CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Wichita State softball team will compete in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday, at 1:04 p.m.
 
Date: May 14, 2016
Location: Carbondale, Ill.
Stadium: Charlotte West Stadium
Live Stats Link: Stats
ESPN3 Link: Watch
 
Tournament Schedule
Saturday
Game 7 – No. 2 Drake vs. No. 1 Wichita State - 1:04 p.m.
 
Championship Matchup
No. 2 Drake – The Shockers swept the regular season series against Drake, winning all three games by scores of, 9-1, 9-1 and 7-4.
 
The Bulldogs were able to reach the championship game, defeating the Illinois State Redbirds in the semifinals by a score of 6-1.
 
Shockers News and Notes:
2016: With one win last weekend over Southern Illinois, the Wichita State softball team clinched its second Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Championship in three years and the second championship in school history.
 
The Shockers have made their way to the championship game by defeating No. 4 Southern Illinois by a score of 7-5.
 
So far this season, the Shockers have been led by Macklin Hitz who is hitting .372 with nine doubles, 10 home runs and 44 RBI. Hitz also has 24 walks on the season. Cacy Williams and Paige Luellen have also contributed to the Shockers success, with Williams hitting .355 with four doubles, 14 home runs and 48 RBI. Luellen has an average of .336 with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 49 RBI.
 
Wichita State has two pitchers with at least 120 innings pitched with Jenni Brooks with 121.2 and Katie Malone with 146.2. Brooks has an ERA of 3.28 and an overall record of 17-6. Brooks also holds an opponent batting average of .271. Malone has a record of 14-7 and an ERA of 4.34 and leads the pitching staff with 74 strikeouts.
 
Single Season Records
Both Cacy Williams and Paige Luellen are in a race to set the new Wichita State single season RBI record. Luellen has set the new school record with 49 while Williams is currently tied for the previous school record of 48.
 
But does she get on base?
Paige Luellen had reached base in the first 28 games for the Shockers this season, but ended her 33 game on-base streak at Kansas on March 29.
 
2015 In Review: 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: After collecting one double against Bradley, Brittany Fortner has taken over first place all-time in the Shocker record book with 56 doubles, needing just one more to take over sole possession first place in the Missouri Valley Conference record books.
 
Williams is also tied for seventh in doubles (34).
 
Williams is in fourth place with 130 runs scored needing just seven more to jump into the top three.
 
Fortner is also fourth in hits (213), eighth in homeruns (21), fifth in RBI (114), second in total bases (336) and tied for fifth in walks (81).
 
After two home runs, Williams is in first place all-time in home runs (37) and second in RBI (130).
 
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.