WICHITA, Kan. -Â After 19 consecutive road games, Wichita State opens play at Wilkins Stadium. The Shockers take on Nebraska in a three-game series, with a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.Â
SCOUTING NEBRASKAÂ
Nebraska has challenged themselves early in the non-conference, starting with an exhibition against Japan's National Team and sweeping the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with wins over North Carolina State and Pitt. After receiving votes in the top 25 poll early in the year, the Cornhuskers look to gain some momentum after having a little over a week off from softball. Nebraska has power at the plate, with six hitters hitting over .300. Bri Cassidy leads the Cornhuskers with a .447 mark and leads the team in hits with 21. Bree Boruff has added 19 hits, while Tristen Edwards leads Nebraska with six home runs and 20 RBIs. In the circle, Regan Mergele (2.85 ERA, 36 K) and Lindsey Walljaspe (3.03 ERA, 36 K) give hitters fits.Â
LAST MEETING
With the series tied at one game a piece last season in Lincoln, Wichita State finished off the road trip with a run-rule win in five innings. Defeating the Cornhuskers by eight runs, Asea Webber led the Shocker offense, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a two-run home run. Bailey Lange pitched five shutout innings and came up with three strikeouts. Â
AN OLD FRIEND
Graduate Assistant MJ Knighten will be facing her former team for the first time on Saturday. Knighten finished her career at Nebraska as the first Senior CLASS Award finalist in program history during the 2017 season and was the first four-time All-Big Ten selection in program history. She still holds the Nebraska record for most walks in a game, drawing four at Northwestern in 2016.Â
DON'T COUNT US OUT
When the Shockers have been down to their last out, the party has just gotten started for them at the plate. Wichita State has scored 37 runs with two outs, hitting eight out of 16 of its home runs during that stretch.Â
GETTING 'EM AROUND
Senior Laurie Derrico needs five home runs to move into first place in the Shocker record books. Currently in second with 35, if Derrico reaches 40 she will overtake Cacy Williams who played at Wichita State from 2014-16. Derrico has reached double figures in home runs in the previous two seasons.Â
LARGER ROLEÂ
Neleigh Herring has stepped into bigger shoes so far this season, collecting more hits and more RBI in the first five games of the year than the entire 2018 season. Herring is hitting .333 through the first 19 games of the season, leading the team in RBIs with 17 in the process.Â
LATE INNING MAGICÂ
The Shockers have put its best forward when the game is on the line, dominating its opponents in the last three innings. Wichita State has outscored its opponents 45-8 in the final three innings, allowing only three runs in that stretch in the previous nine games.
STARTING THINGS OFFÂ Â
Wichita State's offense relies heavily on leadoff hitter, Wylie Glover. Batting mostly first in the order, the Marshall transfer is second on the Shockers in batting average with a .404 mark and has came up with a team-high 19 hits. Glover came up with her first home run against Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 17.Â
DEFENSE WINS
Wichita State's defense was key to its 4-0 weekend in the Red & White Showcase. The Shockers came up with two shutout wins and only allowed three total runs, only committing one error in the process.Â
IT TAKES SACRIFICEÂ
The Shockers' unselfish play has resulted in its early season success. Laurie Derrico leads the American Athletic Conference in sacrifice bunts while Neleigh Herring co-leads the conference in sacrifice flies.Â
MAKING THINGS DIFFICULT
For the sixth consecutive game, the Shockers managed to force their opposition to hit below .200. Despite the loss, Wichita State's pitchers forced Oklahoma State to hit .190 on Wednesday.Â
OFFENSIVE POWERÂ
The Shockers are leading the American Athletic Conference in several offensive categories, including batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Wichita State also holds a commanding lead in home runs and total bases amongst its conference foes.Â
WHAT THE HUECKÂ Â
Kaylee Huecker has recently added a lift to the Shockers' offense. After coming up with her first RBI double against Texas Southern on March 2, she responded with two hits the following day for her career high. She came up with a single on Wednesday at OSU.Â
