This week on the D1 Daily, Burkie and Roons welcome Lance Berkman onto the show. In part one, the group jumps into a conversation about Berkman’s anxiety in big moments despite elite production. Berkman and Burkie discuss the fear and “terror” of high-pressure at-bats, with Burkie citing Berkman’s Hall of Fame-level OPS and postseason success to underscore the value of his honesty. Berkman explains his “drag the pitcher into the pit” two-strike mindset and details a key 2004 ninth-inning at-bat vs. John Smoltz, outlining his “three Bs” approach: breathe, see the ball, and aim up the middle. They debate modern launch-angle instruction versus efficient swings, argue pitching velocity and specialization have increased, and describe how Berkman’s “pit” clip inspired a Brewers battle cry adopted by players through Jason Lane.

00:00 Intro and Recording Mishap

01:08 Pressure and Clutch Anxiety

02:45 Berkman Clutch Stats

05:18 Clubhouse Mindsets and Egos

07:12 Brewers Battle Cry Origin

10:49 Smoltz At-Bat Breakdown

13:04 Three Bs: Two Strike Plan

16:07 Launch Angle Debate

24:58 Pitching Evolution Today

31:27 Wrap Up and Part Two Tease

For athletes and sports programs of all levels, AstroTurf has managed the entirety of the synthetic turf manufacturing process for decades. By focusing on quality, safety, and performance, AstroTurf continues to provide customized surfacing solutions for baseball and softball programs across the professional and collegiate ranks, including being the Official Synthetic Turf of MLB®. For more information, please visit https://astroturf.com/

Homefield is the industry leader in game day gear by and for true fans. Our friends at Homefield design and research EVERYTHING, from the fit and fabrics to the vintage logos, to make standout gear that defines Your Game Day. Shop the very best of Homefield, like:

• T-Shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks featuring unique designs for your school–they’ve got over 180 partner schools, which means there’s something for YOU

• Retro-style jackets for every part of the season

• Premium hats, with retro designs AND a fit for everyone

• And, just launched: The Homefield Stadium Polo, inspired by the bold, vibrant game day polos of the 90s.

You can shop the very best in game day apparel for your team NOW with Homefield. Take 15% off your first purchase with code D15 at checkout at www.homefieldapparel.com!

Kerriston Coffee is proud to be the official coffee of D1Baseball. With over 30 years in the business, this family-owned roastery delivers fresh, small-batch coffee made for college baseball fans, coaches, and everyone in between. Kerriston Coffee ships nationwide, and as a listener to The D1Baseball Podcast, you can use code D1 at https://kerristoncoffee.com to receive 15% off your first order!

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Ten years ago, UC Santa Barbara claimed a spot in the Omaha Eight for the first time in program history. Headlined by a walk-off grand slam to punch their ticket, the 2016 Gauchos were a team for the ages. On this episode of Sunday Night Conversations, Mike Rooney is joined by Andrew Checketts, Shane Bieber, and J.J. Muno to take a look back at the 2016 squad.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Burkie and Roons open by discussing how baseball prospects generally face less hype and “bust” labeling than football stars like Arch Manning, while noting that high draft picks who choose college can still carry heavy expectations. They debate whether athletes would prefer today’s world of constant online scrutiny with the chance to make millions versus an earlier era with less public pressure but only scholarship benefits, emphasizing discipline and the idea that “the internet is not real life.”

Shifting to baseball, they use the World Series/playoff lens to examine roster construction, prioritizing unflappable makeup, athleticism, defense, running, and pitching depth as traits that “slump the least.” They argue NIL/portal dynamics, smaller roster limits, and evaluation uncertainty are increasing parity and making it harder to stockpile elite sluggers, citing recent LSU/Tennessee title teams and examples like Cal’s Jack Kennedy.

00:00 Welcome Back!

01:21 Thank You AstroTurf

01:56 "Hype" Pressure in Baseball

05:33 NIL Money vs Scrutiny

09:57 World Series Lessons for College Rosters

12:01 Build Around Defense and Pitching

15:02 Slugging, NIL, and Growing Parity

20:05 Smaller Rosters and Tougher Evaluations

23:22 Final Takeaways

For athletes and sports programs of all levels, AstroTurf has managed the entirety of the synthetic turf manufacturing process for decades. By focusing on quality, safety, and performance, AstroTurf continues to provide customized surfacing solutions for baseball and softball programs across the professional and collegiate ranks, including being the Official Synthetic Turf of MLB®. For more information, please visit https://astroturf.com/

Homefield is the industry leader in game day gear by and for true fans. Our friends at Homefield design and research EVERYTHING, from the fit and fabrics to the vintage logos, to make standout gear that defines Your Game Day. Shop the very best of Homefield, like:

• T-Shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks featuring unique designs for your school–they’ve got over 180 partner schools, which means there’s something for YOU

• Retro-style jackets for every part of the season

• Premium hats, with retro designs AND a fit for everyone

• And, just launched: The Homefield Stadium Polo, inspired by the bold, vibrant game day polos of the 90s.

You can shop the very best in game day apparel for your team NOW with Homefield. Take 15% off your first purchase with code D15 at checkout at www.homefieldapparel.com!

Kerriston Coffee is proud to be the official coffee of D1Baseball. With over 30 years in the business, this family-owned roastery delivers fresh, small-batch coffee made for college baseball fans, coaches, and everyone in between. Kerriston Coffee ships nationwide, and as a listener to The D1Baseball Podcast, you can use code D1 at https://kerristoncoffee.com to receive 15% off your first order!

SUBSCRIBE

Apple: https://d1ba.se/Pod-Apple

Spotify: https://d1ba.se/40Ne9Dq

YouTube: https://d1ba.se/yt-sub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.