WICHITA, Kan. – For the third weekend in a row, the Wichita State softball team is on the road to participate in the South Alabama Invitational in Mobile, Ala.
 
The Shockers will play four games, playing Dartmouth once, South Alabama once and Bowling Green twice.
 
Tournament Info
 
Tournament Site: South Alabama Invitational (Mobile, Ala.)
 
Stadium: Jaguar Park
 
Dates: Feb. 26-28, 2016
 
Game Schedule:
 
Game 1: WSU vs. Dartmouth (Feb. 26, 12:00 P.M.)
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=127099
 
Game 2: WSU vs. Bowling Green (Feb. 27,
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=127100
 
Game 3: WSU vs. South Alabama (Feb. 27,
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=127101
 
Game 4: WSU vs. Bowling Green (Feb. 28,
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=127102
 
 
Series History
 
WSU vs. Dartmouth
 
Record: 0-0              Last Meeting: N/A              Under Bredbenner: 0-0
 
WSU vs. Bowling Green
 
Record: 1-2               Last Meeting: 2004           Under Bredbenner: 0-0
 
WSU vs. South Alabama
 
Record: 0-0              Last Meeting: N/A              Under Bredbenner: 0-0
 
 
Leading Off:
 
Dartmouth: This weekend will be the first time that the Big Green has seen the field in 2016. The Big Green ended the 2015 season with a 25-16 record overall and going 16-4 in the Ivy League. Dartmouth defeated No. 16 Auburn to open up the 2015 season.
 
During the 2015 season, the Big Green were led by Kati McEachern who had a batting average of .449 and ten homeruns. Kristen Rumley also led the way in the circle for the Big Green, posting a 1.99 ERA in 151.1 innings pitched with a record of 15-10. McEachern will return for the Big Green this season, hoping to lead the team for the second year in a row.
 
Wichita State has never faced Dartmouth in program history.
 
Bowling Green: The Falcons have begun the season with a 3-5 record, losing three of four games in their first weekend and taking two of four in their second weekend. Bowling Green finished their 2015 season with a 20-28 record overall, with Molly Holliday, Aspen Searle, and Marina Cobbs leading the way for the Falcons offensively. All three started all 48 games for the Falcons with Holliday posting a batting average of .354, Searle with an average of .344 and Cobbs with a batting average of .314. All three also return for the Falcons in 2016.
 
So far this season, the team has been led by Marisa Shook who has started all eight games and has a batting average of .455. Shook also has nine RBIs. Haley Schrock also has a batting average of .444 and Katee Hinkle has an average of .400.
 
This weekend will be the first two times that the Shockers have faced the falcons during the Bredbenner era, but Wichita State has faced Bowling Green three times in program history with a record of 1-2 and the last meeting coming in 2004.
 
 
South Alabama: The Jaguars return seven players from last season, with five of those being starters. The team lost nine players, but has brought in 11 newcomers for the 2016 season. In 2015, South Alabama finished with a 40-13 record and finished in second in the Sun Belt Conference.
 
Top returners for the Jaguars in 2016 are Minahan, Pilkington, Messer, and Lowe. Minihan posted a .340 batting average in 2015 with Pilkington at .335, Messer at .321, and Lowe at .323.
 
The Jaguars began the season as No. 23 in the nation but have posted a 6-4 record so far and have dropped out of the rankings but are still receiving votes. Messer is leading the team, starting all ten games and having a .615 batting average on 24 hits.
 
In the circle for the Jaguars, Destin Vicknair has a record of 3-0 and an ERA of 1.27. Devin Brown also has an ERA of 1.51 and a record of 3-3 in 37 innings pitched.
 
This weekend will be the first time in program history that the Shockers have faced off against the Jaguars.
 
 
 
Shocker News and Notes:
 
Following a 2-3 weekend in College Station, Texas, the Wichita State softball team traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada last weekend to post another 2-3 record on the weekend, pushing their overall record to 4-6.
 
In Las Vegas, the Shockers beat both San Jose State and Boise State, while falling to Cal State Northridge, Hawaii and Oregon State.
 
Liz Broyles who started all five games for the Shockers and collected six hits in 13 at-bats, while driving in five runs and hitting two homeruns, led Wichita State on the weekend. Broyles also walked once on the weekend.
 
Wichita State finished the 2015 season with an overall record of 34-23 and a 16-11 record in the Missouri Valley Conference giving the Shockers a fourth place finish.
 
Eight of Nine Starters Returning: Wichita State is returning every starter from the 2015 team except catcher Melanie Jaegers, who was a big contributor for the Shockers, hitting .282 and starting all 57 games. Among the position starters returning for Wichita State is Cacy Williams (first base/right field), Liz Broyles (second base), Kelli Spring (shortstop), Mackenzie Wright (third base), Brittany Fortner (left field), Ashley Johnson (center field) and Macklin Hitz (first base). Overall, these returners combined for a batting average of .328 while collecting 202 of the team's 272 RBIs and also hitting 35 of the team's 44 homeruns.
 
2015 All-MVC: The trio of returners, Fortner, Wright and Williams, along with Jaegers who graduated were all named 2015 First Team All-MVC, while Malone, Broyles and Spring were named Second Team All-MVC.
 
Fortner's Historic Season: Fortner finished her junior season with a .416 batting average (second in team history for a single season, tied for the Valley lead), 74 hits (tied the all-time hits record in a season in team history, led the Valley), 47 runs scored (led the Valley, third in team history for a single season), 45 RBIs (third in the Valley, third all-time in a single season in team history), 18 doubles (tied for second in the Valley, set the all-time team mark for doubles in a single season this season), 121 total bases (second in the Valley, second all-time in a single season in WSU SB history), a .502 OB% (second in the Valley) and 0.82 runs scored per game (led the Valley)
 
Climbing the ranks: Fortner is currently third all-time in the Shocker record book with 43 doubles, needing three more to take over second place. Williams is also in the top 15 in doubles and needs just 3 more to jump into the top 10.
 
Williams is in ninth place with 100 runs scored needing just seven more to jump into the top five.
 
Fortner is also 14th in hits (168), ninth in homeruns (17), eight in RBIs (92), ninth in total bases (264) and 14th in walks (60).
 
Williams is also tied for third in homeruns (25) and tied for 14th in RBIs (85).
 
Missouri Valley favorites: Wichita State was picked as the 2016 MVC preseason favorite, as voted on by the Valley coaches. The Shockers collected 84 points and three first-place votes to make this the second year in a row that the Shockers have been the Missouri Valley favorites.
 
2016 Preseason All-MVC: After being named to the All-MVC First Team a season ago, Fortner, Wright and Williams have all been selected for the preseason All-MVC First Team.