[7] Memphis vs. [2] Wichita State
Greenville, N.C. | Max R. Joyner Family Stadium
Thursday, May 12, 2022 | 12 PM ET/11 AM CT
ESPN+ | Statbroadcast.com

QUICK HITS
• Wichita State opens the 2022 AAC Championship with first round action against No. 7 seed Memphis.
• Wichita State is 3-1 all-time in the AAC Championship, and enters as the defending tournament champions.
• Wichita State is 8-2 in its last 10 games.
• Addison Barnard was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Five Shockers earned First Team All-Conference honors (Barnard, Sydney McKinney, Neleigh Herring, Lauren Lucas and Lauren Mills) and three were named to the Second Team (Erin McDonald, Jessica Garcia and Zoe Jones). Alison Cooper was a unanimous pick for the All-Rookie Team.
• Barnard has 52 career home runs, placing her in 2nd on the Wichita State home run list.
• Barnard leads the nation in home runs, home runs per game, RBI,  RBI per game and total bases and is 2nd in slugging percentage and runs per game. The next closest home run hitter is at 22.
• Barnard's 30 home runs broke the single season record, which she set at 22 a season ago.
• Barnard is 38th in the country in stolen bases with 25. Her 25 steals already surpass her total from 2021.
• Barnard is the only player in the country with 30+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases.
• Barnard was the NFCA National Player of the Week on April 5, April 26 and May 3.
• Sydney McKinney ranks 1st in the NCAA in batting average, hits and runs per game and 5th in total bases.
• Neleigh Herring is t-5th on the career home run list with 35.
• Wichita State has claimed six American Player of the Week honors in 2022: Addison Barnard (Feb. 14, Apr. 4, Apr. 25, May 2), Sydney McKinney (Feb. 21) and Lauren Lucas (Apr. 18). Erin McDonald was named Pitcher of the Week on Apr. 25. Zoe Jones (Feb. 28), Lauren Lucas (Mar. 7 & 21), Sydney McKinney (May 9), Lauren Mills (Mar. 14)  and Alison Cooper (April 11, May 2) have been named to the weekly honor roll.
• Wichita State ranks in the Top 25 nationally in home runs per game (2nd), home runs (2nd), scoring (2nd), slugging percentage (2nd), batting average (3rd), on base percentage (3rd) and doubles per game (21st).
• Sydney McKinney became the program's all-time hits leader on April 29 at ECU with her 251st career hit. McKinney set the single season record a season ago with 87, and is currently four hits shy of tying that record.
• Sydney McKinney is one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
• Sydney McKinney and sophomore Addison Barnard were named preseason All-Americans by Softball America, becoming the first Shocker duo to earn preseason All-American honors in school history.
• Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner became Wichita State's all-time winningest coach on April 24, 2022 with the victory over Memphis. She surpassed Jim Maynard with 314 career wins.
• Bredbenner recorded her 300th career win at Wichita State on March 14 vs. Kansas.

SCOUTING MEMPHIS
Memphis finished the regular season at 16-37 and 2-16 in league play. The Tigers sport just a .250 batting average as a team to go with 20 home runs. Gracie Morton does it all for Memphis. She hits .394 with four home runs, six doubles and 19 RBI. In the circle, Memphis carries a 6.74 ERA into the tournament and opponents are hitting .328 against them. Hallie Siems has thrown a team-high 142.1 innings and is 7-18 with a 5.37 ERA.

SERIES HISTORY
Wichita State and Memphis first met in February 2010 with the two teams splitting a doubleheader. Since Wichita State joined the American Athletic Conference in 2018, the Shockers are 11-2 against the Tigers. Wichita State has won 10 straight vs. Memphis and leads the all-time series, 12-3.

LAST MEETING WITH THE TIGERS
Wichita State run-ruled Memphis in all three games of the weekend series at Wilkins Stadium just two weeks ago. The Shockers won 10-1, 14-3 and 19-0, outscoring the Tigers, 43-4. Wichita State hit 11 home runs, including four by Addison Barnard. Erin McDonald threw her first solo no-hitter in Sunday's 19-0 win. She struck out six and allowed just two baserunners, both via walk.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State dropped two of three vs. No. 21 UCF in the final series of the regular season at Wilkins Stadium last weekend. The Shockers opened with a game one 11-4 win behind a Neleigh Herring grand slam and a seven-run sixth inning. UCF claimed game two, 3-1, in extra innings and the finale, 9-5. Wichita State lost only two series during the regular season.

