WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State softball team, receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Softball poll, opens the gates at Wilkins Stadium for the first time in 2018 as they host Arkansas in a doubleheader matchup on Tuesday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Gates open an hour prior with tickets $8 for adults and $6 for seniors. Wichita State students get free admission with a valid form of student ID.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Shockers begin a six game, week-long, homestand as they open the gates at Wilkins Stadium for the first time in 2018.
Wichita State begins with a doubleheader against Arkansas, also receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Poll, who is 16-1 on the season including a week-long sweep scoring 55 runs and only giving up eight. The Shockers are fresh from a series win over Nebraska; including the first run rule victory of the year. This weekend they play host to Western Illinois and Missouri State at the Wichita State Tournament.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
The Razorbacks continued their impressive start to the year with a sweep through a week-long, seven-game home stand to move to 16-1 on the year. Arkansas has one notable win, a 4-2 victory over No. 21 Utah back in mid-February. They also run-ruled formed MVC rival Missouri State last week inside five innings. Third baseman Autumn Buczek leads the offense with a .431 batting average. She is closely followed by freshman outfielder Hannah McEwen who is hitting .429 and leads the team in RBI [29], home runs [5], doubles [3] and slugging percentage [.786]. In the circle another freshman is leading the way. Mary Haff is 9-0 on the season with a 0.50 ERA and has struck out 90 batters in only 17 games. Autumn Storms is next best with a 6-1 record, a 2.12 ERA and 42 strikeouts on the year. The 2017 Razorbacks reached the NCAA Regional round with the 2018 squad on target to do the same after the team's impressive beginning to the season.
SERIES HISTORY
The teams have only met eight teams with the Razorbacks leading the Shockers 5-3 overall. Wichita State holds the series lead both at Wilkins Stadium [2-0] and in Fayetteville [1-0]. All of the Shocker losses have been at neutral sites [0-5].
LAST MEETING WITH THE RAZORBACKS
It's been six years since the Razorbacks and Shockers have met on the softball field with the previous matchup back in Feb. 2012. Arkansas run-ruled the Shockers, 8-0, in five innings at the Baylor Tournament in Waco, Texas.
QUICK HITS
• The Shockers completed their month long road travels with a series win over Nebraska in Lincoln. The Shockers won game one, 6-2, behind Madison Perrigan's three-run homer. The Huskers picked up game two but the Shockers run-ruled Nebraska in game three, 8-0, behind a triple from Perrigan and two-run homer from Asea Webber. It was the first run-rule victory by Wichita State since April, 2017.
• After missing the past nine games through injury, senior Paige Luellen came back with a bang against Nebraska. Luellen hit five singles through the doubleheader with a double in game three. The senior drove in three runs, scoring two and finished the weekend 6-for-10 at the plate for a .600 batting average.
• After picking up two wins this past weekend, pitcher Bailey Lange was tabbed for The American Honor Roll. The lefty-pitcher started two games, picking up two wins in 12.0 innings pitched, giving up only two runs and striking out 12. It's the first honor of her Shocker career and the third for Wichita State this season.
• Even when the opponent scores up to five runs, the Shockers still hold a winning record (7-3).
• Also ignoring the four run-rules to ranked opponents, the other four Shocker losses have been decided by a combined six runs; two by one and two by two.
• Since 2014, the Shocker batters have dominated the record books. The '14, '15, '16, '17 squads hold top-six records in highest batting average, highest slugging percentage, highest on base percentage, most runs scored, most hits, most doubles, most home runs and most RBI's.
• Paige Luellen needs 10 RBI to take first position in the individual career record. Current director of operations Cacy Williams holds the record with 135.
• In her seven seasons at WSU, head coach Kristi Bredbenner has moved into second position in both victories (177) and winning percentage (.518) in the history books.
THOSE TOP-25 TEAMS
In a similar profile to the Shockers, Arkansas has also only dropped one game all year to a team not receiving votes or ranked within the top-25 nationally. The Shockers fell on a walk-off two-run homer to Furman back on the first weekend of the season in Auburn, Ala., with the Razorbacks falling to McNeese State, 6-5, with the Cowgirls then receiving national attention the week after their victory over Arkansas.
HONORED BY THE AMERICAN
Bailey Lange earned a spot on the first American Athletic Conference Softball Honor Roll Feb. 26 - March 4 with sophomore Ryleigh Buck earning the honor the week before. Freshman Bailee Nickerson also earned an Honor Roll nod Feb. 12-18.
All are first time honorees with Lange proving her worth in the circle, Buck starting all 17 games at first base and Nickerson starting as a freshman in center field.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Ryleigh Buck is currently sitting in a number of top-10 conference categories at first base. She is second in chances and putouts and tied for second in fielding double plays. Senior Paige Luellen would be high in a number of batting categories but has only played in half of the Shocker games so far this season due to an injury, The American requires 75 percent to be eligible for conference statistics.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
There's something about playing on a Friday night under the floodlights. The Shockers are currently on a seven game win streak, including two this season, in regular season games played on Friday evenings at 5:30 p.m. or later dating back nearly two years to March 2016. The last time the Shockers lost on a late Friday evening? The 2016 NCAA Regional game against #3 Oklahoma in Norman.
ROAD WARRIORS NO MORE
After traveling roughly 2010 miles to three tournaments, the Shockers begin a run of 15 straight games back in the Midwest. The Shockers take to Wilkins Stadium for the first time this season with six games in a week beginning with a doubleheader against Arkansas (RV) Tuesday night and the Wichita State Tournament Saturday and Sunday in which the Shockers will welcome former MVC rival Missouri State alongside Western Illinois. The weekend after Wichita State will face off against Iowa and Creighton in Omaha, Neb.
ALL EYES ON WILKINS
Every Shocker softball home game in 2018 will be broadcast live through ShockerHD with Steve Strain on the play-by-play call and former softball standout Jamie Bredbenner (formely Hull) as the color commentator for the second straight season.
SHOCKER MANIACS
Attendances at Wilkins Stadium continue to rise under Kristi Bredbenner. Through 13 fixtures at home last season, Wichita State welcomed 511 fans per game; the highest average attendance figure in program history.
STAYING IN THE LOOP
Follow the Shocker softball program on twitter (@GoShockersSB) for up-to-date content and in-game updates. You can also become a fan of Wichita State Softball on Facebook (WichitaStateSoftball) and Instagram (GoShockersSB).
