By Paul Suellentrop
Painful, as well as necessary and helpful is how Jaden Gustafson describes his first at-bat in college.
"I was put in a lot of situations that were built to help me grow," he said. "I struck out on three pitches, and I realized how rushed I was and how excited and how I couldn't calm my nerves."
A year later, Gustafson is ready to take his first at-bats of his sophomore season with more confidence and more experience. As a freshman, he pinch-hit in the ninth inning at Long Beach State with the Shockers up 5-4, two outs, and a runner on second base.