NCAA Norman Regional
Friday, May 21 | 5 PM
#23 Wichita State vs. Texas A&M
ESPN2 (Courtney Lyle & Kayla Braud) 

WICHITA, Kan. - No. 2 seed and 23rd-ranked Wichita State faces Texas A&M in the opening game of the Norman Regional Friday night at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2. 

QUICK HITS
• Wichita State earned the American Athletic Conference automatic bid after winning the tournament championship vs. UCF.
• The Norman Regional features the top two home run hitting teams in the NCAA (OU and WSU).
• Nine players in the NCAA have 20-plus HR in 2021. Five of them are in the Norman Regional this weekend (OU - Alo, Jennings, Hansen; A&M - Lee; WSU - Barnard).
• Wichita State is 6-3-1 vs. ranked opponents in 2021.
• Wichita State only lost one series this season, the conference matchup vs. USF.
• Shortstop Sydney McKinney ranks 2nd in the NCAA in hits with 80. She had a career-long 14-game hit streak snapped in the final at Tulsa.
• McKinney broke the single season record for hits on May 1 at Tulsa. Her 80 hits are the most in school history.
• Wichita State matched the school record with its 13-game win streak. The 2005 Shockers also won 13.
• Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner recorded her 600th career win on April 13 vs. Kansas City.
• The Shockers have hit six grand slams this season.
• Freshman Addison Barnard broke the single season home run record on April 13 vs. Kansas City with her 17th home run of the season. Cacy Williams set the mark with 16 in 2014. Barnard now has 21 home runs, which ranks fifth nationally.
• Barnard also has 56 RBI this season, the most in a single season in program history. She passed Cacy Williams (50) on April 25.
• Home Run Queen: Madison Perrigan became Wichita State's all-time home run leader vs. Missouri State on March 5 with her 40th career home run. She now has 55 round-trippers.
• Wichita State is one of only two schools (Oklahoma) in the country with multiple players having 18 or more home runs this season (Barnard - 21, Perrigan - 18).
• Perrigan became the program's all-time RBI leader on March 11 vs. Missouri State with 154 career runs batted in.
• Eight players on the roster have hit five or more home runs.
• Wichita State ranks in the top 30 nationally in home runs (2nd), home runs per game (3rd), slugging percentage (5th), walks (9th), scoring (9th), OBP (16th) and Avg. (30th).
• Sophomore Lauren Mills set the single game home run record vs. Lamar on Feb. 20 when she hit three home runs - two in the same inning.
• Wichita State cleaned up in conference awards - Sydney McKinney (Player of the Year, 1st Team), Addison Barnard (Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team, 1st Team), Kaylee Huecker (Defensive Player of the Year), Coaching Staff of the Year, Madison Perrigan (1st Team), Neleigh Herring (1st Team), Bailey Lange (2nd Team), Ryleigh Buck (2nd Team) and Bailee Nickerson (2nd Team).

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State won its first American Athletic Conference Tournament, defeating third-seeded UCF in the championship game, 7-4. The win sealed the automatic bid for the American in the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers scored all seven of their runs on the home run ball. Three different Shockers hit homers - Addison Barnard (2 RBI), Madison Perrigan (3 RBI) and Ryleigh Buck (2 RBI). Wichita State scored seven unanswered runs to overcome a 3-0 deficit. Bailey Lange recorded her 21st win of the season and Caitlin Bingham notched her third save.

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M enters the Norman Regional with a 31-21 (8-16 SEC) record. Haley Lee leads the Aggies in numerous offensive categories, including batting average (.413), home runs (22), RBI (43) and walks (34). Lee's 22 home runs rank in the top five nationally. Makinzy Herzog paces the squad with 61 hits, 43 runs and doubles with 14. Freshman Bre Warren is second on the team in doubles (11) and walks (21). In the circle, Kayla Poynter leads the staff with a 2.39 ERA and has a 9-8 record. Herzog paces the squad with 12 wins on a 2.56 ERA, while Grace Uribe has tallied seven wins. As a team, the Aggies hit .280 with 66 home runs, 68 doubles and 60 stolen bases. The pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.73, while holding opponents to a .230 batting average.

