CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One of our KRIS 6 Hooks Kid Reporters of the 2026 season, Zeke Ridley, sat down with Hooks' catcher and first baseman Will Bush. If you would like to sign up you're 6-13 year-old to be the next Kid Reporter, click here.
Last week the Hooks hosted the Frisco Roughriders for a 3-game series to open the season at Whataburger Field. Now Corpus Christi is looking for their first win as they head north to San Antonio. Their 6-game series against the Missions starts on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.
Zeke Ridley: Like before the games, do you have any pregame rituals or lucky items?
Will Bush: I would say just, you know, taking some time, listening to some music, get a good meal in before the game, high protein and then just sit in my locker, listen to some music, talk to the boys a little bit and hang out. All the guys just like hanging out before the game, get some good vibes going out onto the field. So I'd say that's probably the pregame routine. I don't have any like, I don't have any crazy objects or anything like that, but just bringing good vibes out to the field is the best thing because, I mean, whenever you and your boys are out there feeling good, it's the best possible outcome for you.
Ridley: Growing up, did you play league ball or select or both?
Bush: I played just normal like rec league ball until I was about 11 or 12 and then I got into travel ball, played in some different travel ball organizations. I'm from the Dallas-Fort Worth area up in North Texas, so I played for a couple of teams up there, but we never did any crazy travel or anything. I think the furthest place I went for a tournament, we went to Florida one time. I played all summer, all fall, year round, so yeah, I was playing baseball all the time.
Ridley: The farthest we've gone is Tennessee.
Bush: Tennessee, it's a cool tournament up there. How was that?
Ridley: Good, we lost in the semifinals.
Ridley: Who was your favorite baseball player growing up?
Bush: OK, that's a good one. I would say my favorite baseball player growing up was Joe Mauer. You might not remember him. He's way past your days. He was a catcher for the Minnesota Twins in like the 2000s, and he ended up moving to first base at the end of his career, but he had a pretty left-handed swing. I loved watching him play. He played the game the right way, and he wore number 7, and growing up I always wore number 7 because of him. I'd say he was my favorite player growing up and someone I looked up to. Who's your favorite player?
Ridley: Shohei Ohtani.
Bush: That's a good one. That dude is really good. To do what he does, pitching and hitting, it's crazy. Yeah, it's a good choice.
Ridley: If you could have a walk-up song, what would it be for this year?
Bush: You've probably never heard of them, you know, Rage Against the Machine? It's a rock band. It's called Bulls on Parade. It's hard rock, so it gets me pumped up when I'm going up to the plate. So that's what I like. All my walk-up songs have been like rock songs. I gotta get pumped up when I get in there. So that's my walk-up song.
Ridley: What's your favorite baseball snack during the game?
Bush: Favorite baseball snack, I'd say if I'm sitting at a game watching a game, I like peanuts. I'm a big peanuts guy. In the dugout, there's a debate between gum or seeds. I'm a gum guy, that's what I like. I like some bubble gum. So that's probably my favorite snack during the game, some bubble gum. What about you? What do you like?
Ridley: Seeds. I like Dill Pickle.
Bush: That's the best kind of seed right there.
Ridley: Could you give a shout out to all the people watching, especially STX Chosen on why baseball is so fun?
Bush: Shout out to all the people watching and his team STX Chosen. Thank y'all for watching. Baseball has been my whole life up to this point. Like, played it year-round. I love baseball. I love showing up to the field every day with the boys and getting to work and it's a lot of fun, especially whenever you have a team like our team that's super close. Like I would say that's like team camaraderie, being close with your boys is like the best thing ever because you show up to work every day and you love it. I hope you love it too. Do you love baseball? Awesome. Glad you love it. Baseball is the best, man. It's awesome. I love baseball. It's the best game ever in my opinion.
