Wichita State notes: Eaton, Tinkham eating right to get their bodies right

Keenan Eaton spent the summer watching what he ate. Ryan Tinkham spent the summer eating almost everything in his path.

While their tactics differed, both Wichita State baseball players used the summer to change their bodies in hopes of more productive 2016 seasons. The Shockers started fall practices on Monday.

Eaton slimmed down, losing around 30 pounds, after a freshman season in which he played in 23 games with 12 starts. Tinkham bulked up, gaining around 25 pounds, after a strong junior season in which he hit .333 and led the Shockers with 19 doubles and 10 home runs.

“I really just turned around my diet,” Eaton said. “I knew it would be better for me and baseball. Better lifestyle.”

Eaton, who played third base and the corner outfield spots last season, weighs around 190 pounds. He won WSU’s mile run to start the fall with a time of 5 minutes, 31 seconds. With increased speed and agility, he can add center field to his possible positions.

“I asked him to cut down his size to be a better athlete,” WSU coach Todd Butler said. “He probably made the biggest commitment of any player on our team this summer. He is a physically fit fanatic now.”

Eaton, early in the summer, set a menu of oatmeal, toast and black coffee for breakfast. He ate spinach salad and chicken for lunch and rice and quinoa dishes for dinner.

Out went fast food, pop and sweets.

“I love chocolate chip cookies,” he said. “It’s been a long time. Four months. It gets easier as it goes, though.”

Tinkham is again expected to provide a key piece to WSU’s offense after he earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference and a spot on the MVC’s all-tournament team. But the long season wore on him and he spent the summer trying to build a base of strength and conditioning to help him perform into May.

“The big-leaguers make it look easy, playing 162 games a year,” he said. “I got to game 50 and I was like ‘oh, man.’ ”

Tinkham played last season around 190 pounds and came to WSU around 217. He would like to add a few more by February. He didn’t play baseball over the summer, instead spending his time lifting weights and eating as much good food as possible.

“I tried to put on some size,” Tinkham said. “Pasta, chicken, rice. Trying to get my vegetables in me. To be honest, I’m trying to eat everything.”

Tinkham came to WSU a year ago unable to throw while he recovered from shoulder surgery. That moved him out of the competition at catcher and he settled in at first base.

“He definitely wants to play after college baseball and I think that’s an important thing for his physical size to play at the next level,” Butler said. “I don’t know that he’s ever hard the opportunity to work hard because he had surgery on his shoulder, and it always set him back from lifting.”

Preseason pub — WSU’s men’s basketball is winning preseason battles again.

Blue Ribbon magazine ranks the Shockers No. 11 in its top 25. The Sporting News preview ranks WSU No. 9 and lists senior Ron Baker on its All-American team with senior guard Fred VanVleet on the second team.

Smith to Mizzou —Van Buren (Ark.) forward Mitchell Smith committed to Missouri on Saturday during his visit. Smith (6-10) was scheduled to visit Wichita State in October. He also considered Creighton and Arkansas.

Cross country — Wichita State's Rebekah Topham placed second in the Woody Greeno Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., with a time of 22 minutes, 9 seconds in the 6-kilometer race. Kayla Deighan placed eighth with a time of 22:47. In the men's race, Kyle Larkin placed third with a time of 25:29 on the 8-kilometer course.

Worth noting — Butler said WSU will install fences with netting in front of both dugouts before the 2016 season as a safety measure and to give the teams more space. The fences will feature three openings and be placed several feet beyond the dugout … Pitcher Matt Whalen redshirted last season at WSU because of injury and transferred to Cisco (Texas) College. He recently said on Twitter that he will return to WSU after spending his redshirt freshman season at Cisco. Whalen is from Highlands Ranch, Colo. … Former WSU basketball player David Kyles is scheduled to try out for NBA Development League teams in Los Angeles and Austin.

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Wichita State notes: Eaton, Tinkham eating right to get their bodies right."