SE: Jordan Wicks Credits Childhood Coach, K-State Baseball Alum Scott Stroth for Setting Foundation for Success
Mar 07, 2019 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Jordan Wicks was 4 years old when he made his first K-State connection. Now, the left-handed freshman is one of K-State baseball's top starting pitchers, with a 1.69 ERA through three starts that all ended in Wildcat wins.
The journey between then and now started at a sub sandwich shop in his hometown of Conway, Arkansas. Wicks and his family used to go there every Saturday. Eventually, they became close with the owner, Scott Stroth, whose son, Jack, was the same age as Wicks. Stroth also played baseball at K-State in 1990-91.
At the time, however, Wicks said his father was starting a soccer team — the kind with orange slices and the swarms of children chasing a ball. Stroth was putting together a baseball team — the kind with a tee and players running the wrong way.
So, the two fathers made a proposition. If Jack agreed to play soccer, then Wicks had to try baseball.
"Let's just say my baseball career lasted longer out of that than the soccer career," Wicks said, laughing.
Wicks has certainly flourished in baseball. He set school records in career wins, ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio at Conway High School, pitching to Jack the entire time. He earned all-conference honors and all-state recognition all four years.
And he gives Stroth a lot of the credit.
"He meant everything to my development," Wicks said. "He's a guy who's coached me since I was 4 years old, so he's taught me everything I know about the game."
What Stroth did not do is push K-State hard on Wicks when his recruiting began to pick up. Sure, Wicks heard stories growing up about K-State and Manhattan. He often watched K-State play Kansas in basketball at Stroth's house.
Wicks' actual connection to the program came from Rollie Kenny. Kenny coached Wicks at one point in Arkansas as well as K-State freshman Dylan Phillips when he moved to Omaha, Nebraska.
Once Wicks took a visit to K-State, however, he said the stories Stroth told him about how great the university and community are began to come to life.
"Family's printed everywhere here. You feel that as soon as you get to Kansas State," Wicks said, as K-State (5-6) opens up its home schedule this weekend against Old Dominion. "Now, being able to live part of it and see what he was talking about is really cool."
Wicks went a step further in trying to follow his former coach's footsteps, too. He wears Stroth's old K-State number, 33.
"It was one of the ones I requested because I found out what number he was, really almost as a tribute to him and as a thank you for what he's meant for my career and my life," Wicks said. "It was really cool to be following in his footsteps here."
The two have stayed in constant contact since Wicks came up to Manhattan last summer.
"He's a good guy that I talk to all the time," Wicks said. "He's had a big impact on my life."
The southpaw received a congratulatory text from Stroth after his first start, in which he gave up one run in five innings while fanning seven and walking none in a win against CSUN. Wicks followed that with a seven-inning performance that included six hits and two runs allowed, along with six strikeouts in another victory against Utah. He battled through an off day in his last outing against San Francisco. In it, he allowed three walks and three hits in four innings but gave up zero runs while striking out eight. K-State won that game, 7-0.
Wicks credited his early success to the way K-State pitching game coordinator Cord "Buck" Taylor, strength and conditioning coach Josh Cyr and athletic trainer Blaine Burris keep him prepared in all aspects.
He said maintaining the same level of confidence he carried on the mound in high school has also been important. His strikeout rate of 11.8 per nine innings illustrates how well he has done it.
"Keeping that confidence from high school and not trying to change who I am just because I move up a level," he said. "Just staying with who I am, what I do, and really just attacking hitters."
Jordan Wicks was 4 years old when he made his first K-State connection. Now, the left-handed freshman is one of K-State baseball's top starting pitchers, with a 1.69 ERA through three starts that all ended in Wildcat wins.
The journey between then and now started at a sub sandwich shop in his hometown of Conway, Arkansas. Wicks and his family used to go there every Saturday. Eventually, they became close with the owner, Scott Stroth, whose son, Jack, was the same age as Wicks. Stroth also played baseball at K-State in 1990-91.
At the time, however, Wicks said his father was starting a soccer team — the kind with orange slices and the swarms of children chasing a ball. Stroth was putting together a baseball team — the kind with a tee and players running the wrong way.
So, the two fathers made a proposition. If Jack agreed to play soccer, then Wicks had to try baseball.
"Let's just say my baseball career lasted longer out of that than the soccer career," Wicks said, laughing.
Wicks has certainly flourished in baseball. He set school records in career wins, ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio at Conway High School, pitching to Jack the entire time. He earned all-conference honors and all-state recognition all four years.
And he gives Stroth a lot of the credit.
"He meant everything to my development," Wicks said. "He's a guy who's coached me since I was 4 years old, so he's taught me everything I know about the game."
What Stroth did not do is push K-State hard on Wicks when his recruiting began to pick up. Sure, Wicks heard stories growing up about K-State and Manhattan. He often watched K-State play Kansas in basketball at Stroth's house.
Wicks' actual connection to the program came from Rollie Kenny. Kenny coached Wicks at one point in Arkansas as well as K-State freshman Dylan Phillips when he moved to Omaha, Nebraska.
Once Wicks took a visit to K-State, however, he said the stories Stroth told him about how great the university and community are began to come to life.
"Family's printed everywhere here. You feel that as soon as you get to Kansas State," Wicks said, as K-State (5-6) opens up its home schedule this weekend against Old Dominion. "Now, being able to live part of it and see what he was talking about is really cool."
Wicks went a step further in trying to follow his former coach's footsteps, too. He wears Stroth's old K-State number, 33.
"It was one of the ones I requested because I found out what number he was, really almost as a tribute to him and as a thank you for what he's meant for my career and my life," Wicks said. "It was really cool to be following in his footsteps here."
The two have stayed in constant contact since Wicks came up to Manhattan last summer.
"He's a good guy that I talk to all the time," Wicks said. "He's had a big impact on my life."
The southpaw received a congratulatory text from Stroth after his first start, in which he gave up one run in five innings while fanning seven and walking none in a win against CSUN. Wicks followed that with a seven-inning performance that included six hits and two runs allowed, along with six strikeouts in another victory against Utah. He battled through an off day in his last outing against San Francisco. In it, he allowed three walks and three hits in four innings but gave up zero runs while striking out eight. K-State won that game, 7-0.
Wicks credited his early success to the way K-State pitching game coordinator Cord "Buck" Taylor, strength and conditioning coach Josh Cyr and athletic trainer Blaine Burris keep him prepared in all aspects.
He said maintaining the same level of confidence he carried on the mound in high school has also been important. His strikeout rate of 11.8 per nine innings illustrates how well he has done it.
"Keeping that confidence from high school and not trying to change who I am just because I move up a level," he said. "Just staying with who I am, what I do, and really just attacking hitters."
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