1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Jon Squiers (father of Huskers softball Abbie Squiers): May 2nd, 10am

Episode Date: May 2, 2022

Getting to the end of the season, how is the team handling things?What did you see from your daughter this weekend?What message do you have for people that have yet to come out and see this teamAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the Coppull Chevrolet GMC Studios, here is your host, Derek Pearson, presented by Beatrice Bakery, on 937 The Ticket and the Ticket FM.com. A little housekeeping of source. The previous show, Old School, sponsored by Sand Hills Global. Sandhills Global is looking to fill hundreds of new openings and sales, traveling, sports, software, development, web design,

and more career and internship opportunities are available at the global headquarters in Lincoln. Apply today at sandhills. jobs. Money. So money. But this is not old school. This is one-on-one. I think the folks for the actual bakery for making this hour. Sports Radio happened.

Greatly appreciated. 4.02, 4684. 5-685, Sartar, Hemet, Texan, Hano, Lincoln Hotline. A couple of things to cover throughout the course of this hour. We've got a full day and a full night. We'll go until 11 o'clock tonight. We've got ladies' night. We'll take us from 6 to 11.

All sorts of shows for you. Gymnastics, swimming, diving, some of their conversations. Bowling teams coming in, Nicole Griffin, Nick Sainert, also fitting in there as well. So in a busy week, we'll adjust some of the nighttime schedules as students take the bulk of their exams and whatnot. We'll have some different lineups. And then Rico, you

and Priscilla Joseph will be at Tavern 180 for a little Cinco de Mayo Ladies Night kind of deal. So we've got tons of stuff going on this week. Greatly appreciate it. Got a lot of work offside. Things that we're trying to do within the company. We've got some good stuff coming on.

So coming up. So I want to say that. Several things to covering the hour in that this week's schedule for the Huskers is one of interest. It's the final week for Husker softball. So a chance for them to make another bid, maybe change location. They still have a shot at winning the Big Ten softball conference. Things have to go perfectly for them.

They've got to sweep out and Northwestern has to lose. But I'm okay with that. This is a 35 and 13 season. Now, again, I'll say this as clearly as I can say it. If before the season starts, we say that this team is 35 and 13 and 15 and 4 in conference. We're throwing confetti and we're doing a victory march. That's a fantastic season. Right.

So let's do that. Let's continually do that. To say that in a season, a bounce back season, an important season, 35 and 13 as overall, 15 and 4 in the conference, 12 and 1 at home, 12 and 1 at home. The friendly confines have stayed friendly. Right. So, and then with that, because of that, they put themselves in a situation where if Northwestern has a hiccup, they're in a position to do some really good things if they can handle their business here at home this week, this weekend against Indiana.

Now, Friday at 530, it's fan appreciation weekend, and Saturday is Senior Day, and then Sunday at 12, then will also be, you know, fan appreciation. Senior day, everybody gets in free. So you got no excuse? No excuse. You don't have to pay for a ticket. First 500 fans for each game get something special. I don't remember what the first day is, but then it's a blanket.

the second day and a pint glass the third day. First 500 fans each day. You're going to get goodies if you show up. So pack bowling. Let's do it. Pack it up. Let's get all that in. By the way, Northwestern ends.

They have four games left before the Big Ten tournament. They go to DePaul tomorrow. And then they end with a three games set at Minnesota. Okay. So we know that that's there. Let's go to the Honda Lincoln Hotline. Let's bring in John Squire. Husker parent.

John, how you doing this morning? VP, I'm doing pretty good. How are you guys? It's good, it's good. We can change the weather. If you could, whatever contacts you have, can you ask them to cut off the rain and turn up the heat a little bit? Can you?

Yeah, I think the heat's coming, and I'm going to tell you, I have enough friends in agriculture. They're like praying for rain right now, so I'm happy for them at least. Yeah, it's necessary. It's good. Where were you this weekend?

You know what? I was at home, glued to the TV, watching draft, watching some softball, watching some baseball, so it's all good. It was, again, we're learning more about this team and their ability, resilience matters. And then as you head towards the end of the season and conference play and, you know,

college world series tournament situations, their ability to adapt and to figure things out will matter. And on a weekend where it didn't start well in Columbus, what happened over the course of the weekend was that they figured out how to beat somebody that was given them work. Is that the fair statement that they figured it out? That's exactly right. I mean, I couldn't set it better.

You know, Ohio State had a good pitcher. Her name escapes me right now. I should know it. But she's a lefty. She transferred to Ohio State from Auburn last year. She's a one-year grad senior player for him. And, you know, she was throwing hard. She's throwing 70 miles an hour.

