By: Wichita State
vs. 
2011 STATE FARM MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
Wichita State (20-36, 12-14) vs. Creighton (24-27, 12-12)
Thurs., May 12- 1:30 p.m.
Tournament Schedule:
Thurs., May 12:
- Game #1 @ 11:00 a.m.- #5 Missouri State vs. #8 Bradley
- Game #2 @ 1:30 p.m.- #6 Creighton vs. #7 Wichita State
- Game #3 @ 4:00 p.m.- #4 Northern Iowa vs. Winner of Game #1
- Game #4 @ 6:30 p.m.- #3 Southern Illinois vs. Winner of Game #2
Fri., May 13:
- Game #5 @ 11:00 a.m.- #1 Illinois State vs. Winner of Game #3
- Game #6 @ 1:30 p.m.- #2 Drake vs. Winner of Game #4
Sat., May 14:
- Game #7 @ 12:00 p.m.- Winner of Game #5 vs. Winner of Game #6
Notes:
Back-to-Back:
The Wichita State Shockers are going back to the Missouri
Valley Conference Tournament for the second-straight season as they will face
the Creighton Bluejays in the first round. After beating Drake in the first
round of the tournament last season, the Shockers fell to Creighton, 5-4, in
Des Moines, Iowa. The Bluejays went on to make an appearance in the NCAA
Tournament last season.
Perniciaro in the Tournament: This will be the fifth trip to the Missouri
Valley Conference Tournament for head coach Mike Perniciaro. The Shockers have
made it the tournament all but one time under the direction of Perniciaro as
they have now made the tournament five out of the last six seasons. In his
first season with the Shockers in 2006, Perniciaro led Wichita State to the
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game. The Shockers are 4-0
in first round games under the direction of Perniciaro.
Scouting
Creighton: The Bluejays lost their final series of the season
against Illinois State, which dropped them from fifth to sixth place in the
conference standings. The Shockers swept a three-game series against Creighton
in Omaha, Neb. for the first time since 2003 back in the middle of April. The
Shockers blasted the Bluejays, 14-1, in the third game of the series to complete
the sweep. Creighton knocked Wichita State out of the Missouri Valley
Conference Tournament back in 2007 and again in 2010.
Scouting
Wichita State: The Shockers have won
four of their last five games coming into the Missouri Valley Conference
Tournament. Wichita State had a four-game win-streak going before falling to
Bradley in the final regular season game of the season on Sun., May 8. Seniors
Heather Gerritse and Jamie Hull lead the Shockers' offense as they are two of
three players hitting over .300 on the season. Gerritse leads the way with a
.370 average. She leads the team with 60 hits and is second on the team with 28
RBI. Hull is batting .341 and is second on the team with 56 hits and eight home
runs. She leads the team with 13 doubles and 35 RBI.
Shockers
Finish Regular Season Strong: The
Wichita State softball team went 3-1 in its last week of Missouri Valley
Conference action. The Shockers' made up a postponed game with the Missouri
State Bears in the middle of the week as they stole a game on the road.
Brittney Osborn hit a two-out double in the top of the eighth inning to score
the go-ahead run in Holly Eckert. The Shockers won their third and final series
of the season as they took two games from Bradley on the road. Wichita State
swept the doubleheader, but fell in the final game of the series.
Shocks Strong in Extra Innings: The Shockers had to play
extra innings in two of their last four games of the season. Brittney Osborn
hit a two-out double in the eighth inning to lead Wichita State to a 4-1
victory over Missouri State on Thurs., May 5. Two days later, Heather Gerritse hit
a two-out single in the top of the eighth inning to beat Bradley 5-3 and help
the Shockers' sweep the doubleheader.
Moving up the Charts: Jamie
Hull hit her eighth home run of the season in the series against Bradley. It
was the 24th home run of her career, which moved her into fourth place all-time
on the Shockers' career home run list. She joins Patti Oleson and Brittnee
Barnett in fourth, and is just one home run shy of tying Julie Darling with 25
home runs in third place.
Slammin'
Sammie Shook: After hitting just three
home runs in her freshman season, sophomore Sammie Shook has shown some power
at the plate in her second season. Shook leads the Shockers' with ten home runs
this season, which makes 13 for her career. The most home runs ever hit in a
season was 15 by Cynthia Verhulst back in 2007. Shook's 10 home runs is good
for fifth most in a season and is just two shy of tying Ashley Lynn for third.
The Bats Are Alive: Three
different Shockers hit over .400 and two more hit over .300 in the last four
games of the regular season for Wichita State. Freshmen Erin Carney and Rachel
Milnark have led the Shockers' down the stretch as Carney hit .455 and Milnark
.429 in the last four games. The freshman duo combined for four runs scored and
four RBI. Senior Heather Gerritse hit .400 in the last four games as she picked
up six hits and two RBI in 15 at bats. Jamie Hull and Brittney Osborn both hit
over .300 and combined for 10 hits, four runs, and five RBI.
Shocks Are
Streakin': Seven different Shockers'
take a hit-streak into the conference tournament with them. Senior Jamie Hull
leads the way with an six-game hit-streak. Her longest of the season is eight
games. Freshmen Erin Carney and Rachel Milnark are looking to extend their four
game hit-streak in the conference tournament. Brittney Osborn and Heather
Gerritse each have a two-game hit-streak heading into the game with Creighton.
Sloan Shines in the Circle: Freshman Sloan Anderson leads the Shockers'
pitching staff heading into the conference tournament. She has a 6-7 record
with a 4.30 ERA in 128.2 innings pitched. Anderson leads the staff with 46
appearances and four saves. She has the best walk to strikeout ratio as she has
struck out 84 batters and walked 31.
-WICHITA STATE-
