Kansas State University Athletics
The Art of Breathing
Feb 27, 2024 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
A young man walked into the coaches' meeting room on the second floor of Tointon Family Stadium the other day. He wore a white uniform — "CATS" and "24" it read in deep purple — and a pair of shades with reflective lenses that tucked tightly against the bill of his purple ballcap. Purple wrist wrap around his right forearm, white wrap around his left. Neat stripes of eye black now smeared against his cheeks from sweat, as you might sweat, too, if you'd — breathe — worked so hard for so long — breathe — to put together the best college baseball game of your life.
Breathe.
"The biggest thing," he said, "is just breathing."
His name is Jayden Lobliner. And get used to the name. He's a sophomore catcher/first baseman/designated hitter out of St. Charles, Illinois, and a two-time all-state selection who played in 18 games with five starts behind the plate for Kansas State last season. He's interested in a career in business but appears already suited to teach mental relaxation or meditation. Breathing is where it all starts, he contends. And we'll say it here: With each breath, he's breathing life into a young career that appears destined to flourish, a string of deep breaths, a deep shot to right field or left field that can take your breath away.
On Friday evening, and two hours before he made his first postgame interview appearance, in the third inning, on a 1-2 count, after fighting off four straight pitches, he launched his first-career home run over the right field wall against Holy Cross, scoring teammates Brady Day and Chuck Ingram. It was a thing of beauty, the ball, but Lobliner raced around the bases like a guy late to supper. He hugged Danniel Rivera, Day and Ingram behind home plate. He high-fived teammates as he walked down the steps into the dugout.
He looked like he belonged.
"I try to avoid superlatives in describing kids," K-State head coach Pete Hughes said, "but he's in the conversation of one of the hardest workers I've ever coached."
Lobliner wasn't finished. On Sunday, playing first base, he took a breaking pitch that stayed up in the zone, put a big charge in it, and sent it over the left field wall for a two-run home run — his second homer in three days.
"With the constant hours of prep work, the confidence spills in," Lobliner said. "That was the biggest thing, believing in myself and understanding that going up to it with the most confidence is going to put me into the right position to do the most damage I can."
He finished the three-game series against Holy Cross batting 6-of-14 with two home runs and nine RBI — the best series of his career.
The secret to his success?
"Breathing has been a big part of my game for the last couple years," he said. "I think what makes the biggest difference in the world is the breathwork and being able to calm yourself and get yourself centered before any at-bats or big moments.
"It's underestimated, the power of breathing, and I've seen a big difference with it."
The art of breathing was instilled into him through the years. His father, a professional bodybuilder, taught it to him, and trainers emphasized it as well. That work ethic? He got that from his father as well, admiring how his father juggled all the many facets of bodybuilding while helping to raise a family and go to work each day. There was a focus, a concentration about him, and an intentional routine reared in discipline and dedication to the craft. Although Lobliner isn't a bodybuilder, he's slowly building a steady body of work with the Wildcats.
He's batting .393 (11-of-28) with a double, two home runs, and 13 RBI in seven games. This comes after he slashed .182/.333/.182 with two RBI a year ago. During the summer, he played 15 games with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League with three multi-hit performances. It was during the fall season at K-State that he fully captured everybody's attention.
"I think he led our team in hitting in the fall and in the preseason he kind of cooled off a little bit, but he was so dominant in the fall that I couldn't stray away from that evaluation," Hughes said. "It was deserving that he gets a crack in there to win that job (as the designated hitter). He's made the most of that opportunity, that's for sure."
It's that versatility that Lobliner brings to his game as either a catcher, first baseman or designated hitter that makes him particularly valuable.
"You like to see those kids in that maturation process make that jump from being a good program player and a great worker and then, when he has a chance to be an everyday guy, be that productive player that your staff's evaluation thought he would be," Hughes said. "It's really good to have him make that jump this phase of his career, and he's right on schedule."
Lobliner came to K-State after a stellar two-time all-state career as a catcher at St. Charles North High School, where he hit .411 with an on-base percentage of .516 and 41 RBI in 32 games his senior season. He threw out 59% of base stealers in his prep career and was charged with just three passed balls in 403 2/3 career innings for a fielding percentage of .988.
He put together a slash line of .231/.290/.322 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run and 23 RBI when he played for the Niagara Power of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League during summer 2022.
Lobliner gained interest from K-State long before his standout high school senior year.
"Thomas Hughes, my sophomore year of high school right after COVID ended, he saw me at a tournament and saw some video, and that's how it jumpstarted and it just continued to grow and grow over the summer," Lobliner said. "K-State was the best decision I ever made."
Pete Hughes appreciated Lobliner's potential as a prospective player for his program.
"We recruit nationally, and Illinois is a really good fit for K-State," Hughes said. "We cover the best travel teams all over the country, and our staff is relentless in recruiting. He fit our model for a catcher who could play a couple different positions. He's athletic, a good player, a great worker, and a great teammate. Multi-versatile kids, those kids are invaluable."
Lobliner is making the most of his opportunities.
"It's amazing, and to be a part of it, there's nothing better, but that comes back to some of the breathwork and staying grounded," he said. "It's how you stay level and consistent, not just me, but as a team, and that consistency will come from that constant focus on what's next rather than what we've done or what's upcoming.
"Having that mentality to stay where your feet are is the most important thing, and as a team we do that, and great things are going to happen."
Lobliner is doing a good job staying grounded in the moment. And the moment that he sees the ball heading toward the strike zone, he has one thing on his mind.
