Payton Kinney Q&A

Payton Kinney had quite the career for Omaha and capped it with a magical final season in 2019 – one that almost never transpired. 

For starters, he was the first Maverick to earn All-America honors during the program's Division I era in 2019 and joined Tyler Fox (2014, 2016) as the only Omaha hurlers to be named Summit League Pitcher of the Year. He finished the campaign with a single-season program record 11 victories, fanning 111 in 115 innings pitched. 

Kinney was poised to have a similar campaign as a senior in 2018, earning the NCAA.com National Pitcher of the Week, Summit League Pitcher of the Week and one of Collegiate Baseball's Players of the Week after tossing a no-hitter in a 4-0 win against Ohio (140 pitches, 9 strikeouts, 4 walks), but his season was cut short after suffering an injury early in his next start at Brigham Young.

So, for those close to the Omaha program, seeing Kinney return to the mound in 2019 was a welcomed sight. However, for those outside the program, especially those opposing hitters he would face during his 17 starts, his 6-foot-4 frame would prove to be an unsettling sight. 

It all culminated in Tulsa where the top-seeded Mavericks made history winning The Summit League Championship for the first time in program history. After tossing six shutout innings in a win over Western Illinois two days earlier, Kinney returned to the mound on short rest to deliver a career-defining performance against an Oral Roberts squad that had won the last 19 Summit League Championship games the Golden Eagles were involved in (1998-2012; 2015-2019). Against the Golden Eagles, the Firth, Neb., native tossed 7.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit to go with 10 punch outs.

Below, you will find a Q&A with Kinney reflecting on his time pitching for Omaha and where the program stands today.

The Summit League: What got you into baseball?

Kinney: I only got into baseball because my Grandpa and Dad were both huge fans and great players of the game. I used to bug my Dad everyday when he got home from work to play catch with me in the yard. My Dad even built a baseball field on our acreage for my sisters and I to practice softball and baseball whenever we wanted. 

TSL: What stuck out with you when deciding to attend Omaha and become a Maverick?

Kinney: The decision to come to Omaha and play was an easy one for me. Omaha was close to home and cares so much about their athletics, as you can see from the building of Baxter Arena and the new baseball/softball complexes being built as we speak. Another big reason was that the coaching staff seemed like such great human beings. Coach (Evan) Porter, (Brian) Strawn and (Chris) Gadsden were always so kind and real with me that it made me feel confident that Omaha was where I needed to be.

TSL: Talk about growing up in the small town of Firth, Neb.

Kinney: I loved growing up in small-town Nebraska. We only had 350 people in Firth at the time so everybody knew everybody. My days consisted of fishing, riding horses and baseball on our acreage. My best friend, Trey Hair, who I’m lucky enough to coach with here at UNO, and myself used to ride his 4-wheeler down to the local ball park and have some heated homerun derby’s, followed by a pop and candy run to the only store in town, Papa D’s. Life was very simple back then. 

TSL: You appeared in four games in 2018 in what was supposed to be your senior season. Talk about your UCL injury and how you overcame it to compete at a high level in 2019.

Kinney: The injury happened at BYU on the fifth pitch of the game I believe. I threw a splitter and knew something was wrong immediately. There was a very sharp shooting pain in my elbow and my fingers went numb. I assumed I tore my UCL and my career was over, so I attempted to finish the at bat, which did not go well. After some X-rays and an MRI, I was told I had partially torn my UCL and my only chance to pitch again would be if the NCAA granted me a sixth year of eligibility. Thankfully for me, they did and I was able to get a couple plasma shots near the UCL and work with our incredible training staff we are fortunate enough to have here at UNO. Thanks to them and the support of my coaches and teammates, I was able to come back stronger than before.

TSL: Talk about your performance in the Summit League Championship Game and what it was like for you pitching as well as you did.

Kinney: Getting the opportunity to pitch for Omaha in the championship my last year is something I’ll never forget. We statistically had the best defense in the country that year and our hitters had been extremely clutch down the stretch, so my only goal was to pound strikes and let the defense do what they had been doing all year. They made great plays behind me all day, which enabled me to go a little deeper into the game than expected. That was a very special team that always seemed to find a way to win in crunch time. 

TSL: How were you able to pitch effectively in the championship game with two days of rest.

