The Shockers will hold their Senior Day festivities on Saturday before the beginning of game one. 
 
Dates: May 7-8, 2016
Location: Wichita, Kan.
Stadium: Wilkins Stadium
Live Stats Game 1: Stats
Live Stats Game 2: Stats
Live Stats Game 3: Stats
Live Video: Watch
Live Audio: Listen
Talent: Steve Strain
Series: Southern Illinois leads, 56-27
 
Scouting Southern Illinois:
The Salukis are on a roll, winning their last three games, with two wins over Northern Iowa and a win in nine innings over Evansville. Southern Illinois is currently tied with Northern Iowa for third place in the MVC.
 
So far this season, the team has been led by Shaye Harre, who is hitting .357 with 12 doubles, and a team high 12 home runs and 38 RBI. Eyrika Brandenburg has also contributed, hitting .333 with four doubles, two triples and 14 RBI.
 
In the circle, the Salukis have given a majority of the innings to Brianna Jones, who has thrown 191.2 innings for an ERA of 1.79 and a record of 22-10. Savanna Dover has also thrown 114.2 innings for a record of 8-7 and an ERA of 2.99.
 
Series: The Shockers are 27-56 all-time against the Salukis and just 2-10 during the Bredbenner era. The last time these two teams faced off was last season when the Salukis swept the Shockers in three games, by scores of, 4-3, 7-6 and 7-6.
 
Shockers News and Notes:
2016: The Shockers defeated Missouri State on Tuesday, clinching at least a share of the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference regular season title. This is the second regular season championship that Wichita State has won, with the first coming in 2014. The Shockers are also riding an 11-game winning streak, which is tied for the second best in school history.
 
By winning one game this weekend, the Shockers will win the MVC regular season title outright.
 
So far this season, the Shockers have been led by Macklin Hitz who is hitting .375 with eight doubles, 10 home runs and 44 RBI. Hitz also has 22 walks on the season. Cacy Williams and Paige Luellen have also contributed to the Shockers success, with Williams hitting .356 with four doubles, 12 home runs and 45 RBI. Luellen has an average of .343 with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 47 RBI.
 
Wichita State has two pitchers with at least 110 innings pitched with Jenni Brooks with 111.0 and Katie Malone with 142.1. Brooks has an ERA of 3.09 and an overall record of 16-6. Brooks also holds an opponent batting average of .268. Malone has a record of 13-6 and an ERA of 4.28 and leads the pitching staff with 71 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 56 doubles, needing just one 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 130 runs scored needing just seven more to jump into the top three.
 
Fortner is also fourth in hits (213), eighth in homeruns (21), fifth in RBI (114), second in total bases (336) and tied for fifth in walks (81).
 
After two home runs, Williams is in first place all-time in home runs (37) and second in RBI (130).
 
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.