The RoundHouse | 12/27/2021 6:33:00 PM
Swing. Watch ball soar over the fence. Trot around the bases. Catch the candy from coach
Kristi Bredbenner while rounding third. Touch home plate.
Commence high fives, helmet fives and hugs.
The Shockers wore that routine out, from an opposing pitcher perspective, in 2021 on their way to the American Athletic Conference title and two NCAA Regional wins over Texas A&M. Wichita State slugged its way to the program's best season with a fearsome display of hitting that rewrote the record book.
The Shockers hit 103 home runs, 44 more than the mark set in 2018. No team in the American Athletic Conference comes close – UCF hit 57 this season to rank second. The previous mark is 64 by ECU in 2017. The Missouri Valley Conference's best is 83 by Illinois State in 2007.
"The home run total is a record I think will last a long, long time," Bredbenner said.
While the Shockers pitched well and played strong defense, the legacy of 2021 is the hitting.
Catcher
Madison Perrigan hit 21 home runs to finish with a career-record 58. Freshman right fielder
Addison Barnard hit 22 homers to out-distance Perrigan for the single-season record. Shortstop
Sydney McKinney hit .439 to set a single-season record.
There is more. Much more.
The offense propelled them to a record of 41-13-1, a 75.5 percentage for the best mark in the program's 48 seasons. The 2005 Shockers went 46-18 – the program's high for wins– to compile a 71.9 percentage.
A look at some of the records set by the 2021 Shockers:
Team season
Most runs – 374
Previous – 322 in 2016
RBIs – 353
Previous – 302 in 2016
Total bases – 862
Previous – 740 in 2014
Slugging percentage – .592
Previous – .536 in 2020
Individual season
Batting average – Sydney McKinney .439
Previous – Cacy Williams .424 (2016)
Hits – McKinney 87
Previous – 74 (Brittany Fortner 2015, Katie McGeeney 2005)
Home runs – Addison Barnard 22 (
Madison Perrigan 21)
Previous – Williams 16 (2014)
RBI – Barnard 61 (Perrigan 57)
Previous – Williams 50 (2016)
Career records
Home runs – Perrigan 58 (2017-2021)
Previous – 39 (
Laurie Derrico 2016-19, Williams 2014-16)
RBI – Perrigan 191 (2017-2021)
Previous – Paige Luellen 153 (2013-18)
Walks – Perrigan 113 (2017-21)
Previous – Luellen 106 (2013-18)
Total bases – Perrigan 460 (2017-2021)
Previous – Britnee Barnett 393 (2005-08)
The Roundhouse is counting down the 10 most interesting and significant stories of 2021 for Wichita State athletics. Check back this week for more.