SERIES HISTORY
Wichita State and Texas A&M have met nine times prior to this weekend's NCAA Regional. The Aggies have won all nine meetings, but only two have been on a neutral field. The two programs first met back in April 1992. This will be the first meeting between the two schools in an NCAA Regional.

LAST MEETING WITH THE AGGIES
Wichita State and Texas A&M last met on Feb. 12 and Feb. 14, 2016. The Aggies were ranked No. 24 in the matchups when the Shockers traveled to College Station for the Aggie Classic. Texas A&M won 4-3 in the first game and 9-1 in the finale. Wichita State took a 3-2 lead into the 7th inning in game one, but the Aggies scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the 7th to earn a walk-off win.

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS
Wichita State won its first American Athletic Conference regular season championship in program history after an 18-5-1 record in league play. The 2021 Shockers recorded the third conference title in school history, joining the 2014 and 2016 teams. Wichita State will be the No. 1 seed in the conference championship and receive a first round bye.

WICHITA STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Wichita State is making its fifth NCAA Regional appearance - three of those being in Norman. The Shockers are 3-8 all-time in NCAA Regional games. This is the first regional since 2018 when Wichita State advanced to the Regional Final vs. the No. 13 overall seed Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional. The Norman Regional boasts the No. 1 overall seed, Oklahoma.

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS
Wichita State won its first American Athletic Conference regular season championship in program history after an 18-5-1 record in league play. The 2021 Shockers recorded the third conference title in school history, joining the 2014 and 2016 teams. Wichita State will be the No. 1 seed in the conference championship and receive a first round bye.

WICHITA STATE SWEEPS AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Wichita State added another title to the 2021 resume last weekend with the program's first American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. The Shockers defeated Tulsa in the semifinals before dispatching of UCF in the title game, 7-4. The tournament championship is the third in school history, joining the 1989 and 2016 teams. It marked only the second time in program history that the Shockers claimed both the regular season and tournament titles in the same season (2016).

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Wichita State was well-represented on the American All-Tournament Team with six selections. Addison Barnard was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Barnard was joined by Ryleigh Buck, Bailey Lange, Sydney McKinney, Lauren Mills and Madison Perrigan on the squad.

WE CLEAN UP PRETTY GOOD
Wichita State brought home a lot of hardware from the American Athletic Conference regular season awards. The Shockers claimed Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year, as well as four First Team All-Conference and three Second Team All-Conference selections. Sydney McKinney had a stellar 2021 campaign that saw her land Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors. McKinney is the second Shocker to be named American Player of the Year, joining Mackenzie Wright. Addison Barnard broke on to the scene as a true freshman, earning Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team and First Team All-Conference honors. Kaylee Huecker was rewarded for her defensive prowess by being named Defensive Player of the Year. Huecker is the first Shocker to earn DPOY honors. Head coach Kristi Bredbenner, assistant coach Elizabeth Economon and graduate assistant Presley Bell led the team to a record-breaking season. They were named the 2021 Coaching Staff of the Year. Madison Perrigan and Neleigh Herring were both named All-Conference First Team members. Perrigan earned first team honors for the second time in her career. Bailey Lange, Ryleigh Buck and Bailee Nickerson were all chosen for the All-Conference Second Team.

POLL FOR THOUGHTS
Wichita State climbed into the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for the first time in program history on April 13. The Shockers received 61 votes to enter the rankings at No. 25. The following week the Shockers climbed two spots up to No. 23, the highest in school history, but dropped out after a 1-4 week. On April 20, Wichita State was ranked in all four major polls for the first time ever. Wichita State sits at No. 23 in the NFCA Coaches Poll released on May 18, No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Softball, No. 24 in the Softball America Top 25 and No. 25 in the D1 Top 25.

