Dates: April 2-3, 2016
Location: Normal, Ill.
Stadium: Marian Kneer Stadium
Live Stats Game 1: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=130318
Live Stats Game 2: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=130319
Live Stats Game 3: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=130320
Series: Illinois State leads 63-24.
 
Scouting Illinois State:
The Redbirds have begun the 2016 season with a record of 9-21 overall and 1-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Through their first 30 games, Illinois State has played nine games against top-25 teams in the nation. Going 1-4 in conference play, the Redbirds have lost to Southern Illinois three times and split two games with Missouri State with the third game of the series getting cancelled.
 
So far this season, Riley Strandgard has led the team with an average of .341 and two home runs with 12 RBI. Jordan de los Reyes has also contributed, starting all 30 games with an average of .315 with a team-high five home runs and 20 RBI.
 
In the circle, Sarah Finck has pitched 90.1 innings for the Redbirds with a record of 4-11 and an ERA of 3.10. She has also thrown seven complete games and one shutout.
 
Series: Wichita State is 24-63 all-time against Illinois State and 7-5 during the Bredbenner era. The Shockers swept Illinois State in three games last year, 12-4, 7-5 and 5-1.
 
Shockers News and Notes:
2016: The Shockers are coming into the weekend on a five-game winning streak, going 3-0 against Loyola in their second weekend of conference play. On Tuesday, the Shockers took down the Kansas Jayhawks in an eight-inning battle and defeated Tulsa who was receiving votes, 11-3 in five innings.
 
So far this season, the Shockers have been led by Paige Luellen who is hitting .350 with eight doubles, four home runs and a team-high 29 RBI. Luellen also leads the team with 27 walks, the next closest is Macklin Hitz with 14. Hitz is also on a five-game hitting streak while leading the team with a batting average of .393 with six home runs and 24 RBI.
 
Wichita State has two pitchers with over 60 innings pitched with Jenni Brooks with 68.2 and Katie Malone with 88.1. Brooks has an ERA of 2.55 and an overall record of 9-3. Brooks also holds an opponent batting average of .236. Malone has a record of 7-5 and an ERA of 4.04 and leads the pitching staff with 46 strikeouts.
 
But does she get on base?
Paige Luellen had reached base in all 28 that the Shockers had played this season, ending her 33 game on-base streak at Kansas on Tuesday.
 
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 her ninth double of the season against Loyola, Brittany Fortner is currently second all-time in the Shocker record book with 50 doubles, needing three more to take over first place.
 
Williams is also tied for seventh in doubles (34).
 
Williams is in fifth place with 114 runs scored needing just five more to jump into the top three.
 
Fortner is also tied for eighth in hits (194), tied for eighth in homeruns (19), seventh in RBI (105), fifth in total bases (305) and 10th in walks (72).
 
Williams is also second in homeruns (31) and tied for fourth in RBI (111).
 
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.