Breathe.
A young man walked into the coaches' meeting room on the second floor of Tointon Family Stadium the other day. He wore a white uniform — "CATS" and "24" it read in deep purple — and a pair of shades with reflective lenses that tucked tightly against the bill of his purple ballcap. Purple wrist wrap around his right forearm, white wrap around his left. Neat stripes of eye black now smeared against his cheeks from sweat, as you might sweat, too, if you'd — breathe — worked so hard for so long — breathe — to put together the best college baseball game of your life.
Breathe.
"The biggest thing," he said, "is just breathing."
His name is Jayden Lobliner. And get used to the name. He's a sophomore catcher/first baseman/designated hitter out of St. Charles, Illinois, and a two-time all-state selection who played in 18 games with five starts behind the plate for Kansas State last season. He's interested in a career in business but appears already suited to teach mental relaxation or meditation. Breathing is where it all starts, he contends. And we'll say it here: With each breath, he's breathing life into a young career that appears destined to flourish, a string of deep breaths, a deep shot to right field or left field that can take your breath away.
On Friday evening, and two hours before he made his first postgame interview appearance, in the third inning, on a 1-2 count, after fighting off four straight pitches, he launched his first-career home run over the right field wall against Holy Cross, scoring teammates Brady Day and Chuck Ingram. It was a thing of beauty, the ball, but Lobliner raced around the bases like a guy late to supper. He hugged Danniel Rivera, Day and Ingram behind home plate. He high-fived teammates as he walked down the steps into the dugout.
He looked like he belonged.
"I try to avoid superlatives in describing kids," K-State head coach Pete Hughes said, "but he's in the conversation of one of the hardest workers I've ever coached."
Lobliner wasn't finished. On Sunday, playing first base, he took a breaking pitch that stayed up in the zone, put a big charge in it, and sent it over the left field wall for a two-run home run — his second homer in three days.
"With the constant hours of prep work, the confidence spills in," Lobliner said. "That was the biggest thing, believing in myself and understanding that going up to it with the most confidence is going to put me into the right position to do the most damage I can."
He finished the three-game series against Holy Cross batting 6-of-14 with two home runs and nine RBI — the best series of his career.
The secret to his success?
"Breathing has been a big part of my game for the last couple years," he said. "I think what makes the biggest difference in the world is the breathwork and being able to calm yourself and get yourself centered before any at-bats or big moments.
"It's underestimated, the power of breathing, and I've seen a big difference with it."
The art of breathing was instilled into him through the years. His father, a professional bodybuilder, taught it to him, and trainers emphasized it as well. That work ethic? He got that from his father as well, admiring how his father juggled all the many facets of bodybuilding while helping to raise a family and go to work each day. There was a focus, a concentration about him, and an intentional routine reared in discipline and dedication to the craft. Although Lobliner isn't a bodybuilder, he's slowly building a steady body of work with the Wildcats.
He's batting .393 (11-of-28) with a double, two home runs, and 13 RBI in seven games. This comes after he slashed .182/.333/.182 with two RBI a year ago. During the summer, he played 15 games with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League with three multi-hit performances. It was during the fall season at K-State that he fully captured everybody's attention.
"I think he led our team in hitting in the fall and in the preseason he kind of cooled off a little bit, but he was so dominant in the fall that I couldn't stray away from that evaluation," Hughes said. "It was deserving that he gets a crack in there to win that job (as the designated hitter). He's made the most of that opportunity, that's for sure."
It's that versatility that Lobliner brings to his game as either a catcher, first baseman or designated hitter that makes him particularly valuable.
"You like to see those kids in that maturation process make that jump from being a good program player and a great worker and then, when he has a chance to be an everyday guy, be that productive player that your staff's evaluation thought he would be," Hughes said. "It's really good to have him make that jump this phase of his career, and he's right on schedule."
Lobliner came to K-State after a stellar two-time all-state career as a catcher at St. Charles North High School, where he hit .411 with an on-base percentage of .516 and 41 RBI in 32 games his senior season. He threw out 59% of base stealers in his prep career and was charged with just three passed balls in 403 2/3 career innings for a fielding percentage of .988.
He put together a slash line of .231/.290/.322 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run and 23 RBI when he played for the Niagara Power of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League during summer 2022.
Lobliner gained interest from K-State long before his standout high school senior year.
"Thomas Hughes, my sophomore year of high school right after COVID ended, he saw me at a tournament and saw some video, and that's how it jumpstarted and it just continued to grow and grow over the summer," Lobliner said. "K-State was the best decision I ever made."
Pete Hughes appreciated Lobliner's potential as a prospective player for his program.
"We recruit nationally, and Illinois is a really good fit for K-State," Hughes said. "We cover the best travel teams all over the country, and our staff is relentless in recruiting. He fit our model for a catcher who could play a couple different positions. He's athletic, a good player, a great worker, and a great teammate. Multi-versatile kids, those kids are invaluable."
Lobliner is making the most of his opportunities.
"It's amazing, and to be a part of it, there's nothing better, but that comes back to some of the breathwork and staying grounded," he said. "It's how you stay level and consistent, not just me, but as a team, and that consistency will come from that constant focus on what's next rather than what we've done or what's upcoming.
"Having that mentality to stay where your feet are is the most important thing, and as a team we do that, and great things are going to happen."
Lobliner is doing a good job staying grounded in the moment. And the moment that he sees the ball heading toward the strike zone, he has one thing on his mind.
Breathe.
Players Mentioned
OF
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