WICHITA, Kan. - Fresh from a five-day break, the Wichita State softball team hosts Tulsa for a three-game Havoc in the Heartland series with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. The teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at Noon. 
 

WICHITA STATE SOFTBALL

Wichita, Kan.

Wilkins Stadium

Game Notes: WSU | Tulsa

GAME 34

Wichita State (21-12, 4-2)   vs. Tulsa (23-14, 3-3)

Saturday, April 7

3:00 P.M. CDT

Live Stats

Shocker HD

GAME 35

Wichita State (21-12, 4-2)   vs. Tulsa (23-14, 3-3)

Sunday, April 8

12:00 P.M. CDT

Live Stats

Shocker HD ($)

GAME 36

Wichita State (21-12, 4-2)   vs. Tulsa (23-14, 3-3)

Sunday, April 8

3:00 p.m. CDT

Live Stats

Shocker HD ($)

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SCOUTING TULSA
After dropping their opening conference series on the road to UCF, Tulsa responded with a sweep over ECU to move to 3-3 in The American. Their 0-3 weekend in Orlando, Fla., not looking as bad as first feared after UCF took down #4/6 Florida this week, one-hitting the Gators. A lone matchup at Oklahoma State on Wednesday proved ideal, taking down the Cowgirls 7-4 in Stillwater, something the Shockers also did last week.
The Golden Hurricane are also riding a four-game win streak behind current American Athletic Conference and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week Emily Watson, who is 14-6 in the circle and has had four one-hitters this season and threw 15 scoreless innings this past weekend.

SERIES HISTORY
The Shockers and Golden Hurricane have met 46 times in total with WSU holding a 25-21 series lead. Wichita State have only dropped three games in Wichita for a 13-3 record while they trail on the road 10-13 and at neutral sites (2-5). The Shockers are currently on a six game win streak over the American Athletic Conference preseason favorites. In 2016 the Shockers took down Tulsa at the NCAA Regional site in Norman, Okla., their first NCAA regional victory under Kristi Bredbenner.

LAST MEETING WITH THE GOLDEN HURRICANE
The Shockers last met the Golden Hurricane last season with in a home and home series. WSU first traveled to Tulsa coming away a 5-3 victory through extras, a Laurie Derrico solo home run the highlight. The Shockers then took down Tulsa at home, 2-1, a month later.

QUICK HITS
• After going 14-5 through March, Wichita State continued to receive votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll on April 3 for the fifth straight week.
• The Shockers swept Uconn in Storrs for their first conference three-game road series sweep since April 2016.
• Mackenzie Wright became the first Shocker in history to be named the American Athletic Conference softball player of the week. Her 7-for-10 weekend included her 100th career RBI, 200th career hit and 600th career at-bat.
• 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.
* The Shockers took down #23/24 Oklahoma State in Stillwater on March 27 for their first win over a ranked opponent in two years.
• Wichita State holds a 9-3 record on the road with notable wins against Oklahoma State, Texas, Creighton and Nebraska (twice).
• Paige Luellen took sole possession 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 4 RBI from pushing her record to 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. Wright became the sixth.
• 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 15-5 in their last 20 games including a 6-2 record at Wilkins Stadium and 9-3 on their travels.
• Since 2014, the Shocker batters have dominated the record books. The '14, '15, '16, '17 squads hold top-six records in highest batting average, highest slugging percentage, highest on base percentage, most runs scored, most hits, most doubles, most home runs and most RBI's.
• Head coach Kristi Bredbenner picked up her 500th career win in a 7-1 victory over Northern Colorado back on February 17.
• In her seven seasons at WSU, head coach Kristi Bredbenner has moved into second position in both victories (177) and winning percentage (.518) in the history books.
• 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.
• WSU has won 30 or more games for three straight years.

HAVOC IN THE HEARTLAND
The Shockers open the gates at Wilkins Stadium April 6-8 for the softball version of Havoc in the Heartland, a rivalry series between Wichita State and the University of Tulsa spanning 13 varsity sports.

WSU pushed their winning streak to four straight after taking down the University of Connecticut in Storrs for the first conference series road sweep since April 2016. Mackenzie Wright earned player of the week honors after going 7-for-10 with only one strikeout through the three games. The senior also had her 100th career RBI with a three-run home run, her 200th career hit with a single and her 600th career at-bat (another single). The Shockers also hit five home runs in a single game for the first time since 2016 after blasting five inside three innings on Thursday. Bailey Lange pitched four perfect innings on Saturday, giving up her first walk in the fifth before the Huskies ruined her hitless game in the sixth with a single and home run.

THAT NUMBER 10
Mackenzie Wright became the first athlete in Shocker softball history to earn American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors. Her 7-for-10 weekend at UConn saw her bat in her 100th runner, get her 200th career hit, see her 600th appearance at the plate and hit her first home run of the season. Wright is also on a eight game hit streak and a team leading 15 game reached base streak; she has also only gone hitless in three games in March (through 19 games). After going RBI-less through 25 games she has also driven in eight in eight games. She is the seventh conference honoree this season for Wichita State; the other five were named to the weekly honor roll. Those include Laurie Derrico (twice), Paige Luellen, Bailey Lange, Ryleigh Buck and Bailee Nickerson.

NOTED AND VOTED
The Wichita State softball team have received votes in five consecutive USA Today/NFCA Weekly Poll's in 2018. They have also been recieving votes in three consecutive ESPN.com/USA Softball polls. 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.

CLUTCH-ZKE
After struggling against Creighton back on March 17, Bailey Klitzke has since pitched key innings in the seven games since. The sophomore has given up 0 runs in 16.1 innings through those seven appearances to move her ERA from 4.98 to 2.72, which in turn has moved her into a reliable reliever option for the Shocker coaches and earned her the nickname 'clutch-zke'.

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 27 and needs one more to move into fifth all-time. Current Shocker HD color commentator Jamie Hull is in joint-eighth with 24.

WE WAITED AND WAITED
It took over 80 at-bats but Ryleigh Buck finally hit her second home run of the season against UConn on March 29. Buck hit the first in the second game of the season against Tennessee Tech back on February 9. The sophomore also struck her first career triple against UConn the following day (March 30).

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 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.

MONEY IN MARCH
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 .406 through March with a .766 slugging percentage and 17 RBI. Wright is hitting .403 in the leadoff spot with a .487 on base percentage. She is also one of two Shockers hitting over .500 in conference play with a .524 average.

BIG HITTERS
Five Shockers are slugging over .600 in American Athletic Conference play. Of those regularly appearing at the plate, Mackenzie Wright (.810), Laurie Derrico [.842] and Bailee Nickerson [.818] lead the way. Buck is slugging .632 while Mauriana Jamele is a perfect 1.00 with one at-bat.

KEEP 'EM GUESSING
Junior pitcher Bailey Lange leads the Shocker pitching staff in wins (11), innings pitched (116.1) and strikeouts (128). She also leads The American in looking strikeouts (34) and saves (5). She is fourth in strikeouts per game with 7.72 and is also 36th in the NCAA in total strikeouts.

RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
Multiple current Shockers have individual career records in the top-10 record books. Mackenzie Wright is fifth in batting average [.337], Laurie Derrico is second in slugging percentage [.604] with Paige Luellen [fourth with .427] and Wright [third with .430] seperated by three 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 99 [needs 6 to move into first] with Wright fourth in stolen bases with 48 [needs 8 to move into tied first]. Bailey Lange is 7-for-8 this season in stolen bases while Ryleigh Buck is 5-for-5.

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).