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Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday: Cody Tyler (LHP, 3-2, 4.38) vs. Steve Heilenbach (RHP, 5-3, 2.85)
Saturday: Clayton McGinness (RHP, 2-2, 6.89) vs. David Meade (RHP, 2-3, 3.65)
Sunday: TBA vs. Jacob Hendren (LHP, 2-7, 5.97)
 

Quick Hits
• All three games will be broadcast on KNSS 1330 AM with Mike Kennedy and Shane Dennis calling the action. There will also be an audio stream available at goshockers.com.  
• WSU leads the overall series with 92-26. WSU leads the series in Normal, Ill., 36-12.
• WSU has played 32 games against teams in the top-121 of the RPI.
• The Shockers have a strength of schedule of 19 according to D1Baseball.com.
• Mikel Mucha needs four more hits to reach 200 for his career. He would become the 55th Shocker to reach that milestone.
• In the last 10 games, WSU is 4-6 and hitting .316 with a 6.52 ERA and .971 fielding percentage.
• In the last 10 games, Trey Vickers is hitting .412, while Alec Bohm is hitting .326, Luke Ritter is hitting .317, Josh DeBacker is hitting .444 and Travis Young is hitting .389.
• In his last six appearances, Chase Williams has a 1.50 ERA in six innings pitched with five strikeouts.
• WSU is 3-16 on the road.
• In 19 road games, WSU is hitting .235 with a 6.84 ERA and a .968 fielding percentage.
• In 19 road games, Trey Vickers is hitting .271, Tanner Kirk is hitting .266, Dayton Dugas is hitting .265 and Greyson Jenista is hitting .255.
• On May 7 against INS, Zach Reding became the first Shocker to pinch-hit a grand slam since Phil Napolitan in 2004.
• The Shockers rank 58th nationally in doubles, 71st in doubles per game, 37th in walks, 79th in on base percentage and 48th in shutouts.
• John Hayes ranks 46th nationally in appearances and Cody Tyler 59th in complete games.
• Mikel Mucha, Josh DeBacker, Luke Ritter and Greyson Jenista are currently on six-game hitting streaks.
• Mikel Mucha leads the Shockers with 16 multi-hit games, while Greyson Jenista leads with eight multi-RBI games.
• WSU is 19-5 on May 13 since 1978. The Shockers are 17-6 on May 14 and 23-3 on May 15.
• WSU is 441-186-1 all-time overall in the month of May.
• The Shockers hit four home runs on April 5 against ORU. It was the most HR's in a game since 2011.
• Head Coach Todd Butler recorded his 150th career win on March 1 against Omaha.
• Freshman Alec Bohm became the first freshman in Shocker history to hit a home run in his first collegiate plate appearance.
• WSU is 28-11 in season openers since 1978.
• WSU is 36-3 in home openers since 1978.
• Dayton Dugas became the first freshman to start on opening day since Casey Gillaspie and Tyler Baker in 2012.
• Ryan Tinkham is a preseason second team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
• WSU plays 35 games in 2016 against teams that were in the top-100 in the RPI in 2015. Twenty-one of those are games against teams in the top-50.
• WSU unveiled a new scoreboard/videoboard in January that is the fourth-largest in college baseball.
• The Shockers are 79-7 all-time at home (Eck and Lawrence-Dumont) in the month of February.
• The Shocks were picked third in the MVC Preseason Poll.
• Senior first baseman Ryan Tinkham, sophomore starting pitcher Sam Tewes and sophomore catcher Gunnar Troutwine were named to the preseason all-Valley team.
• WSU's recruiting class was ranked No. 25 by Baseball America.
• The Shockers welcome 15 newcomers in 2016.
• Two of the Shocker newcomers were drafted in 2015 along with two returners: Willie Schwanke (22nd rd.), Chase Williams (25th rd.), Dayton Dugas (29th rd.), and Connor Lungwitz (35th rd.)
• The Shocks set the school record for times they were hit by a pitch in a season with 73 in 2015.
• Gunnar Troutwine tied the school record for fielding percentage by a freshman with a .994 fielding percentage in 2015.
• Chase Rader was hit by a pitch 17 times in 2015, which ranks third in the Shocker record books.
• Ryan Tinkham had a 21-game hitting streak last season that ranks as the 10th-best in school history.
• WSU returns six starters and 15 letterwinners from the 2015 team.
• The Shocker pitching staff returns three starters including Sam Tewes, Willie Schwanke and Chase Williams.
• WSU has ranked in the top 25 in attendance every year since 1999.
• Head Coach Todd Butler is in his third season as coach of the Shockers.
• Volunteer Assistant Coach Mike Sirianni is the third base coach and Assistant Coach Brian Walker is the first base coach.