We had a decent change up. Had a good curveball. So, yeah, it took us a while to figure her out and sometimes you've just got to figure out a way to win a two to one game or a one-to-nothing game and we were right in there especially in that second game I wish we could have won it

well I mean they battled in it Lexi Hanley is yeah Hanley who 19 and 7 and now 19 and 8 after Sunday's a Husker win and I think that to me to watch them change their approach. And so they figured out pretty quickly that, listen, she's throwing meat early in the count. We've got to be aggressive. Like we can't sit back and let her get out in front.

And now she can throw her second and third pitches and for us have to chase. Even in this, Abby seemed to find her place in it, especially yesterday with the big RBI single late in the game that kind of turned it into a 9-1 ballgame. What did you see from your daughter yesterday, this weekend? You know, this weekend, the first game she was two for three and had a couple, I thought, had some pretty good at that. The second game didn't go quite so well. In fact, she was, I don't know if you saw the very end.

There was a play at the plate where she threw a ball in there and probably short hop to catch her a little bit and just didn't handle it. And that's how they walked it off in the bottom of the seven. So she didn't feel very good about that. But, you know, she, and you're exactly, right. I mean, that girl was a good pitcher.

She pounded the zone with strikes. I mean, it wasn't like you could be super selective up there because you're going to get behind the count because she was going to strike. And so, yeah, I think Coach Miller, who has done an awesome job with this team all year

as a hitting coach, she wanted them looking at specific pitches early in the counts and getting your hit off in one of the first three pitchers. probably. And so, yeah, I was proud of Abby. She's, you know, there are better athletes probably out there, but she works super hard at it. She studies film. She knows her strength in weeks and she just, when she's not seen the ball awesome, she's still going to grind and try to

have good at baths. And that's what she did this weekend, along with the number of the kids. John, she's hitting 367. And I think that you have to say that out loud. And for her to be moved up until the cleanup spot, right, is a statement and a validation for young Abby, right? That the hard work pays out and that the coaches are paying attention. Yep. Yeah, I'm very proud of her.

And, you know, we don't talk about results that much because being an old coach, sometimes results can lie to you because you might have a lot. a bad at bat or a lucky swing or whatever. And I've always kind of pre-s process with her. It's handle your business. Be professional. Show up when you don't feel good.

Show up when you're not at your best. And when you are at best, then enjoy it. But she's a good kid. I'm even, you know, what she does outside of the softball. She's got a 4.0 GPA still. And she's,

between games, she's doing homework and trying to get that degree in finance and accounting or whatever it is. I think it's finances right now. Right. Yeah, I couldn't be more proud of her. And she values being a good teammate and winning games over any kind of personal statistics. So as does almost every kid on that team. So that's why they've been successful.

Yeah, I'm going to help you, John. Your daughter's a finance major. So like whatever you. We're going to keep that in play. Listen, how deep does it run for her? Being a Lincoln Southwest girl and then being here and watching, being able to help elevate the program in her home state, get more notoriety and exposure for softball? Yeah. Let me just tell you.

Well, first of all, she had no control over this, but she was born into a Husker family, like through and through. So lots of her family has gone there. Her great grandpa used to run the first down markers for the football games for like, it's like 40 years. And, you know, I was taking her to ball games at Buck Beltzer or the Navaly Hall or, I mean, that since she was in a car seat, you know, so I, and, you know, and, you know, and, you. You know, something that not a lot of people talk about. I know we love having the homegrown Huskers on our teams, and they bring a little something magical about Huster athletes,

but I can tell you, there's a lot of weight to that jersey when you're from Nebraska. And I know for her, she just doesn't, she finds that as an incredible responsibility, and she knows she's playing for many people other than herself or team or coaches, the whole state and the basketball, all the players that have played before her. So, I mean, she talked about that. So, yeah, I couldn't be more proud of her. She's handled her business and, you know, it is. It's an incredible opportunity, but it comes with some,

weight that you just have to get used to, I think. John, there's a different piece of weight to it. I mean, as the parents and as somebody, you know, she's, she's the one of the local players and you're the local parents, which means that giving information, providing information, providing a safe space, a landing space, sometimes just a resting space for the young ladies and the families who aren't from here. I appreciate the way you take on that responsibility, but what is that like from your perspective? I love it.

