WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita State travels to Lincoln, Neb., this weekend as they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a three games series.
 
The Shockers will play two games on Saturday, and one game on Sunday.
 
Series Info
 
Site: Lincoln, Neb.
 
Stadium: Bowlin Stadium
 
Dates: March 5-6, 2016

Live Audio: http://www.huskers.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=100&DB_OEM_ID=100

Live Video: http://www.btn2go.com/schedule?sids=SB (Subscription Required)

Game Schedule:
 
Game 1: WSU vs. Nebraska (March 5, 1:00 P.M.)
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=128077
 
Game 2: WSU vs. Nebraska (March 5, 3:00 P.M.)
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=128078
 
Game 3: WSU vs. Nebraska (March 6, 1:00 P.M.)
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=128079
 
 
Series History
 
WSU vs. Nebraska
 
Record: 15-31              Last Meeting: 2015              Under Bredbenner: 2-2
 
 
Leading Off:
 
Scouting Nebraska:
The Cornhuskers finished the 2015 season with an overall record of 35-23 while posting a record of 17-6 in the Big Ten Conference for third place. From that 2015 team, Nebraska has 16 players returning, nine of which were starters last season. There are only three newcomers to the team this season.
 
So far this season, the Cornhuskers have a team batting average of .321 with 18 doubles and 20 homeruns. Nebraska also has a team ERA of 3.06 in 13 games so far.
 
Nebraska has an overall record of 10-3 this season, with this being their first home games of the season.
 
MJ Knighten and Kiki Stokes have led the Cornhuskers in the early part of the 2016 season. Knighten has a batting average of .478 with eight home runs and has started all 13 games for the Cornhuskers. Stokes has also started every game for the team and has a batting average of .439.
 
Cassie McClure has led the way in the circle, with a 6-2 record and an ERA of 1.63 in ten appearances.
 
 
Shocker News and Notes:
 
For the first time all season, the Shockers finished the weekend with a perfect record, 4-0, to make their overall record 8-6 heading into this weekend.
 
In Mobile, Ala., the Shockers beat Dartmouth, Bowling Green twice, and (RV) South Alabama.
 
Over the stretch of the four games, Wichita State was led offensively by senior Cacy Williams who collected a batting average of .545 on the weekend, with four of her six hits being extra base hits. She also drove in four RBIs. Katie Malone led the way in the circle, throwing two complete games and 13.0 innings while collecting a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA.
 
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: Fortner is currently third all-time in the Shocker record book with 44 doubles, needing two more to take over second place. Williams is also tied for ninth in doubles and needs just one more to jump into seventh.
 
Williams is in ninth place with 103 runs scored needing just seven more to jump into the top five.
 
Fortner is also 11th in hits (177), ninth in homeruns (17), tied for seventh in RBIs (99), ninth in total bases (276) and 12th in walks (64).
 
Williams is also tied for third in homeruns (27) and tied for ninth in RBIs (93).
 
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.