Dates: April 23-24, 2016
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Stadium: Buel Field
Live Stats Game 1: Live Stats
Live Stats Game 2: Live Stats
Live Stats Game 3: Live Stats
Live Video: Watch
Series: Wichita State leads 52-35.
 
Scouting Drake:
To start the 2016 season, the Drake Bulldogs have an overall record of 24-18 and 12-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference to hold sole possession of first place. The Bulldogs began conference play, going 12-0 but recently have lost their last four MVC games to post their 12-4 record.
 
Offensively, the Bulldogs have four players hitting over .300 with Kennedy Frank and Taryn Pena hitting over .320. Frank is hitting .366 with six doubles, nine home runs and 27 RBI while Pena is .325 with nine doubles, three home runs and 25 RBI.
 
In the circles, Nicole Newman has thrown a majority of the innings for the Bulldogs, throwing 162.1 innings so far and posting an ERA of 2.50 and a record of 17-9.
 
Series: The Shockers lead the series, 52-35 all-time with their last meeting coming last season when the Shockers lost two of three, losing the first two games, 6-5 and 4-1, and finishing the series with a 4-3 win.
 
Situations: Drake is currently in first place of the Missouri Valley Conference but is just one game ahead of Wichita State who is tied with Northern Iowa for second place.
 
Wichita State Wins 0/Drake Wins 3: Drake will take a four game lead in the conference.
Wichita State Wins 1/Drake Wins 2: Drake will have a two game lead in the Conference.
Wichita State Wins 2/Drake Wins 1: Both Wichita State and Drake will be tied for first place in the Conference.
Wichita State Wins 3/Drake Wins 0: Wichita State will take a two game lead in the Conference.
 
Shockers News and Notes:
2016: The Wichita State softball team is coming off a very strong midweek two-game series against Missouri State, winning the first game 17-6 and breaking two records, and winning the second game 3-2.
 
So far this season, the Shockers have been led by Macklin Hitz who is hitting .385 with six doubles, nine home runs and 40 RBI. Hitz also has 19 walks on the season. Cacy Williams and Paige Luellen have also contributed to the Shockers success, with Williams hitting .354 with four doubles, 10 home runs and 39 RBI. Luellen has an average of .350 with nine doubles, nine home runs and 38 RBI.
 
Wichita State has two pitchers with over 95 innings pitched with Jenni Brooks with 99.1 and Katie Malone with 110.0. Brooks has an ERA of 3.24 and an overall record of 13-6. Brooks also holds an opponent batting average of .271. Malone has a record of 9-6 and an ERA of 4.77 and leads the pitching staff with 56 strikeouts.
 
But does she get on base?
Paige Luellen had reached base in the first 28 games for the Shockers this season, but ended her 33 game on-base streak at Kansas on March 29.
 
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 one double against Bradley, Brittany Fortner has taken over first place all-time in the Shocker record book with 54 doubles, needing just three more to take over sole possession first place in the Missouri Valley Conference record books.
 
Williams is also tied for seventh in doubles (34).
 
Williams is in fourth place with 123 runs scored needing just seven more to jump into the top three.
 
Fortner is also tied for fourth in hits (207), eighth in homeruns (20), sixth in RBI (109), fourth in total bases (325) and seventh in walks (79).
 
After two home runs against Missouri State, Williams is tied for first in home runs (35) and second in RBI (124).
 
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.