My wife loves it. Here's a perfect example. My wife, Michelle, was all afternoon yesterday. She was making May baskets, 17 of them that we delivered to the locker room and the girls. When they got home last night at 1.30, they had a May basket waiting for them. So it's little things like that. I kind of feel like we're surrogate parents to a number of girls that are a long ways from home. And, you know, this year, our parent group is just special.

Love them all. It's going to be emotional for me this coming weekend when we watch some of them play their last home games. And because I know, you know, some of our parents like Cammy, far as parents, they've been to every single game on the road or home, and they're from California. And, you know, I'm going to miss them terribly. When you say that, it hits, right? This is an opportunity. RICO and I were talking about it.

That this weekend is fan appreciation weekend. It's senior night. It's an opportunity for the program to finish strong and get momentum towards the Big Ten conference tournament that's coming up. If things go right, you get a break or two, you could still even sneak in and win the Big Ten Conference regular season title. But the big part is that it opens up the gates to fans and gives them another reason, another opportunity to come see this team play.

What message would you have for people who have not yet come out to see this Husker softball team? Two things. They're a special team, and they are very good. They're fun to watch. So you'll get your money. Especially on Saturday when it's free. For God's sake, come watch this team.

And number two, I want people to understand, and I know this for a fact, this team has laid it on the line, done a ton of stuff behind the scenes, to take this program to a higher level, and they've done it because they're probably, to play for Nebraska. And I hope the fans can respect that and honor that, especially with the kids that are playing for the last time in that jersey. What is this week like for, you know, where there's exams, folks are finishing up for the folks,

the seniors who are leaving, and for the underclassmen. It's exam week, and that's a big deal. What's it like? What's the vibe you're getting? Well, last night, flight didn't even leave Ohio until like 930 so they you know that's what people don't see is you know the town time they have on the road and on the flights and in the airports and on the buses these kids are doing homework and um i their team GPA was like 3.7 which is or close to that

It is unbelievable. And so right now you're exactly right, finishing up in classes. I know Abby said the other day she's just about done that she thought by the end of this week she was going to take her last final on Friday morning or a final on Friday morning and she would have most everything done. But, you know, it's a huge commitment to be a student athlete. these aren't pro professional athletes, and these girls aren't making, you know,

hundreds of dollars or thousands of dollars through NIL. They're playing because they love it. And so this week is, I think probably two things, school and rest and recovery, and yet still staying sharp mentally to be able to finish off strong. I know they're going to be fired up to finish this thing off right at home and send the seniors out in style.

Those upper classmen have been huge this year, both in the way they play and in the locker room. And there's 100% respect for all of them. So I know the younger ones are going to be just doing everything they can. to win three games this weekend. John, it's always a pleasure. I will see you this week at the ballpark. Thank you for giving us the update and letting us a peek a little bit behind the curtain

and to remind us of the things that are important about these young ladies. They're impressive, and I promise you, I promise you that next year there will be more coverage, more light here on 93-7 ticket for the Husker softball young ladies. They deserve it. Well, you, hey, real quick, you guys are awesome, by the way. And there was a great article in the Omaha paper about what you're doing. So, you know, I know the girls appreciate it, and I do too as a dad. So way to go.

Well, we will carry this through all the way through their season. We will do that graciously, and you are appreciated, cancer, for what you do. Congratulations on the job done. and the job that you're doing. And to Abby, look, we'll be there this weekend, cheering her on. So forward it up for this program. Well done all the way around. Thank you for your time on a Monday, John.

You bet. Have a great week. Thank you, brother. That is John Squire, dad of Abby Squire, Husker softball. Again, big weekend where they've got Indiana. Indiana comes in at 26 and 19. The Huskers at 35 and 13. If the Huskers can sweep out,

It puts up a position that if Northwestern takes a hiccup and goes left, they have a chance to take it. But, you know, they're in a pretty good spot to finish season second no matter what. And then we can start talking about NCAA and that sort of thing. So bravo to them and kudos across the board. From the text line, we did get a text that I want to read. How about the Beatrice native Addison Barnard, leading the nation, homers for the Wichita State Shockers. Well done as well.

Well done as well. She made the ESPN yesterday. So they actually were talking about the fact that that's what's happening. Good weekend for Beatrice, Nebraska. Athletically. They did their thing. Or if you're from the NFL network, Beatrice, Nebraska. Yeah, Beatrice.

Folks, look, I did the same. I did the same thing when I first got here. So that's kind of how that works. Toward the break, we'll come back. We'll talk more sports. We've got plenty of talk about here when we come back. Download our app by searching 93.7 the ticket in your app store. You're listening to One-on-One with DP on 937 the Ticket in the Ticketfm.com.