TULSA, Okla. - The Wichita State softball team makes its final road trip of the regular season, traveling to Tulsa for a three-game conference series starting on Friday. 

SCOUTING TULSA   
Tulsa challenges the Shockers after sweeping UCF last weekend. With a 12-3 conference record, the Golden Hurricane are only one game behind USF for the conference lead and are three games ahead of the Shockers for second. Tulsa is the only team in the American Athletic Conference to be receiving top 25 votes and has obtained two top 25 wins this season. Juli Hollingsworth leads the American Athletic Conference with a .437 batting average, leading Tulsa with 59 hits on the season while obtaining a slugging percentage of .563. Alexis Perry is coming off American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors after hitting .545 with two doubles, a grand slam and six RBI. Perry had at least one hit in all four games and posted season highs with three hits and four RBI in the series finale against UCF. Chenise Delce leads Tulsa in the circle with a 1.66 earned run average, coming up with 91 strikeouts in the process. Samantha Pochop has also made some impactful contributions, coming up with 98 strikeouts this season.

LAST MEETING
After claiming a 14-5 win to tie the series 1-1, Tulsa used a three-run top of the seventh inning to steal a win from the Shockers at Wilkins Stadium on April 8, 2018. The Golden Hurricane would score the go-ahead run off a Shocker fielding error, with Wichita State being unable to make up the deficit.

SERIES HISTORY
This is just the second meeting between Tulsa and Wichita State in the American Athletic Conference, but the two teams are no strangers to each other. The Shockers lead the all-time series 26-24, meeting as members of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1994-1996.

SEEKING 30
Wichita State is searching for 30 wins in a season for the 15th time in program history. Head coach Kristi Bredbenner would become the first head coach in program history to obtain five consecutive 30-win seasons in Shocker Softball history. Her and Jim Maynard are the only head coaches at Wichita State to obtain four consecutive 30-win seasons.

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 78 runs with two outs, hitting 15 out of 42 of its home runs during that stretch.

GETTING 'EM AROUND
Senior Laurie Derrico needs two home runs to move into first place in the Shocker record books. Currently in second with 38, Derrico would pass Cacy Williams (2014-16). Derrico has reached double figures in home runs in the previous two seasons.

MOVING ON UP
In addition to closing in on Wichita State's home run record, Laurie Derrico recently moved up in a tie for second on the Shockers' all-time RBIs list with 135. Derrico tied Cacy Williams (2014-16) and 19 more to pass Paige Luellen (2013-18) for the record.

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE
Double plays have been key to Wichita State's defensive success. Ryleigh Buck leads the American Athletic Conference in double plays with 19, with Kaylee Huecker (13) and Laurie Derrico (16)not far behind. Wichita State leads the conference with 24 double plays, five away from tying a program record.

OFFENSIVE POWER
The Shockers are leading the American Athletic Conference in several offensive categories, including hits, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and batting average. Wichita State also holds a commanding lead in home runs and runs scored against its conference foes.

POWER OFF THE BENCH   
Not only have the Shocker starters been producing offensively, but have added depth when they call for a pinch hitter. Wichita State has five different pinch hitters collecting hits this season, with three of them having a batting average of .333 or better. Mauriana Jamele leads the team with an .800 batting average as a pinch hitter, with Neleigh Herring hitting .600 when she is called off from the bench. Wichita State's pinch hitters are hitting .344 collectively compared to their opponents at .229.