WICHITA, Kan. - Following a 2-4 record over the last week, the Wichita State softball team looks to get back on track against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., on Wednesday, March 8, at 5:30 p.m.
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Scouting Oklahoma State: The Cowgirls have started off the 2017 seaosn with a record of 12-9 overall while being 4-2 at home and 0-2 on the road.
They have been led this season by Vanessa Shippy who is hitting .417 and has started all 21 games. She has a team high two triples and also has drove in 13 runs for the team. Taylor Lynch is also hitting .388 with 16 RBI.
In 2016, the Cowgirls went 32-26, and 6-11 in the Big 12, finishing fifth. They are returning 10 letterwinners from 2016, including seven starters.
The two teams faced off twice in 2016, with the Shockers falling twice, 3-4 and 2-8. The Shockers are 8-78 all-time vs. the Cowgirls and just 1-6 during the Bredbenner era.
Shockers News and Notes:
Wichita State looks to get back on track, after going 2-4 over the last week. The Shockers hosted Oklahoma on Wednesday and lost 7-3, before traveling to Lubbock, Texas, where they won two games against Texas Tech and UTEP, but fell to North Texas twice and UTEP once.
Mackenzie Wright led the Shockers on the week, hitting .435 in six games and earning Missouri Valley Player of the week.
Katie Malone went a perfect 5-0 two weekends ago in Arlington, throwing 29.1 innings, earning her Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week.
So far this season, the Shocker offense has been led by
Kelli Spring who is hitting .439 and by
Mackenzie Wright who is hitting .431.
The Shockers have a team ERA of 3.25, with senior
Katie Malone throwing 73.1 innings, with a record of 9-4 while freshman
Bailey Klitzke has thrown 33.1 innings and has an ERA of 3.78.
Jenni Brooks got her first appearances last weekend and threw 5.1 innings and allowed six earned runs for an ERA of 7.88.
Wichita State finished the 2016 regular season winning 12 of their last 13 games, with a 12 game winning streak being the second longest in school history.
After winning the regular season championship, the Shockers then went on to win the Missouri Valley Tournament Championship, winning both for the first time in school history.
Wichita State then was selected for the 2016 NCAA Regional in Oklahoma, falling to Oklahoma and Ole Miss, but defeating Tulsa for Wichita State's first win in an NCAA Regional.
The Shockers will return four of the seven athletes who recieved All-MVC honors in 2016, including
Paige Luellen,
Jenni Brooks,
Mackenzie Wright and
Macklin Hitz.
Paige Luellen had reached base in the first 28 games for the Shockers in 2016, but ended her 33 game on-base streak at Kansas.
Wichita State lost two giant bats from 2016 in
Cacy Williams and
Brittany Fortner, but look to pick up where they left off, bringing in eight newcomers to battle for playing time with the 8 returning starters from a year ago. Returning starters for the Shockers are
Kelli Spring,
Laurie Derrico,
Mackenzie Wright,
Ashley Johnson,
Paige Luellen,
Macklin Hitz,
Jenni Brooks and
Katie Malone.
The Shockers also return three other position players including,
McKenzie Adams who played in 22 games in 2016, hitting .212.
Mauriana Jamele,
Kennedy Long,
Cassidy Kelsheimer,
Bethany Canada and
Kaylee Huecker will also return in 2017.
Wichita State returns seniors
Katie Malone, who made the most starts among the pitching staff (43) a season ago, and
Jenni Brooks, who led the team in ERA (3.23), wins (18), and was second in starts (21), and innings pitched (136.1).
Malone appeared in 43 games while starting 26 for the Shockers. During those 43 appearances (which led the team), she also was second on the team in wins (15), strikeouts (78), complete games (11) and second on the team with an ERA of 4.18. Brooks appeared in 38 games for the Shockers, collecting 18 wins and holding opposing hitters to an average of .271. The Shockers have also brought in two newcomers that will pitch for the Shockers in
Bailey Klitzke and
Morgan Palmer.
In just her junior season,
Paige Luellen is beginning to work her way up the Shocker record book, currently in fifth in batting average (.337), second in slugging percentage (.600), first in on-base percentage (.459) and 13th in walks (68).
Along with Luellen breaking records, senior pitcher
Katie Malone is also climbing the ranks with a full seasons still to play. She is fourth all-time with 50 wins, second all-time with 11 saves, fifth all-time with 125 appearances, tied for sixth all-time with 88 games started and seventh all-time with 320 strikeouts.
Head coach
Kristi Bredbenner is entering her sixth season with the Shockers after coaching at Emporia State prior to taking the job at Wichita State.
Wichita State was picked second in the 2016 MVC preseason poll, as voted on by the Valley coaches. The Shockers collected 88 points and three first-place votes. Drake was picked first with 92 points and six first place votes.
Two Shockers were named to the 2017 Preseason First Team All-MVC, including Wright and Hitz.