Scouting Illinois State
The Redbirds are 15-31 overall and 5-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Wins this season have come against Belmont, No. 9 Oregon, Ohio State, Northwestern, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Butler, Xavier, Indiana State, SIUE, Southern Illinois, Purdue, Evansville twice, and Bradley. Losses have come against Belmont twice, No. 9 Oregon three times, Indiana, Michigan State, Florida International, Saint Louis, Milwaukee four times, Illinois twice, Tulane three times, Eastern Illinois, Xavier twice, Valparaiso, Dallas Baptist twice, Indiana State twice, Southern Illinois twice, Evansville and Bradley twice. As a team, they are hitting .248 with a team ERA of 5.04 and a .973 fielding percentage. They are led offensively by Owen Miller who is hitting .322 with 18 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 39 RBI. ILS is led by head coach Bo Durkac.

Series History vs. the Redbirds
Wichita State leads the overall series with Illinois State 92-26.  The Shockers also lead the series in Normal, Ill., 36-12.  The two teams have split the last 10 meetings overall. WSU has won 11 of the last 13 meetings in Normal.

Last Meeting vs. ILS
The last meeting between the two teams was May 20, 2015, in Wichita in the MVC Tournament. The Shockers won the game 4-3 behind Sam Hilliard's three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth. Isaac Anderson pitched eight innings with 11 strikeouts to earn the win and John Hayes picked up the save.

DH Homers
Redshirt senior Zach Reding hit a home run in each game of Saturday's doubleheader against Indiana State. He is the first Shocker to homer in both games of a doubleheader since Phil Napolitan did it against Missouri State on May 15, 2004.

Pinch-Hit Grand Slam
In the fifth inning of the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, Zach Reding pinch-hit and hit a grand slam for the Shockers. It was his second home run of the day. It was the first time that the Shockers had a pinch-hit grand slam since Phil Napolitan did it against Arizona State on April 27, 2004.

Clearing the Bases
The Shockers have now hit three grand slams in 2016. Ryan Tinkham hit one against Sam Houston State, Chase Rader against Oral Roberts and Zach Reding against Indiana State. It is the first time Wichita State has hit three or more grand slams in a season since 2010 when the Shockers hit five.

Bohm's Streak Snapped
Freshman Alec Bohm had his career-best 12-game hitting streak snapped in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. During the streak, he went 20-for-51 (.392) with eight runs, seven doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.

Vickers Streaking
Sophomore shortstop Trey Vickers has been on fire over the past 13 games for the Shockers. He is 21-for-45 (.467) with seven runs, a double, a home run, seven RBI and two sacrifice hits over his last 13 games. He had a career-high four hits on April 19 at Kansas as he went 4-for-4. He has raised his overall batting average to .315.

Freshmen in Valley Play
Four Shocker freshmen lead the Shockers in Missouri Valley Conference play. Dayton Dugas leads Wichita State in MVC play hitting .385 with 12 RBI. Alec Bohm is hitting .378 with 10 RBI, while Greyson Jenista is hitting .351 with 11 RBI and Luke Ritter is hitting .320 with four RBI.