Probable Pitching Matchups
Thursday: Willie Schwanke (RHP, 3-2, 4.18) vs. Justin Bruihl (LHP, 0-0, 4.72)
Friday: Zach Lewis (RHP, 0-3, 3.20) vs. Kyle Smith (LHP, 0-0, 3-1, 2.72)
Saturday: TBA vs. Erich Uelmen (RHP, 3-0, 2.02)
 

Quick Hits
• All three games will be broadcast on KNSS 1330 AM with Mike Kennedy and Shane Dennis calling the action.  There will also be an audio stream available at goshockers.com. The games will be televised on ESPN3 with Mark Davidson/Chris Solwecki and Landon Holifield calling the action.
• This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
• Head Coach Todd Butler recorded his 150th career win on March 1 against Omaha.
• WSU is 5-4 in home games.
• In nine home games, WSU is hitting .303 with a 4.89 ERA and .960 fielding percentage.
• In nine home games, Gunnar Troutwine is hitting .483, while Mikel Mucha is hitting .379 and Trey Vickers is hitting .370.
• In two home starts, Willie Schwanke is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 11 innings. In three home appearances, Zach Lewis is 0-1 with a 1.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in nine innings.
• In the last 10 games, WSU is 2-8 and hitting .218 with a 6.11 ERA and .961 fielding percentage.
• In the last 10 games, Mikel Mucha is hitting .367, while Travis Young is hitting .333.
• In his last five appearances, John Hayes has a 1.80 ERA with four strikeouts in five innings.
• The Shockers rank 68th nationally in doubles, 68th in doubles per game, 13th in walks, and 39th in shutouts.
• WSU is 19-9 on March 24 since 1978. The Shockers are 17-7 on March 25 and 21-2 on March 26.
• WSU is 571-221-2 all-time overall in the month of March.
• Freshman Alec Bohm became the first freshman in Shocker history to hit a home run in his first collegiate plate appearance.
• WSU is 28-11 in season openers since 1978.
• WSU is 36-3 in home openers since 1978.
• Dayton Dugas became the first freshman to start on opening day since Casey Gillaspie and Tyler Baker in 2012.
• Ryan Tinkham is a preseason second team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
• WSU plays 35 games in 2016 against teams that were in the top-100 in the RPI in 2015. Twenty-one of those are games against teams in the top-50.
• WSU unveiled a new scoreboard/videoboard in January that is the fourth-largest in college baseball.
• The Shockers are 79-7 all-time at home (Eck and Lawrence-Dumont) in the month of February.
• The Shocks were picked third in the MVC Preseason Poll.
• Senior first baseman Ryan Tinkham, sophomore starting pitcher Sam Tewes and sophomore catcher Gunnar Troutwine were named to the preseason all-Valley team.
• WSU's recruiting class was ranked No. 25 by Baseball America.
• The Shockers welcome 15 newcomers in 2016.
• Two of the Shocker newcomers were drafted in 2015 along with two returners: Willie Schwanke (22nd rd.), Chase Williams (25th rd.), Dayton Dugas (29th rd.), and Connor Lungwitz (35th rd.)
• The Shocks set the school record for times they were hit by a pitch in a season with 73 in 2015.
• Gunnar Troutwine tied the school record for fielding percentage by a freshman with a .994 fielding percentage in 2015.
• Chase Rader was hit by a pitch 17 times in 2015, which ranks third in the Shocker record books.
• Ryan Tinkham had a 21-game hitting streak last season that ranks as the 10th-best in school history.
• WSU returns six starters and 15 letterwinners from the 2015 team.
• The Shocker pitching staff returns three starters including Sam Tewes, Willie Schwanke and Chase Williams.
• WSU has ranked in the top 25 in attendance every year since 1999.
• Head Coach Todd Butler is in his third season as coach of the Shockers.
• Head Coach Todd Butler is the third base coach and Volunteer Assistant Coach Mike Sirianni is the first base coach.

Scouting Cal Poly
The Mustangs are 13-6 overall and have wins over Pacific four times, No. 19 Michigan, No. 14 UCLA, Pepperdine, San Francisco three times, Grand Canyon and Sacramento State twice. Losses have come against No. 14 UCLA twice, Pepperdine, Grand Canyon twice and Sacramento State. As a team, they are hitting .272 with a team ERA of 4.11 and a .964 fielding percentage. They are led offensively by Brett Barbier who is hitting .414 with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 12 RBI and three stolen bases. The Mustangs are led by head coach Larry Lee.

Series History vs. the Mustangs
This will be the first meeting between the two teams.  

Tewes Out for 2016 Season
Wichita State baseball student-athlete Sam Tewes will miss the rest of the 2016 season after injuring his right elbow on Fri., March 11 in a game at Cal State Fullerton.
Tewes, a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Lincoln, Neb., will undergo Tommy John surgery on March 31. The surgery will be done by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla.
Tewes made four starts this season as Wichita State's No. 1 starter and pitched 14.2 innings with 18 strikeouts.

Walk it Out
Wichita State walked 17 times in Friday's game at Nebraska. It was the most walks for the Shockers in a game since 2006. WSU also walked 17 times against Hawaii-Hilo that year.  The 17 walks are fifth in the Shocker record books for walks in a game. The school record is 20 set against Nebraska in 1987 and Benedictine in 1997.
 
First for Jenista
Freshman Greyson Jenista collected his first career home run on March 15 against North Dakota. He is the fourth Shocker freshman to homer this season. In the four games last week, Jenista hit .333 with six RBI and four walks. For the season, he is hitting .462 with runners in scoring position.
 
Nebraska Boys
Tanner Kirk and Alec Bohm returned to their home state of Nebraska over the weekend and put up impressive numbers. On Friday, Kirk led the Shockers to a 17-5 win over the Huskers and went 2-for-5 with a career-high five RBI and a double. Alec Bohm played in all three games and went 3-for-6 (.500) with one RBI.