Wichita State (11-12, 2-1 American) vs. Omaha (14-5-1, 5-0 Summit League)
Tuesday, March 26 | 6 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field)
TV: COX YurView Kansas HD 2022 (Steve Strain, pxp)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (Shane Dennis, pxp)
Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

Wichita State vs. Kansas State (11-13, 0-3 Big 12)
Wednesday, March 27 | 6 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field)
TV: COX YurView Kansas HD 2022 (TBA, pxp)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (TBA, pxp)
Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game Notes | 2019 Fact Book | @GoShockersBSB

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            SCENE SETTER: The Wichita State University baseball team (11-12, 2-1 American) is scheduled to host back-to-back midweek games Tuesday, March 26, and Wednesday, March 27. The Shockers will take on the Omaha Mavericks (14-5-1, 6-0 Summit League) Tuesday at 6 p.m., prior to welcoming the Kansas State Wildcats (11-13, 0-3 Big 12) to Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field, Wednesday at 6 p.m.
 
            MEDIA COVERAGE: Television - Both games will air live on COX YurView Kansas (HD 2022) ... Live video - A free, live stream will be available at YurView.com/Kansas for both games ... Radio - KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM will air the contests vs. Omaha and Kansas State ... Live audio - Free, live audio will be available at GoShockers.com/listen ... Additional coverage - Live stats will be available at ShockerStats.com.
 
            SERIES RECORDS: Omaha - Tuesday's game against the Mavs will mark the 15th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1951. The series is currently tied, 7-7. Last season, the Shockers swept Omaha in a three-game series in Wichita, winning 4-3, 3-0 and 6-2 ... Kansas State - Wednesday's showdown with the Wildcats will be the 93rd meeting in the all-time series that dates all the way back to 1906. WSU leads the series, 53-39. Last season, the Shockers fell to K-State, 7-3, in Wichita.
 
            CATCHING UP WITH THE SHOCKERS: Wichita State enters the week at 11-12 overall and 2-1 in American Athletic Conference play after winning two of three games against Memphis March 22-24 at Eck Stadium ... Through 23 contests, the Shockers are led at the plate by senior infielders Jordan Boyer (.400 avg., 18 R, 30 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .573 SLG%, 7 BB, 9 HP, .500 OB%, 3 SB) and Luke Ritter (.396 avg., 21 R, 36 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 20 RBI, .659 SLG%, 12 BB, 8 HP, .500 OB%, 5 SB) ... Boyer ranks second and Ritter is fourth in hitting in the latest American conference statistics ... On the mound, WSU is paced by junior right-handed starter Preston Snavely (5.01 ERA, 2-2, 32.1 IP, 32 H, 19 R, 18 ER, 18 BB, 33 SO) and junior closer Mitchell Walters (3.00 ERA, 0-1, 3 SV, 12.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 14 SO) ... Freshman right-hander Miller Pleimann is slated to make his first collegiate start Tuesday against Omaha, while redshirt freshman right-hander Ryan Stuempfig is scheduled to tow the rubber in his third-career start Wednesday vs. Kansas State ...  As a team, the Shockers are hitting .286 with a 5.94 ERA and .963 fielding percentage.
 
            ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: Omaha - The Omaha Mavericks out of The Summit League enter the week with an overall record of 14-5-1 and are a perfect 6-0 in league play after sweeping a three-game series at Purdue Fort Wayne March 22-24 (W, 11-4; W, 6-1; W, 26-0) ... The Mavs have won 10 straight games entering Tuesday's contests ... Omaha is paced offensively by junior infielder Keil Krumwiede (.333 avg., 17 R, 26 H, 5 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 11 BB, 1 SB) and senior outfielder Thomas DeBonville (.271 avg., 11 R, 23 H, 3 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, .447 SLG%, 2 BB, 6 SB) ... The Mavericks are slated to start senior left-hander Andrew Brighton (6.23 ERA, 2-0, 1 SV, 13.0 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 5 BB, 6 SO) Tuesday against the Shockers ... UNO leads The Summit League in hitting (.278 avg.), pitching (3.86 ERA) and fielding (.982 fielding percentage) ... Omaha was picked to finish fifth in The Summit League preseason poll ... The Mavs are under the direction of third season head coach Evan Porter ... Kansas State - The Kansas State Wildcats are 11-13 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12 after being swept in a three-game series at Oklahoma State March 22-24 (L, 11-4; L, 5-4; L, 8-4) ... Through 24 games, K-State is paced in the batter's box by junior outfielder/left-handed pitcher Will Brennan (.348 avg., 19 R, 32 H, 12 2B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, .511 SLG%, 13 BB, 7 SB) and junior catcher Chris Ceballos (.338 avg., 13 R, 27 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, .563 SLG%, 6 BB) ... Kansas State is scheduled to start junior right-hander Kasey Ford Wednesday (13.83 ERA, 0-0, 13.2 IP, 26 H, 21 R, 21 ER, 16 BB, 14 SO) ... As a team, K-State is hitting .277 with a 5.12 ERA and .963 fielding percentage ... The Wildcats were picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll ... Kansas State is under the leadership of first season head coach Peter Hughes.
 
