WICHITA, Kan. - After picking up three wins last weekend, the Wichita State softball team travels back to Texas for the Texas Invitational where they will face four opponents including two ranked in the national poll. Held in Austin, Texas, the three-day tournament will see the Shockers face off against Texas, #21 Ohio State, #20 Michigan and Virginia Tech with four of the five games broadcast live on the Longhorn Network.
SERIES HISTORY VS. TOURNAMENT
The Shockers are 2-6 against the tournament field having dropped the last game against both Texas and Michigan. The Longhorns and Wolverines are the only two teams the Shockers have faced with Texas leading the Shockers 2-4 and Michigan leading 0-2.
Ohio State - Never Met
Texas - 2-4
Michigan - 0-2
Virginia Tech - Never Met
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes have opened the season with a 8-1 record and return 17 letterwinners, six fielders and three pitchers to a squad who finished the 2017 season with a 35-18 record, eventually falling in the Big Ten Tournament finals and the NCAA Regional round. Ohio State swept the opening tournament of the year at Florida Atlantic scoring 37 runs and only allowing eight. The Buckeyes came from the Big Ten/ACC Challenge this past weekend with a 3-1 record. They went to eight or more innings in three of the four games. They return Third Team All-American infielder Lilli Piper who currently leads the team in all batting categories this season. Junior pitcher Morgan Ray leads the Buckeyes with a 1.34 ERA and four wins; Shelby McClombs has a 1.62 ERA with four wins on the year.
SERIES HISTORY
The Shockers and the Buckeyes have never met.
SCOUTING TEXAS
The Longhorns have began the season with a 4-4 record, splitting both tournaments they have participated in. Texas fell to Ole Miss and Oregon last weekend in between wins over Rutgers and American Athletic Conference rival Houston. The Longhorns ended the 2017 season at the NCAA Regional Round after finishing fourth in the Big 12 Tournament. They return five fielders and four pitchers from that squad including First Team Big 12 catcher Taylor Ellsworth. Janae Jefferson currently leads the Longhorns in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, RBI and total bases with Paige von Sprecken leading the pitching staff with a 1.62 ERA and a 2-0 record.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the seventh meeting between the Shockers and the Longhorns with the Shockers trailing in the series 2-4. The teams have faced four times in Austin, 2-2, and twice at neutral sites 0-2. Texas has never faced Wichita State in Wichita.
LAST MEETING WITH THE LONGHORNS
The teams last faced each other in Feb. 2015 at the Texas Invite splitting the two games. The Shockers took game one 6-4, but the Longhorns took the second 10-4.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan has opened the season with a 5-4 record after taking three games at the USF Tournament, falling to both #2 Florida and new American Athletic Conference rival USF. The Wolverines defeated former Missouri Valley Conference rival Illinois State, 6-1. In another portion of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Michigan split games with both Notre Dame and #8 Florida State. The Wolverines return All-Americans Faith Canfield and Tera Blanco who are first and second in every batting category this season. Freshman pitcher Meghan Beaubien has a 0.82 ERA with a 4-1 record so far.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the third meeting between the Shockers and Wolverines with both games so far being at neutral sites. Michigan lead the series 2-0.
LAST MEETING WITH THE WOLVERINES
The Shockers last faced the Wolverines in Feb. 1991 at the Roadrunner Invite in Las Cruces, N.M., falling 1-0.
SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH
Virginia Tech has begun the year with a 6-2 record, splitting games at the Sand Dollar Classic with losses to Ole Miss and Lamar and beating Florida A&M and Penn State. In the ACC/Big Ten Challenge the Hokies won all four games, two against Penn State and two against Purdue. Virginia Tech went 19-34 in 2017, finishing 8th in the ACC. This season the Hokies have Jordan Dail in the circle, a freshman who has compiled a 0.55 ERA with a 3-0 record and 36 strikeouts in five appearances.
SERIES HISTORY
The Shockers and Hokies have never met.
BUCK TABS HONOR ROLL
Ryleigh Buck earned a spot on the first American Athletic Conference Softball Honor Roll this week after hitting .467 through five games, moving from the six spot to the two spot. The sophomore from Wellington, Kan., also led the team in hits, runs scored, slugging percentage, total bases and on base percentage. She had two walks and 38 putouts at first base. Overall she leads the entire team in batting average and on-base percentage and has a joint team high eight hits and 13 total bases on the young season.
MOVING ON UP
Multiple Shockers have individual career records in the top-10 record books.
Mackenzie Wright is tied for fifth in batting average [.333],
Laurie Derrico is second in slugging percentage [.587] with
Paige Luellen [third with .432] and Wright [fourth with .427] separated by five percentiles in on base percentage.
GETTING 'EM AROUND
Senior
Paige Luellen needs 13 RBI to move into first place in the Shocker record books. Currently in third with 124, if Luellen reaches 136 she will overtake current softball director of operations
Cacy Williams who played at Wichita State from 2014-16.
DRAWING AND STEALING
Seniors
Paige Luellen and
Mackenzie Wright both continue to climb the Shocker record books in walks and stolen bases. Luellen is tied for third in walks with 93 [needs 12 to move into first] with Wright fifth in stolen bases with 44 [needs 13 to move into first].
Bailey Lange is 7-for-7 this season in steals.
SHOWING THE WAY
Leadoff senior third base
Mackenzie Wright holds the only still-alive batting streak coming out the weekend with three. She also leads the team in reached base streaks with three.
STACKED SCHEDULE
The Shockers face off against 11 teams that reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament; including two teams that reached the College World Series in Washington (played twice at the Sam Houston State Tournament) and defending National Champion Oklahoma (the Shockers travel to Norman in April). Wichita State dropped games to #4 Washington and #13 Auburn but beat R.V. Marshall in Auburn, Ala.
YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR
Since 2014, every Shocker softball squad has entered the batting record books with the '14, '15, '16 and '17 teams all holding top-six positions in multiple categories including highest batting average, highest slugging percentage, highest on base percentage, most runs scored, most hits, most doubles, most home runs and most RBI's.
STAYING IN THE LOOP
Follow the Shocker softball program on twitter (@GoShockersSB) for up-to-date content and in-game updates. You can also become a fan of Wichita State Softball on Facebook (WichitaStateSoftball) and Instagram (GoShockersSB).
