Game 1: Wichita State (17-12, 2-1 American) at Tulane (19-10, 2-1 American)
Friday, April 5 | 6:30 p.m. | New Orleans, La. (Greer Field at Turchin Stadium)
TV: CST (Bob Licht, pxp; Ronnie Rantz, color; Carley McCord, reporter)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (Shane Dennis, pxp)
Live Video (PPV) | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game 2: Wichita State at Tulane
Saturday, April 6 | 2 p.m. | New Orleans, La. (Greer Field at Turchin Stadium)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (Shane Dennis, pxp)
Live Video (PPV) | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game 3: Wichita State at Tulane
Sunday, April 7 | 1 p.m. | New Orleans, La. (Greer Field at Turchin Stadium)
Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM (Shane Dennis, pxp)
Live Video (PPV) | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game Notes | 2019 Fact Book | @GoShockersBSB

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            SCENE SETTER: After a bye week in American Athletic Conference play, the Wichita State University baseball team (17-12, 2-1 American) is slated to resume conference action with a three-game series at Tulane (19-10, 2-1 American) April 5-7 at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium in New Orleans, La. The first pitch times for the series are 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 6, and 1 p.m. Sunday, April 7.
 
            MEDIA COVERAGE: Television - Friday's series opener against the Green Wave will be televised in Louisiana on Cox Sports Television with Bob Licht providing play-by-play, Ronnie Rantz as the color commentator and Carley McCord as the on-field reporter ... Live Video - A pay-per-view video webcast of all three games in the series will be available at TulaneGreenWave.com/watch ... Radio - All contests in the Tulane series will air live on KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM with Pizza Hut Shockers Sports Hall of Famer and former WSU standout pitcher Shane Dennis providing play-by-play ... Live audio - Free, live audio will be available at GoShockers.com/listen ... Additional coverage - Live stats will be available at TulaneGreenWave.com.
 
            SERIES RECORD: The three-game series at Tulane will mark meetings 12-14 in the all-time series that dates back to 1993. The Green Wave lead the series, 7-4. Last season, the Shockers took two of three games from Tulane at Eck Stadium, dropping the opener in seven innings, 19-4, before winning games two and three, 9-3 and 8-2. Wichita State last played the Green Wave in New Orleans in 2014.
 
            CATCHING UP WITH THE SHOCKERS: Wichita State enters the weekend with an overall record of 17-12 and an American Athletic Conference tally of 2-1 after winning a midweek game at Kansas Tuesday, 9-1 ... The Shockers have won a season-best six consecutive games, and are 9-1 in their last 10 contests ... Through 29 games, WSU is led at the plate by senior infielders Jordan Boyer (.406 avg., 24 R, 39 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, .615 SLG%, 9 BB, .487 OB%, 3 SB) and Luke Ritter (.378 avg., 29 R, 42 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 25 RBI, .658 SLG%, 17 BB, .493 OB%, 8 SB), senior first baseman Mason O'Brien (.301 avg., 16 R, 28 H, 8 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 14 BB) and sophomore outfielder Hunter Gibson (.291 avg., 18 R, 30 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 14 BB, 2 SB) ... In the latest conference statistics, Boyer is second in overall batting and third in on-base percentage, while Ritter is sixth in batting and second in on-base percentage ... On the mound, the Shockers are led by junior right-handed starter Preston Snavely (4.12 ERA, 3-2, 39.1 IP, 35 H, 19 R, 18 ER, 22 BB, 38 SO) and junior right-handed closer Mitchell Walters (2.40 ERA, 0-1, 5 SV, 15.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 17 SO) ... Snavely, in addition to fellow right-handers Ryan Stuempfig and Clayton McGinness are slated to start for Wichita State at Tulane ... As a team, the Shockers are hitting .287 with a 5.05 ERA and .965 fielding percentage.
 
            ABOUT THE GREEN WAVE: The Tulane Green Wave enter the weekend at 19-10 overall and 2-1 in The American after dropping a midweek contest across town at New Orleans Tuesday evening, 8-7 in 10 innings ... Through 29 contests, Tulane is led offensively by junior outfielder Kody Hoese (.400 avg., 34 R, 48 H, 9 2B, 14 HR, 34 RBI, .825 SLG%, 20 BB, .486 OB%, 4 SB), senior infielder Trevor Jensen (.338 avg., 31 R, 44 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, .538 SLG%, 10 BB, 1 SB) and redshirt junior infielder Grant Mathews (.321 avg., 21 R, 35 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 16 BB, 2 SB) ... Hoese leads The American in hits, homers, runs scored and slugging percentage, and ranks second in RBIs entering the series with the Shockers. He is also second in the nation in home runs ... On the mound, the Green Wave are slated to throw redshirt senior right-hander Kaleb Roper (3.40 ERA, 4-2, 1 CG, 42.1 IP, 37 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 15 BB, 47 SO), junior right-hander Keagan Gillies (6.75 ERA, 1-1, 32.0 IP, 40 H, 24 R, 24 ER, 10 BB, 32 SO) and redshirt sophomore right-hander Chase Solesky (4.96 ERA, 2-2, 32.2 IP, 27 H, 19 R, 18 ER, 16 BB, 35 SO) ... As a team, Tulane is hitting .301 (second in The American) with a 4.45 ERA (sixth in The American) and .974 fielding percentage (third in The American) ... The Green Wave are under the direction of third season head coach Travis Jewett.
 
