jacob berry fall preview baseball
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00:00 You played with Dylan Cruz this year with Team USA.
00:03 How strong did that relationship get with you guys?
00:06 >> First, thank you for having me on the show right here.
00:09 And our relationship with Coach Johnson has reached back for I think about five
00:13 years now when he first started recruiting me at Arizona.
00:15 And I created a special bond with Coach Johnson.
00:18 And obviously I went to play for him at the University of Arizona and
00:21 I loved playing for him.
00:22 And when I heard the news that he was getting the job at LSU,
00:25 I just had to step back and rethink my decision and rethink.
00:30 I wanted to play for Coach Johnson in college.
00:31 So my prior decision to actually play for him and
00:34 commit to Arizona was to commit to Coach Johnson.
00:37 And then playing with Dylan Cruz this summer was an awesome experience.
00:40 I could play with a ton of talented young players along with Dylan.
00:44 He was amazing to play with and
00:45 it was really cool to actually meet him in person.
00:47 Instead of seeing him on TV with all the highlights and everything.
00:50 But it was really cool to play with him and just see kind of how he goes about his
00:55 game and I think both of us kind of approach things in similar fashion.
00:58 We play the game hard and respect the game.
01:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:03 >> Hey Jacob, this is Glenn West with LSU country.
01:05 Nice to meet you.
01:07 You know, just I guess talk about your success last year.
01:09 I mean, you come in as a freshman and you have a great season.
01:13 I mean, just what allowed you to be so successful so early on in your career?
01:16 What about your game do you think allowed you to do that?
01:18 >> I think Coach Johnson had a lot to help to do with my success this last year.
01:23 He helped me slow my game down and understand what I need to do as a player
01:27 and not make the situation bigger than it is and just approach it as a game.
01:32 I mean, I had a great time last year, won a lot of baseball games and
01:35 had a chance in the postseason.
01:37 And I think a lot of that was because of Coach Johnson, how he just slowed me down
01:41 and just told me my job and what I had to do as a freshman.
01:44 So I think that's a lot to my success this last year.
01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:49 >> Hey Jacob, welcome to Baton Rouge and LSU baseball.
01:53 You said you love playing for Coach Johnson.
01:55 I was curious, what is it about him that you love?
01:58 You talked about him bringing out some of your game and slowing you down.
02:01 Is this just the practices or the principles?
02:03 Because you're kind of in that stage once again with this team,
02:06 we're just trying to get those thoughts across.
02:09 And then secondly, he joked that when you came, I believe it was you,
02:12 that the players were asking you more about him than you actually taking a visit,
02:17 I guess, because you kind of walked us through how that went with you and
02:20 kind of introducing your coach to your new teammates.
02:23 >> Obviously, being the new kid is a little bit different,
02:27 especially at a university this year.
02:29 But a lot of what Coach Johnson has taught me this last year and
02:32 a lot of what everybody's been asking is how he approaches the game in
02:35 a mental standpoint.
02:37 He is way prepared more than any coach I've ever met or
02:40 anything he talks about the game, game plan, what our approach is and
02:44 everything in that sense.
02:45 So that's what has helped me so much.
02:47 And when I first got here, everybody was like, how's practice ran?
02:50 How is he on this?
02:52 How is he on this?
02:52 And I was just, I kind of gave it to him straight.
02:54 I was like, this is how he does things and this is the way he likes it.
02:57 So I mean, a lot of guys I think bought into that right away and
03:00 you can already see it as a group.
03:02 So it's been an amazing kind of transition since I've been here.
03:05 Hasn't really been like I'm the new kid.
03:07 It seems like I've been part of the program already.
03:09 >> Jacob, David from Rivals.
03:12 How much of that has been kind of building on Michael's question there,
03:16 teaching everybody, you're the new guy, but you know the J Johnson way.
03:20 You know what is expected and hitting styles,
03:24 just overall just team attitude.
03:28 How much of that has Coach Johnson relied on you to kind of be his ambassador?
03:31 >> I don't think he's relied on me as much as you think.
03:38 He comes across very clear on what he wants and he does a good job.
03:42 A lot of it is just when players have questions, they kind of come to me and
03:45 ask, hey, how is this?
03:47 Just double check and make sure they're going about it in the right way,
03:50 which a lot of guys are.
03:52 I mean, everybody's, it's a new program or a new way it's ran.
03:55 So it's a definite change, sorry to say that, but it's a little change.
04:01 So everybody's just making sure they're on the right path right now.
04:04 >> Hey Jacob, I guess another one for me, a little bit of a two part here.
04:11 Just first, just whatever you've been kind of focusing on this off season in
04:14 terms of your development, what you really wanted to get better at.
04:17 And then kind of the second part to it is just how you've adjusted to Baton Rouge.
04:22 I mean, obviously LSU has a pretty rich culture here with their baseball program.
04:26 Just have you learned anything about LSU or about the program since getting here?
04:31 >> To answer your first question, the biggest thing I worked on this summer was
04:38 my defense and just becoming more confident and believing in myself as a defender.
04:43 And I know I can hit and I know I'm a good base runner.
04:46 I just gotta continue to improve myself as an all round player.
04:49 So that was my biggest emphasis this off season and
04:52 obviously staying in the weight room and getting healthy.
04:54 And the change to Baton Rouge is a little different.
04:58 It rains a little more than in Arizona, that's for sure.
05:00 But it's been an amazing experience so far.
05:03 The people are unbelievable.
05:05 The culture within the players and the coaches is just,
05:08 I've never seen anything like it.
05:09 And it's been a really cool thing to experience this far.
05:13 So I mean, I've just enjoyed it and I'm experiencing everything I can right now.