Baseball | 2/12/2026 8:34:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Zeb Henry loves doing the routine things that make a baseball player – fielding, throwing, footwork, running the bases and more. Jude Henry, his father, loved teaching his son the sport.
 
The teaching never felt like teaching and the routine never felt like a burden.
 
"He was always 'Dad, can we go to the field?'" Jude Henry said. "I never pushed him. He pushed me. He always wanted to be on the field."

That is how an under-sized infielder makes it to Wichita State. Zeb Henry, a junior from Bartlesville, Okla., is one of seven returners from last season and one coach Brian Green is counting on at second base and in the locker room.

"He's a been a voice of reason," Green said. "I would really point to his leadership and his attitude, how he goes about it every day."

The Shockers open the season at 3 p.m., Friday, starting a four-game series vs. Northern Colorado at Eck Stadium.

Henry, 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, transferred to Wichita State in 2024 from Eastern Oklahoma State College. That attitude is everything for him.

"I'm kind of an underdog," he said. "That's how I grew up, in a home where you work hard and you're going to be the first one there, last one to leave and that's just how it's going to be."

Henry grabbed a starting spot in late April and finished the season hitting .241 in 13 starts. He raised his batting average from .143 by hitting .272 over his final 12 games with six walks and four strikeouts.

The 2025 spring didn't start the way Henry preferred, but he stuck with it and turned into a reliable starter. In 2026, he expects more after work in the weight room and in the batting cage.

"I'm 5-10, a buck-75 max," he said. "I'm not naturally gifted like some of our guys are. I have to go in and put in the extra time and extra work to compete."

That started with dad in Bartlesville. They watched Trosky Baseball videos and attended every camp. They drove an hour to Tulsa to play for Sandlot Baseball. Jude Henry quickly noticed that Zeb loved the game, loved the work of learning to field, throw, hit and run the bases. Most of all, he instinctively knew the game and understood the timing, the split-second decisions and the positioning that puzzle many youngsters.

"Zeb's always been the smallest," Jude Henry said. "But he's always played one of the most important positions on the field, which is shortstop. He always held his own. He was an underdog, in my opinion, but only in size. Not in heart. Not in IQ."

All the time in the yard, on the street in front of the house and traveling the baseball field of Oklahoma bonded Zeb and Jude.

"He's been the biggest driver for me," Zeb Henry said. "I've called him crying. I've called him happy. He's always helped me through everything."
Nothing changed at Wichita State.

"He's a guy that's really good at being consistent with his work," pitcher Brady Hamilton said. "Are you here for 10 hours one day and then you don't come to the field for three days? He's the opposite. He's the guy that is able to come in and put the same work in day in and day out."
Henry turned last season in a better direction when he leaned into getting on base, putting the ball in play and hitting with two strikes. Home runs are not his game.

"He's done a really good job with his maturity in knowing how he can help us win," Green said. "I think Zeb's more concerned with hitting .310, vs. hitting .210 with two homers."

Early last spring, Henry played sparingly. He did not let that affect his demeanor or his work ethic. He credits his faith playing a role in keeping his mood upbeat.

"My job is to spread light to my teammates, spread light to my coaches," he said. "If I'm not playing, I'm going to go in with a smile on my face. I always try to be kind, be genuine to my teammates. I want everybody to know 'Hey, I'll be here for you if you're struggling, because I know you'll be there for me.'"

Henry likes the way the ball jumps off his bat this spring. He hopes that solid finish to last season means something. He credits time in the weight room with improving his hitting. He enjoys talking hitting with Green, instruction usually focused on battling with two strikes, patience at the plate and putting the ball in play.

"Strength has helped me tremendously," Henry said. "It's easy for him and me to talk about how I'm feeling, how my swing is feeling. I think I'm easy hitter for (Green) to coach because I think I'm somewhat the kind of hitter he was."
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
 
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.