The RoundHouse | 5/9/2021 1:29:00 PM
By
Paul Suellentrop
No. 5 –The softball title is Wichita State's fifth conference crown as an American Athletic Conference member (after joining in 2017-18) and the first by the softball team. It joins volleyball (2017), women's cross country (2018), women's outdoor track and field (2019) and men's basketball (2021) with American trophies.
The Shockers are 37-11-1 entering the American Championships in Tulsa. They are the top seed and play at 6 p.m. Friday. Wichita State's 18-5-1 record earned the top spot, with help from UCF's two wins on Saturday over USF. The Shockers needed UCF to win at least two of the four games to keep USF from winning the title.
Wichita State softball won Missouri Valley Conference titles in 2014 and 2016, also under coach
Kristi Bredbenner. She is 282-232-1 in 10 seasons at Wichita State, seven of those with 30 or more wins.
Roots in 2018 – The first place that explains this team's success is the 2018 NCAA regional at Arkansas. The Shockers advanced to the regional title round for the first time in four NCAA appearances by defeating Oklahoma State twice.
The Shockers ended their season with a 6-4 loss to Arkansas. In the lineup that day: catcher
Madison Perrigan, pitchers
Bailey Lange and
Caitlin Bingham, first baseman
Ryleigh Buck, designated player
Neleigh Herring and second baseman
Kaylee Huecker.
All six are key parts of the 2021 team.
Come on back – A second critical piece snapped into place last spring, when Perrigan, Lange and Buck decided to return for another season of COVID-19 eligibility. The pandemic cut short their 2020 senior seasons – with an unsatisfying 11-16 record – and the trio did not want to leave on that note.
"To the NCAA, thank you for giving us one more go-around. We won't take it for granted," they said in an April 2020 Twitter message announcing the decision.
Perrigan, while starting every game at catcher, extended her career home run record to 54 and her career RBI mark to 183.
Lange rebounded from injury that shortened her 2019 and a disappointing 2020 to return to the role of No. 1 starter. She is 19-6 with a 2.42 earned run average to rank third in the conference. Should she win a 20
thgame, she becomes the third Shocker to win 20 or more games twice in a career.
Buck, starting at third base, is hitting. 282 with eight home runs.
Fast start – The Shockers hinted – well, more than hinted – at their potential with their performance early in the season. They defeated top-100 RPI teams such as Oklahoma State, Iowa State, North Texas and South Dakota State in February and March.
They opened their home schedule by outscoring old rival Creighton 31-5 and hitting 13 home runs in a three-game sweep.
Wichita State entered conference play 17-4 and receiving votes in the coaches poll for the first time since 2018.
With that, the struggles of 2020 seemed finished.
In conference play, the Shockers essentially won the conference title with two road series. Wichita State went 3-0-1 at UCF – allowing two runs – and 3-1 at Tulsa. Those series wins over two contenders gave the Shockers cushion to recover from a 3-1 series loss at home to USF.
Put it all together – The defining aspect of 2021 is hitting. The Shockers are conference champions and certain NCAA participants because pitching and defense are close to equal partners.
The Shockers lead the American in batting average (.308), slugging percentage (.592) and on-base percentage (,408). Their 90 home runs far out-distance UCF in second (53). They are second nationally in total home runs and fifth (1.84) per game.
One – only one – illustration of Wichita State's pop is the top of the American's slugging percentage list.
The Shockers own the top three spots and five of the top 10, leading to a No, 7 ranking nationally. Freshman right fielder
Addison Barnard is first at .775, followed by Herring (.746) and Perrigan (.705). Shortstop
Sydney McKinney is eighth (.616) with Buck (.595) at 10
th.
McKinney leads the American with a .434 batting average and 51 runs. Herring leads the American with a .534 on-base percentage. The Shocker season record is .531 by Cacy Williams in 2014.
With Lange and Bingham in the circle, the Shockers own a 2.80 ERA, third in the American. In conference games, the Shockers are at 2.85 with Bingham fourth at 2.29.
The Shockers are tied for first in fielding percentage at .973. With Huecker at second, Perrigan catching, McKinney and senior centerfielder
Bailee Nickerson, the Shockers are talented, reliable and experienced up the middle.
Sometimes, as the highlight grabs show, they are spectacular.
Top of the order – McKinney and Barnard put pressure on pitchers as the first two hitters with a blend of speed, average and power.
Barnard's freshman season attracted national attention and sets up her to make a run at an untold number of Shocker and conference records over the next three seasons. She already owns the Wichita State record for season home runs with 20, four more than the previous mark. Her 54 RBI are also a season record.
McKinney, who leads the Shockers with 14 steals, is on pace to set the season record batting average – now at .424 by Williams in 2014.
A different state of affairs – One way to look at the 2021 softball title is by considering which schools didn't win it.
Wichita State's title is a rare interruption of dominance by the Florida schools. From 2014-2019, UCF and USF won every title except one (Tulsa in 2017). USF won AAC titles in 2016, 2018 and 2019. UCF won in 2014 and 2015.
In 2018, the Shockers entered the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to win or tie for the title. After moving into a tie for first with a win at USF, the Shockers dropped the final two games of the series to fall to third.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
