WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State softball team continues American Athletic Conference play Thursday through Saturday at UConn with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Shockers are fresh off a victory over No. 23 Oklahoma State and will look to carry that momentum into the series with UConn.
 

WICHITA STATE SOFTBALL

Storrs, Conn.

Burrill Family Field

Game Notes: WSU

GAME 31

Wichita State (18-12) at UConn (13-20)

Thursday, March 29

3:00 P.M. CDT

Live Stats

Husky Vision ($)

GAME 32

Wichita State (18-12) at UConn (13-20)

Friday, March 30

3:00 P.M. CDT

Live Stats

Husky Vision ($)

GAME 33

Wichita State (18-12) at UConn (13-20)

Saturday, March 31

11:00 A.M. CDT

Live Stats

Husky Vision ($)

SOCIAL

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SCOUTING UCONN
The Huskies have a 13-20 record entering their home opener against the Shockers and are currently on a four-game slide after dropping all three of the American Athletic Conference opening weekend games to USF in Tampa, Fla. A sole loss to Hofstra on Tuesday night sees them open the gates to Burrill Family Field looking to snap the skid. This will be the first time the Shockers have faced UConn under Kristi Bredbenner. 

SERIES HISTORY
The Shockers and Huskies have faced off four times in history and split the games evenly (2-2). Both teams traveled to the Golden Panther Invitational in 2001 and 2002 in Miami, Fla., with the Huskies taking both games in '01 and the Shockers taking both games in '02.

LAST MEETING WITH THE HUSKIES
The Shockers and Huskies met in Miami at the Florida International hosted Golden Panther Invite. The Shockers opened and closed the tournament with games against the Huskies, winning both, with the last a 4-0 shutout.

QUICK HITS
• After going 11-5 in March, Wichita State continued to receive votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll on March 27 for the fourth straight week.
• The Shockers hit the 30 game mark with an identical record to 2017 (18-12); the only difference being this seasons first 30 games included 10 opponents ranked nationally compared to just two last season.
• The Shockers sit #31 in the latest RPI rankings; they are 3-5 against teams in the top 25, 3-3 against those 26-50 and 5-3 against those 51-100.
• Wichita State holds a 6-3 record on the road with notable wins against Oklahoma State, Texas, Creighton and Nebraska (twice).
• Bailey Lange leads The American in looking strikeouts (31), saves (5) and is third in strikeouts per game (7.75) and total strikeouts with 105 (correct as of March 26). Lange is also 39th in the NCAA in strikeouts on the year and her nine wins this season are the most in her career.
• Paige Luellen took sole posession of the career RBI record list at the WSU Tournament by going 6-for-14 with three home runs including a grand slam and three-run walk-off home run to move into first place; she is now 6 RBI from 150.
• Laurie Derrico became the fifth different Shocker this season to be named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll (March 19) and followed up with a second straight nod on March 26.
Derrico hit her first career grand slam, first career triple and hit .500 through four games at the CU Tournament and then hit .500 vs. Memphis with two home runs to join Paige Luellen, Bailey Lange, Ryleigh Buck and Bailee Nickerson who have all earned a nod to the honor roll so far this season.
• Ignoring the four blowouts to ranked opponents this season, seven of the eight Shocker losses have only been decided by two runs or less. The other was decided by three in extra innings.
• Wichita State are 12-5 in their last 17 games and 6-2 at Wilkins Stadium.
• The Shockers have scored 57 runs in their last seven games.

TOUGH SCHEDULE EQUALS BIG WINS
After defeating three teams receiving votes in 2018, the Shockers finally took down an opponent inside the top-25 on Tuesday night in a 5-3 victory over No. 23/24 Oklahoma State; the first victory over a ranked team since a 2-1 victory over No. 23 Nebraska in 2016. A solo home run each for Paige Luellen and Asea Webber, helped by Madison Perrigan's two RBI's, saw the Shockers come out on top with Bailey Lange and Bailey Klitzke pitching key innings in the win.

CONFIDENCE IS KEY
After struggling against Creighton on March 17, Bailey Klitzke has pitched key innings in the five games since. The sophomore has given up zero runs in 13.1 innings through those five appearances to move her ERA from 4.98 to 2.97, which in turn has moved her into a reliable reliever option for the Shocker coaches.