ALL SHE DOES IS HIT
Sophomore Sydney McKinney broke the Wichita State single season record for hits on May 1 at Tulsa. She had three hits in the contest, bringing her season total to 76. McKinney passed Brittany Fortner (2015) and Katie McGeeney (2005) who shared the record with 74. McKinney recently had a career-best 14-game hitting streak snapped at Tulsa. She has had at least one hit in all but eight games this season.

A SEASON FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
Wichita State is 39-11-1 so far this season. That mark is the best record through the first 51 games in program history. The 2021 Shockers were the fastest to reach 30 wins in school history, needing only 35 games.

BARNARD'S BOMBS
Freshman Addison Barnard broke the single season home run record on April 13 vs. Kansas City with her 17th of the season. She broke a tie with Cacy Williams who set the record in 2014. Barnard needed only 34 games to break the program record, as a true freshman. Additionally, her, now, 21 home runs are the most by a player in American Athletic Conference history. She is also three home runs away from cracking the Top 10 on the career charts at Wichita State, in just one season. Barnard is one of just nine players in the country with 20 or more home runs in 2021.

PITCHERS BEWARE
Through 51 games, Wichita State has hit 94 home runs, a mark good enough to rank second nationally. Wichita State is one of only three schools in the country with 90 or more home runs. The school record for home runs in a single season was 59 set in 2018. The Shockers eclipsed that mark on April 10 vs. Houston in just their 31st game of the season.

SHOCKERS BOAST STRONG RPI
In the latest release of the 2021 RPI, Wichita State sits at No. 24 after posting a 39-11-1 record in the regular season. Wichita State opponents that sit in the top 50 include: Oklahoma at No. 4, Oklahoma State at No. 6, Texas at No. 16, UCF at No. 37, Iowa State at No. 38 and South Dakota State at No. 41. USF, Kansas and North Texas are just outside at No. 63, No. 66 and No. 72.

PITCHING 20-20
Redshirt senior Bailey Lange became just the third Shocker in school history to record multiple 20-win seasons in the circle. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native is 21-6 this season, which is a career best. Lange recorded her first 20-win season in 2018 when she finished 20-13 after leading the Shockers to the Fayetteville Regional. The only other Shockers to accomplish the feat are Margo Pruis (2015, 2016, 2017) and Lindsay Craig (2004, 2005).

AMERICAN HISTORY
Wichita State set a program record for conference wins as a member of the American. They finished 18-5-1 in league play. The Shockers' 18 wins are the most since joining the league in 2018. Wichita State also became the first team in American Athletic Conference history to win 18 conference games in a season. Prior to 2021, the Shockers hadn't won more than 12 American conference games. They needed only 14 games to reach win No. 13 this season. The Shockers went 12-9 (.571) to tie for third in the AAC standings in their debut season in 2018 and added a matching 12-9 record to take fourth place in 2019.

RANKED WINS
Wichita State has picked off three ranked teams so far this season. The Shockers defeated No. 11 Oklahoma State for a second time on April 27 in Wichita. Wichita State took 3-of-4 at No. 23 UCF over the weekend - the first time defeating a ranked team in three straight games. The Shockers' upset of No. 8/6 Oklahoma State on Thursday, March 18 was the program's highest ranked win in program history. The win in Stillwater was just the fifth-ever win at OSU and marked the largest margin of victory over the Cowgirls. Wichita State's win over No. 23 Iowa State on March 7 in Arlington was its first victory over a ranked foe since May 2019. The Shockers are 6-3-1 this season against teams ranked in the top 25.

STAYING IN THE LOOP
Follow the Shocker softball program on Twitter (@GoShockersSB) for content and in-game updates. You can also become a fan of Wichita State Softball on Facebook (GoShockersSB) and Instagram (goshockerssb).

UP NEXT
Wichita State will face either No 1 Oklahoma or Morgan State Saturday.