            SEVEN STELLAR INNINGS: Right-handed pitchers Liam Eddy, Preston Snavely and Clayton McGinness all tossed seven shutout innings in Wichita State's three-game sweep of Bethune-Cookman March 29-31. Eddy allowed just one hit while posting a career-high seven Ks with just one walk, while Snavely gave up three hits with five strikeouts and four walks, and McGinness scattered a trio of hits with four Ks and one walk. As a whole, the Wichita State pitching staff tallied a 1.33 ERA in the Bethune-Cookman series, allowing just four earned runs with 19 strikeouts and nine walks. Junior right-hander Tommy Barnhouse joined the party Tuesday in WSU's victory at KU, tossing a career-best seven innings and allowing just one earned run on four hits with two walks and seven Ks.
 
            YOU GET A HIT, AND YOU GET A HIT: In the Shockers' 9-1 triumph at Kansas Tuesday, eight of nine players recorded at least one hit, with five posting two hits. Jacob Katzfey (double and triple), David VanVooren (double), Jordan Boyer (double) and Luke Ritter (double) each compiled extra-base hits in the contest. Wichita State went an impressive 9-for-17 at the plate with two outs Tuesday evening, plating six of its nine runs with two away.
 
200 CAREER HITS...AND COUNTING: Luke Ritter surpassed 200 career hits with single in the Shockers' 7-0 win over Bethune-Cookman March 31. After compiling a double against KU Tuesday, the senior from Overland Park, Kan., stands at 201 career hits. Ritter already surpassed 100 RBIs earlier this season, and has driven in 101 runs going into the Tulane series.
 
            BOYER AND RITTER SCORCHING AT THE PLATE: Jordan Boyer and Luke Ritter continue to excel at the plate entering the weekend series at Tulane. Boyer leads the Shockers, ranks second in The American and 30th nationally in hitting at .406 while Ritter is second on the team and sixth in the conference at .378. In the most recent NCAA statistics, Ritter is 52nd in on-base percentage (.493), while Boyer is 63rd (.487).
 
            NOTABLE STREAKS: Luke Ritter is riding a 41-game on-base streak dating back to last season (has reached base safely in all 29 games in 2019) ... Mason O'Brien has gotten on-base successfully in his last 22 games.
 
            WEEKLY HONORS: Liam Eddy was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for his performance on the diamond during the week of March 25-31. It's Eddy's third-career honor roll appearance, and his first this season. A native of Brighton, Colo., Eddy tossed seven scoreless innings and struck out a career-high seven batters while only allowing one hit – an infield single – on 82 pitches in the Shockers' 11-4 victory over Bethune-Cookman March 30 to earn his third win on the mound in 2019.
 
            GOING DEEP: The Shockers hit a combined five home runs in their five wins March 26-31. Against the Mavs Tuesday, March 26, Garrett Kocis, Jordan Boyer and Luke Ritter went yard, with Kocis going deep again Wednesday, March 27, vs. the Wildcats, and Jacob Katzfey going yard for the first time this season Saturday, March 30, vs. Bethune-Cookman. Ritter has a team-best six homers through 28 games, while Boyer is at three, Kocis is at two, and Katzfey is at one. Paxton Wallace (4), Hunter Gibson (2), Mason O'Brien (1), Ross Cadena (1) and David VanVooren (1) also have homers this season.
 
            CLOSING THE DOOR: Right-hander Mitchell Walters leads Wichita State and is tied for third in The American with five saves in 12 appearances. The Katy, Texas, native has a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings with 17 Ks and only six walks. He ranks 47th in the nation in saves entering the weekend.
 
            TURNING TWO: Through 29 games, the Shockers are second in The American and rank 16th in the country in double plays turned with 26. Tulane leads the conference with 28.
 
            REACHING BASE...THE PAINFUL WAY: The Shockers lead The American and rank 17th nationally with 48 hit by pitches entering the week. Jordan Boyer leads the conference in hit by pitch at 10, while Luke Ritter is tied for second at nine, and Ross Cadena and Mason O'Brien are tied for sixth with six. Ritter is third in Wichita State career history in hit by pitch with 29.
 
            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 begins an eight-game homestand with a midweek contest against Oklahoma State Wednesday, April 10, at 6 p.m. at Eck Stadium.
 
            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.