            RITTER, WALTERS EARN WEEKLY HONORS: Infielder Luke Ritter and right-handed pitcher Mitchell Walters were named to The American Weekly Honor Roll for their performances during the week of March 18-24. Ritter received honor roll accolades for the second time this season and fifth time in his career, while Walters garnered honor roll recognition for the first time in his career. Ritter hit .375 with six hits, including a pair of two-run homers, to go along with four RBIs, runs and walks, and a .750 slugging and .500 on-base percentage in the Shockers' four games last week. Walters made three appearances in relief for WSU last week, posting a 0.00 ERA with no earned runs on just one hit with seven strikeouts and only one walk in five innings of work. He picked up his team-best third save of 2019 after throwing a pair of scoreless innings, giving up just one hit with no walks and three Ks in the Shockers' 8-4 win against Memphis March 23.
 
            BOYER BLAZING AT THE PLATE: Jordan Boyer continues to excel at the plate entering the week. The senior from Oklahoma City leads the Shockers, and ranks second in The American and 45th in NCAA Division I Baseball in hitting with a .400 average in 20 games.
 
            RITTER SWINGING FOR THE FENCES: Luke Ritter went deep twice last weekend, hitting a pair of two-run homers against Kansas March 20 and Memphis March 24. On the season, Ritter leads the team and is tied for third in the American Athletic Conference with five round-trippers. In overall hitting (.396 avg.), the Overland Park, Kan., native ranks fourth in the conference and 59th in NCAA Division I Baseball. In total hits, he ranks 31st nationally with 36.
 
            CADENA FINDING HIS SWING: Ross Cadena is hitting .455 in his last three games, compiling five hits in 11 at bats with a pair of stolen bases.
 
            TURNING TWO: Through 23 games, the Shockers are tied for second in The American with Cincinnati and rank 13th in the country in double plays turned with 22. Tulane leads the conference with 24.
 
            NOTABLE STREAKS: Luke Ritter is riding a 35-game on-base streak dating back to last season (has reached base safely in all 23 games in 2019), and has at least one hit in his last 13 contests -- a team-high ... Senior Mason O'Brien has gotten on-base successfully in his last 18 games, while sophomore Ross Cadena has reached in his last 14 contests.
 
            MILESTONE WATCH: Luke Ritter is four RBIs shy of 100 for his career, and currently is third in career hit by pitch, having been hit 28 times.
 
            NEW FACES: The Shockers have 21 newcomers to the program in 2019, including 19 freshmen and two junior college transfers. The freshmen on the active roster include Aaron Haase (RHP/UT), Calvin Marley (RHP/OF), Miller Pleimann (RHP), Connery Peters (RHP), Adam Stephenson (OF/LHP), Carson Cox (OF), David VanVooren (OF), Seth Morrow (OF), Ryan Koval (OF), Cal Carver (LHP), Brady Slavens (INF), Cooper Elliot (INF), Jack Sigrist (INF), Josh Killeen (C) and Jake Plastiak (3B). WSU's two junior college transfers are sophomore Tristan McCraw (RHP) and junior Mitchell Walters (RHP). Freshmen Jack Brimacombe (RHP), Reece Koon (LHP), Quinten Albrecht (C) and Mason Miller (C) are redshirting in 2019.
 
            PRESEASON HONORS: Senior infielder Luke Ritter was voted to the American Athletic Conference's preseason all-conference team. He is also ranked 31st on the D1 Baseball's list of 2019 Top Senior Prospects and 15th on the organization's preseason second base power rankings list. Fellow senior, right-hander Clayton McGinness, is ranked 65th on the D1 Baseball Top Senior Prospects list.
 
            UP NEXT: Wichita State wraps up its 14-game homestand with a three-game series against Bethune-Cookman March 29-31 at Eck Stadium. The contest March 29 is the Kid's Day game, and will being at noon, while the game March 30 will start a 2 p.m., and the series finale March 31 will be a 1 p.m. first pitch.
 
            THE COACH: Todd Butler is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Wichita State University baseball team. He came to WSU in June 2013 after spending the previous eight seasons as the hitting instructor, outfield coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Arkansas. During Butler's 26-year tenure as a NCAA Division I assistant or head coach, he has guided his teams to five College World Series appearances and four NCAA super regionals. In addition, his teams have been ranked No. 1 five times in his career. He has coached a combined 35 All-Americans and Freshman All-Americans, 167 players drafted in the MLB Draft and 45 Major League players. In his tenure at WSU, Butler has coached 26 student-athletes who were drafted, and five players who combined for 10 All-American and Freshman All-American honors. He played his college ball at McNeese State (1985-86) and Oklahoma (1987-88). A team captain for the Sooners in 1988, Butler still holds the OU single-season record for stolen bases with 46 steals in 1988, including 26 consecutive successful stolen base attempts. Butler was a third-team All-American in 1988 and also earned All-Big Eight Conference honors and all-region honors. He played on two NCAA Tournament teams for the Sooners for legendary coach Enos Semore. Butler's coaching career began as a student-assistant coach at McNeese State, where he earned his bachelor's degree in liberal studies in 1991. He was born in Alexandria, La., and is married to the former Melissa Borrel. The couple has two daughters, Caitlyn and Kendyll.