STREAKS ON STREAKS
Laurie Derrico's strong run at the plate has seen her put together the Shockers' longest hitting streak of the season (currently at 12). Derrico is hitting .436 in March alone with 17 RBI, three doubles, a triple and five home runs.

TEAMMATES HELPING TEAMMATES
In the weekend series against Memphis the top of the Shocker batting order paved the way by going 14-32 through the three games. Against Oklahoma State the bottom part of the batting order helped the bats come alive by driving in four runs including a solo home run to get the victory.

NOTED AND VOTED
The Wichita State softball team has received votes in four consecutive USA Today/NFCA Weekly Poll's in 2018. The Shockers received one vote on March 6, 14 on March 13, 10 on March 20 and one on March 27. This is the first time the Shockers have entered one of the main two softball polls since the 2006 ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Poll released prior to that season.

HOME RUNS ON HOME RUNS
Laurie Derrico and Paige Luellen are on course to break more records; this time in home runs. Luellen is currently third all-time with 32 and needs just four to move in second and seven to tie first with current Director of Operations Cacy Williams. Derrico is sixth with 26 and needs two more to move into fifth all-time. Current Shocker HD color commentator Jamie Hull is tied for eighth with 24.

DOING IT IN STYLE
Senior Paige Luellen took control of the career RBI record book after a stellar weekend at the plate at the WSU Tournament. The senior struck three home runs that included a grand slam to lift the Shockers out of a six-run hole and a three-run walk-off home run to go 4-0 over the weekend. After taking control of the record book, Luellen is streaking clear and on course to make history as the first Shocker to reach 150 career RBI; she also leads the team in slugging percentage.

ADJUSTMENTS, REWARDS
After hitting .205 and .244 through the whole month of February, Laurie Derrico and Mackenzie Wright have improved dramatically at the plate. Derrico is hitting .436 through March with a .800 slugging percentage and 17 RBI. Wright is hitting .346 in the leadoff spot with a .453 on base percentage. Paige Luellen is another having a stellar March with a .375 batting average, .426 on base percentage, .625 slugging percentage and 20 RBI.

KEEP 'EM GUESSING
Junior pitcher Bailey Lange leads the Shocker pitching staff in wins (9), innings pitched (103.0) and strikeouts (114). She also leads The American in looking strikeouts (31) and saves (5). She is third in strikeouts per game with 7.75 and is also 39th in the NCAA in total strikeouts (correct as of March 26).

RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
Multiple current Shockers have individual career records in the top-10 record books. Mackenzie Wright is sixth in batting average [.331], Laurie Derrico is second in slugging percentage [.605] with Paige Luellen [third with .431] and Wright [fourth with .426] seperated by five percentiles in on-base percentage.

DRAWING AND STEALING
Seniors Paige Luellen and Mackenzie Wright both continue to climb the Shocker record books in walks and stolen bases. Luellen is third in walks with 98 [needs 7 to move into first] with Wright fourth in stolen bases with 47 [needs 10 to move into first]. Bailey Lange is 7-for-9 this season in stolen bases.

THOSE TOP-25 TEAMS
The Shockers have dropped five game this season to teams not receiving votes or ranked within the top-25 nationally. The Shockers fell on a walk-off two-run homer to Furman back on the first weekend of the season in Auburn, Ala., before falling by one run to both Iowa and Creighton at the Creighton Tournament. This past weekend the Shockers fell twice to Memphis by one and three runs (who have since begun receiving votes). Every other loss in 2018 has come to a team in the national poll or receiving votes.

STACKED SCHEDULE
The 2018 Shockers have the toughest schedule in the history of the program by facing off against 11 teams that reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament; including two teams that reached the College World Series in Washington (play twice at the Sam Houston State Tournament) and defending National Champion Oklahoma (the Shockers travel to Norman in April).

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.

ALL EYES ON WILKINS
Every Shocker softball home game in 2018 will be broadcast live through ShockerHD with Steve Strain on the play-by-play call and former softball standout Jamie Hull as the color commentator for the second straight season.

SHOCKER MANIACS
Attendances at Wilkins Stadium continue to rise under Kristi Bredbenner. Through 13 fixtures at home last season, Wichita State welcomed 511 fans per game; the highest average attendance figure in program history.

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).