By: Wichita State
Fri., Feb. 11, 2011
Wichita State vs. Seattle University- 3:00 p.m.
Wichita State vs. UC-Santa Barbara- 5:15 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 12, 2011
Wichita State vs. UC-Santa Barbara- 10:30 a.m.
Wichita State vs. Seattle University- 5:15 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 13, 2011
Wichita State vs. Western Kentucky- 11:00 a.m.
- The Wichita State softball team opens its 2011 season at the 2011 Gaucho Classic, Feb. 11-13, in Santa Barbara, Calif.
- The Wichita State softball team returns eleven players, including five starters and two pitchers, from a squad that went 22-31 overall and 10-14 to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2010.
- Amongst the starters returning are senior catcher Heather Gerritse and senior first baseman Jamie Hull. Both Hull and Gerritse were named all-MVC second team in 2010. Gerritse was a first team selection back in 2009.
- After being named second team all-MVC and honorable mention scholar-athlete last season, Valley coaches tabbed first baseman Jamie Hull as a pre-season all-MVC selection in 2011.
- Wichita State returns its top three players in terms of batting averages from last season in Heather Gerritse (.298), Jamie Hull (.293), and Kiersten Dixon (.270). The trio also had the highest slugging percentages, hits, runs batted in, and home runs.
- With 36 votes, Wichita State was picked eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Last season, the Shockers (22-31, 10-14) finished seventh in the league.
- Wichita State will be looking at some new faces at the Gaucho Classic in Santa Barbara, Calif. The Shockers have never faced Seattle University or Western Kentucky and have a 2-2 record against UC-Santa Barbara. The Shocks lost to UCSB, 8-5, in February of 2009 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
- Scouting Seattle University- The Seattle University softball team was picked to finish fourth in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division preseason coaches poll. Last season, SU competed for the Mountain Division title going into the final series of the regular season. The Redhawks concluded the year at 16-32-1, behind an 11-9 record in conference play and a third place finish in the division. Seattle returns seven letterwinners from last season, including five starters, and eighth season head coach Dan Powers adds seven newcomers to this year's squad. The Redhawks return 2010 first team all-conference selections, sophomores Jessica Ulrich and Allegra Wilde, at pitcher and third base, respectively.
- Scouting UC Santa Barbara- The UC Santa Barbara softball team is coming off a 2010 season in which they finished 15-37 overall and went 6-15 in Big West play, finishing last in the conference standings. In a preseason poll of the league's coaches, UCSB was chosen seventh out of eight teams. The Gauchos are led by returning upperclassmen, senior third baseman Jessica Beristianos, junior pitcher Krista Cobb, and junior outfielder Brooke Putich. All three earned all-conference honorable mention at the end of last season.
- Scouting Western Kentucky- The Lady Toppers were picked to finish eighth this season in the Sun Belt Conference by the league's head coaches. Western Kentucky finished 27-25 overall and 6-15 in the conference in 2010. They return 12 letterwinners and seven starters. Sophomore pitcher Mallorie Sulaski picked up her first honor of the 2011 season by being selected to the Sun Belt Conference Preseason All-Sun Belt Team. Sulaski led the team as a freshman a year ago with a .340 batting average while recording 36 hits in 106 at bats.
-Wichita State-
