weekend to start its preparations for the spring. The Shockers worked on their game routine this week – how to line up for the anthem, how to take infield and batting practice before a game. They scrimmage at 5 p.m.  Friday to start what will mimic a weekend series.
 
"How we operate on game day is a big emphasis for us," Green said.
 
Green expects use most, if not all, of his pitchers. WSU will start junior lefty Gavin Oswald in the first seven-inning segment with freshman Tommy LaPour starting the second segment.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.