Game 1: Wichita State (18-15, 3-3 American) vs. Houston (18-15, 3-6 American)
Friday, April 12 | 6 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field)
TV: COX YurView Kansas (Shane Dennis, pxp)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (Mike Kennedy, pxp)
Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game 2: Wichita State vs. Houston
Saturday, April 13 | 2 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field)
TV: COX YurView Kansas (Shane Dennis, pxp)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (Mike Kennedy, pxp)
Promotions: 1989 CWS Championship 30th Anniversary - Gene Stephenson trading card giveaway for the first 1,000 fans
Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game 3: Wichita State vs. Houston
Sunday, April 14 | Noon | Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field)
TV: COX YurView Kansas (Shane Dennis, pxp)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (Mike Kennedy, pxp)
Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game Notes | 2019 Fact Book | @GoShockersBSB

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            SCENE SETTER: Wichita State (18-15, 3-3 American) is scheduled to host the Houston Cougars (18-15, 3-6 American) in a three-game American Athletic Conference series April 12-14 at Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field. The series opener is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, April 12, with game two scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 13, and the series finale slated for noon Sunday, April 14.
 
            1989 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE COMMEMORATED SATURDAY: This season marks 30 years since the Shockers won the College World Series in 1989. To commemorate this historical achievement, College Baseball and Pizza Hut Shockers Sports Hall of Famer and the coach of the 1989 team, legendary Wichita State head coach Gene Stephenson, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Saturday's game. The 1989 trophy will also be on location for fans to take photos with, and Stephenson baseball cards and '89 pennants will also be given away.
 
            MEDIA COVERAGE: Television - The three-game series against Houston will be televised live on COX YurView Kansas (HD 2022) with Pizza Hut Shockers Sports Hall of Famer and former WSU standout pitcher Shane Dennis calling the action ... Radio - KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM will carry the series live, with Pizza Hut Shockers Sports Hall of Famer and "The Voice of the Shockers" Mike Kennedy on the call ... Live video - Free webcasts will be available at YurView.com/Kansas ... Live audio - Complimentary live audio for the series will be available at GoShocker.com/listen ... Live stats - Live stats can be accessed at ShockerStats.com. 
 
            SERIES RECORD: The series against Houston will mark meetings 41-43 in the all-time series that dates back to 1951. The Cougars lead the series, 28-12. Last season in Houston, the Shockers were swept in a three-game series, losing 3-1, 6-5 and 3-1. Houston last played in Wichita in 1996, when WSU swept the Cougars in two games, 13-3 and 6-3.
 
            CATCHING UP WITH THE SHOCKERS: Wichita State enters the weekend with an overall record of 18-15 and an American Athletic Conference tally of 3-3 after dropping a midweek contest to Oklahoma State, 1-0, Wednesday at Eck Stadium. Through 33 contests, the Shockers are paced by senior infielders Jordan Boyer (.389 avg., 26 R, 44 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, .584 SLG%, 11 BB, .475 OB%, 3 SB) and Luke Ritter (.386 avg., 35 R, 49 H, 11 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, .669 SLG%, 19 BB, .500 OB%, 9 SB) ... Boyer and Ritter are second and third in the conference in overall hitting entering the weekend ... On the mound, Wichita State is led by sophomore right-hander starter Liam Eddy (4.70 ERA, 3-3, 38.1 IP, 33 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 15 BB, 20 SO) and junior closer Mitchell Walters (1.89 ERA, 1-1, 5 SV, 19.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 21 SO) ... Junior right-hander Preston Snavely (4.67 ERA, 3-2, 44.1 IP, 39 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 26 BB, 41 SO) is scheduled to start Friday, with Eddy slated for Saturday. Sunday's starter is to be announced ... As a team, WSU is hitting .284 with a 5.35 ERA and .964 fielding percentage.
 
            ABOUT THE COUGARS: The Houston Cougars enter the weekend at 18-15 overall and 3-6 in The American after winning a midweek contest at Sam Houston State Tuesday, 12-7 ... Through 33 games, the Cougars are led by senior first baseman Joe Davis (.317 avg., 18 R, 39 H, 7 2B, 14 HR, 40 RBI, .715 SLG%, 19 BB, .410 OB%) and junior infielder Jared Triolo (.306 avg., 25 R, 38 H, 8 2B, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 17 BB, 6 SB) ... Davis ranks second in the conference in both RBIs and homers coming into the series vs. the Shockers ... Houston is scheduled to start junior left-hander Lael Lockhart (3.63 ERA, 2-4, 44.2 IP, 36 H, 24 R, 18 ER, 21 BB, 42 SO) Friday and sophomore left-hander Clay Aguilar (3.52 ERA, 2-3, 30.2 IP, 27 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 8 BB, 35 SO) Saturday, with Sunday's starter to be announced ... The Cougars top reliever entering the series is junior right-hander Fred Villarreal (1.26 ERA, 3-1, 7 SV, 35.2 IP, 23 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 9 BB, 29 SO) ... Villarreal is tied for the conference lead in saves ... As a team, Houston is hitting .239 (8th in American) with a 4.03 ERA (4th in American) and .966 fielding percentage (5th in American) ... The Cougars are led by ninth season head coach Todd Whitting.

            RITTER NAMED FINALIST FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Luke Ritter was named as one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award which honors student-athletes who excel both on and off the field. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: character, classroom, community and competition. A native of Overland Park, Kan., Ritter was a first team all-conference honoree in The American last season, and has been named to the conference's weekly honor roll three times so far this season. He currently ranks second on the team and third in The American with a .386 batting average, and has 49 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 28 RBIs, 19 walks and nine stolen bases. Ritter has a 3.24 cumulative grade-point average as a finance major. For more information, please visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
 
            STREAK SNAPPED: Luke Ritter had his 44-game reached base safely streak snapped in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Oklahoma State. Ritter, who had reached base in every game this year and the final 12 contests of 2018, went 0-for-4 at the plate against the Cowboys, marking the first time since May 5, 2018, against Cincinnati he failed to get on-base successfully.
 
            CLOSING THE DOOR: Right-hander Mitchell Walters leads Wichita State and is tied for fourth in The American with five saves in 14 appearances. The Katy, Texas, native has a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings with 21 Ks and only seven walks.
 
            TURNING TWO: Through 33 games, the Shockers lead The American and rank sixth in the country in double plays turned with 33. Wichita State turned four double plays Wednesday against Oklahoma State -- tying for third-most in program single-game history.
 
            REACHING BASE...THE PAINFUL WAY: The Shockers lead The American and rank 24th nationally with 52 hit by pitches entering the weekend. Luke Ritter and Jordan Boyer are tied for the conference lead at 11, while Ross Cadena is tied for seventh with seven. Ritter is third in Wichita State career history in hit by pitch with 31.
 
            WEEKLY HONORS: Luke Ritter was named to The American Weekly Honor Roll for the third time this season and sixth time in his career after hitting a blistering .533 with eight hits in 15 at bats, including three doubles and a homer, going along with seven runs scored, four RBIs, four walks and one stolen base. He also had a scorching .933 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage.
 
            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 welcomes UCF to Eck Stadium for a three-game conference series April 18-20. The scheduled game times are 6 p.m. Thursday, April 18, and Friday, April 19, and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 20. Saturday's contest is the annual "Bark in the Park" game.
 
            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.