Kinney: Coach Porter made the strategic move of pulling me early in the game vs. Western Illinois after only 60 pitches, which enabled me to feel great just two days later. Without Coach P looking ahead like he did, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten the opportunity to throw that game, so he deserves all the credit for that great coaching move.

TSL: Talk about Evan Porter and what he has meant to not only Omaha baseball, but what he has meant to you in general

Kinney: In my mind, Coach Porter is Omaha Baseball. Not only does the guy hold almost every offensive statistical record in UNO history, he’s also one of the most caring and genuine humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around. He cares so much about UNO and all the players. I feel so lucky to get to work with and learn from him every day. He changed my baseball career and life in so many positive ways. I’m very lucky to get to call him my boss and friend. 

TSL: What are you most proud of being part of the program not only as a coach now, but when you were a student-athlete

Kinney: I’m most proud of how far Omaha baseball has come in the last five years. My first couple years here was a struggle. We didn’t do a lot of winning and at times made you question if this program could be turned around. But after a couple years of Coach Porter and the rest of the staff staying consistent and bringing in the right guys, there was a culture change that has made Omaha baseball a championship caliber team for years to come. It’s truly a blessing to get to show up to practice everyday to such a hardworking, yet loose team and coaching staff. 

Q: How do you think Omaha baseball will have continued success in the future.

Kinney: I think continued success for Omaha baseball will come from the incredible culture Coach Porter has built. Year after year, he brings in talented guys that are even better people and he allows them to be themselves. It’s pretty special to watch these players take ownership of this team.

What They're Saying About Payton

Keil Krumwiede | Sr | SS: “Payton is the definition of true mental toughness. He was the first player I’ve ever played with who always had the attitude “you won’t beat me” even when his stuff may have been off on a particular day. He was a huge part of the program’s turnaround we had in his time here at Omaha. Most coaches have to earn their players respect and after playing with Payton, I think it’s safe to say he earned everyone’s respect who played behind him in our tournament run. Overall, Payton taught me that even on your worst days, having the right mental fortitude can carry you through some of the toughest environments and that’s something I carry both on and off the field.”

Spencer Koelewyn | Jr | LHP: “One of the things about Payton that always has stood out to me is his drive and competitive nature. He helped set the standard for Omaha baseball and what it means to be a player at Omaha. Since taking the job here, he’s helped every player realize what it takes to succeed here and has made sure to put us into a position where we can thrive on the field.”

Breyden Eckhout | Sr. | 3B: “I was extremely lucky to get to play with Coach Kinney two years ago. He was always such a positive figure on the team and was a true testament of a leader by action. No matter what we were doing together, he was one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever been around. It didn’t matter if it was a fall scrimmage, intramural flag football game, or the Summit League championship game; he was always going to bring his all. That year, we all already kind of viewed him as a coach, so when we heard the news that he was going to be our new pitching coach the following year, we were ecstatic. He took the transition in stride I would say and handled the dynamic change from being a teammate to a coach very well. He’s been able to help improve our staff's mental toughness along with their skills. We are lucky to still have him be a part of our team and program because he is just an all-around good guy who brings out the best in the people around him.”

Joey Machado | RHP | R-Jr.: "What I remember most about playing with Payton was his work ethic and how much of a leader he was. We were in the same recruiting class and when I was coming out of high school, I never really knew how hard you had to work at baseball in college. Watching Payton that first year and seeing his drive and work ethic drove me to become a harder worker. Come to find out after our first year together we became roommates and his drive made me work even harder seeing first hand how much work he put in. Living with him made me even better as I looked at him as a role model and leader for our team. He had a great sense of humor and could relate to anyone and was a great teammate.

One of his best qualities as a coach is his work ethic. His work ethic still shows but in different ways. Now, he doesn't need to train to perform in baseball but now as a coach. His drive to become a smarter coach and a coach wanting to make each of his pitchers better every day makes playing for him so amazing. I love having him as a coach because I have learned so much from hime and I still get to continue to be around such a great person.  

It was unique when he transitioned to a coach because I had known him as a friend and teammate. With him being a coach, he has to be more professional around us, especially since we know him in other ways because we have known him as a friend. I would say he is still one of my good friends but it was a little difficult getting use to Coach Payton. However, he is and will be a major asset for the Omaha Baseball program because his drive will continue to make the players and program succeed."