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Cougar Chats presented by:

Chat With WSU Baseball Players Cody Bartlett & Shea Vucinich
Cougars will field your questions Tuesday, June 1 at 6 p.m.

#2-Cody Bartlett
5-8 : 170 : 2B
Kent, Wash.
(Kentwood High School)
(RS) Junior

#12-Shea Vucinich
6-0 : 183 : SS
Hayden, Idaho
(Coeur d'Alene HS)
Junior

Washington State is back on the road to Omaha for the College World Series and will being their quest in the Fayetteville region along with host Arkansas, Kansas State and Grambling.

Ask Cody and Shea a question right here and see if your question gets answered!

Moderator: Good evening Cougar fans and thank you for visiting WSUCougars.com and this evening's online chat with WSU Baseball student-athletes Cody Bartlett and Shea Vucinich. Yesterday, the Cougars earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Championship, marking their second straight appearance in postseason play. WSU will open the championship against Kansas State in the Fayetteville Regional on the University of Arkansas campus, Friday at 5:05 p.m. Pacific. Cody and Shea, thank you for taking time out from your preparation for the NCAA Championship to answer some questions. Let's get right to answering some questions.

Jeff (Seattle): Cody & Shea Tell me what it is like for you to play up the middle for the Cougs and for Coach Marbut. How hard is it? Is my goal to play there one day.

Cody Bartlett: Jeff, playing middle infield for the Cougs is an honor for both of us. It's great to have Shea as my shortstop. I have a lot of confidence in him. It makes it a lot easier game-to-game. There's no other team I want to play for then the Cougs. It is a special program and I'm proud to be a part of it. It's definitely not easy. It is a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment. But it's all worth it.

Carol, (Montesano): Hi guys, great year. We've enjoyed watching you both play this year. How is the team feeling going into the regionals?

Shea Vucinich: Carol, Cody and I both appreciate you being a fan. We're going into this regional very confident and have higher expectations than last year. We worked really hard to get to this point, and don't expect this weekend to be the end of our season. That's the approach we are taking into postseason.

John from Mill creek: Congrats on making the tournament for the second year in a row. Both of you are draft eligble this year. Any thoughts about your interests in turning pro this year or coming back to WSU next year? Good luck in the regionals and thanks again for helping bringing Cougar Baseball back.

Cody Bartlett: Thanks for the question John. Both of us are draft eligible this year. The draft is coming up but our interests are devoted on the team and the regional. I think it is both of our dreams to play professional baseball but every college baseball player's dream is to go to Omaha.

shane skladany Gig Harbor: what is your plan against kansas state and what do you need to do to win?

Shea Vucinich: Shane, we have the same approach with Kansas State as we do every other team. All we can do is to work hard to prepare for them and play our game when we get there. Just like any other game, we need to pitch well, play great defense, and execute offensively.

Ed "batboy" (Graham): What advice would you give to a young player who aspires to play Division 1 ball (for the Cougs of course)?

Cody Bartlett: Ed, I don't think any Division I athlete, or any Coug, can express how much work needs to be put in on the field and, most importantly, in the classroom. We are always taught that we are student-athletes, not athletes-students, and work harder than the next guy.

Krista, Seattle: Congrats. A bunch of us Cougs will be listening on the radio come Friday. What's your best memory from this year, so far?

Shea Vucinich: Krista, thanks for the question. We've had many great memories this year, but I strongly feel that the best is yet to come.

coug fan Seattle: Heard you two can turn double plays with the best of them in the country. How do you do it?

Cody Bartlett: Thanks for the props. Shea and I both take a lot of pride in our game. We push ourselves every practice and stick to our routine. That's what makes us successful.

Reed (San Francisco): How do you guys feel about the fan support you get for home games, and interest of the alums in your games? Does a big home crowd help?

Shea Vucinich: Reed, Cody and I both want to thank everyone for supporting us this year. A big home crowd definitely helps when playing Pac-10 teams. We feed off the support given by the community. We tip our hats to the fans who come out and watch us on the road, as well.

Cody Bartlett: I can't express how much it means to play in front of a big home crowd. With the traditions WSU carries, it's an honor to play in the path that the past alums have paved for us. We can't thank them enough for their support.

Faith in Nashville: Cody...Has anybody ever told you that you look like Tim McGraw? Can you sing like your old man?

Cody Bartlett: No, no one has told me that, but I'll take it as a compliment. And, yes, I do have some pipes.

Greg L (Seattle): What two things does it take to win on the road?

Cody Bartlett: Greg, thanks for the question. There are two things that it takes to win on the road. One is talent, and the other is character.

Deb (Olympia): Hey guys, we're looking forward to cheering you guys on this weekend and want to thank all of you for the fantastic way in which you represent WSU and your families. We're all very proud of you.

Shea Vucinich: Deb, thank you. From both of us we appreciate your comments. To us, all of the Cougs are family.

Moderator: That's all the time we have. Thank you to everyone for your questions and sorry we could not get to all of them. Remember, to get all the information about WSU Athletics, go no further than WSUCougars.com, the official website of Cougar Athletics. Please check back to WSUCougars.com for future online chats.