AWARD SZN
Wichita State was well-represented in the American Athletic Conference awards department. Highlighted by American Player of the Year, Addison Barnard, is the second straight Shocker to take home the top yearly honor after Sydney McKinney won it a season ago. An All-Conference First Team selection, Barnard is now a two-time first team honoree after doing it as a freshman in 2021. She was joined on the first team by Sydney McKinney (unanimous), Neleigh Herring, Lauren Lucas and Lauren Mills. McKinney is now a three-time first team selection and Herring picks up her second. This is the first all-conference honor for Lucas and Mills. Earning Second Team All-Conference honors were Erin McDonald, Jessica Garcia and Zoe Jones. McDonald is a two-time second team pick, while Garcia and Jones collect their first AAC honors. Freshman Alison Cooper was a unanimous choice for the All-Rookie Team.

RECORDS SHATTER AT ECU
In the series opener at East Carolina on April 29, Wichita State shattered the single game records for largest margin of victory (23), runs (24), hits (23), home runs (10) and total bases (57). Wichita State also set an NCAA record with seven home runs in a single inning, beating the previous record of five. The 10 home runs tied for the second most in NCAA history. Addison Barnard tied the single game school record with three home runs and broke the record with 14 total bases. Her seven RBI tied for the second most. Barnard and Sydney McKinney each scored four times, tying for the second most in a single game. Zoe Jones also had seven RBI in the game, tying for the second most.

NO-NO
Senior Erin McDonald threw her first career solo no-hitter on Sunday, April 24, 2022 vs. Memphis. She struck out six and walked two in 5.0 innings due to the run-rule. McDonald combined for a no-hitter on March 10, 2019 vs. Nebraska. The no-no was the 19th in school history.

.400
Wichita State is one of only three schools (Oklahoma, 3 and Arkansas, 3) in the country that have three or more players hitting .400 or better in the lineup. Sydney McKinney (.497), Addison Barnard (.409) and Lauren Lucas (.409) make up the .400 hitters for the Shockers.

ADDIE THE BADDIE
Addison Barnard is putting together a season for the history books... again.
• Speed & Power: Barnard is in a league of her own when it comes to combining speed and power. The Nebraska native is the only player in the NCAA to have at least 20 home runs and 20 or more stolen bases this season. Through 47 games in 2022 Barnard has 30 home runs, 25 stolen bases and 77 RBI.
• A Club of One: Barnard is the first Shocker in program history to record a 20-20 season of 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases.
• 30-Home Run Club: Barnard became just the 14th player in NCAA history to hit 30 home runs in a season. She is currently tied for the 7th most in NCAA history at 30.
    1. Laura Espinoza, Arizona - 37 (1995)
    2. Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma - 34 (2021)
    3. Lexie Elkins, Louisiana - 32 (2015)
        Camilla Carrera, UTEP - 32 (2012)
    5. Stacie Chambers, Arizona - 31 (2009)
         Stacey Nuveman, UCLA - 31 (1999)
    7. Addison Barnard, Wichita State - 30 (2022)
         Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma - 30 (2018)
         Megan Baltzell, Longwood - 30 (2013)
         Lauren Chamberlain, Oklahoma - 30 (2013)
         Lauren Chamberlain, Oklahoma - 30 (2012)
         Kelly Majam, Hawaii - 30 (2010)
         Danyele Gomez, Louisiana - 30 (2006)
         Laura Espinoza, Arizona - 30 (1994)
• Active HR List: She needed only 54 career games to crack the top 10 home run list at Wichita State. Barnard now has 52 career home runs, placing her in 2nd all time at Wichita State. To put that in perspective, among active players in NCAA Softball, Barnard is already in the Top 15. She is the only non-senior in the country with at least 50 career home runs.
• Running to the Record Book: Barnard broke the single game school record for runs, scoring five at Sam Houston on Sunday, Feb. 13. She scored 11 runs over the weekend after previously setting a career high with four against Dayton on Feb. 11. She ranks second nationally in runs per game behind her teammate Sydney McKinney.
• Wanted for theft: Barnard stole a career-high three bases in the season opener vs. Dayton (Feb. 11), becoming the first Shocker to swipe three bags in a game since Mackenzie Wright had 4 on Feb. 27, 2016. She added two more in both games vs. Sam Houston and Houston Baptist. Barnard finished opening weekend with nine steals in 10 attempts. Barnard ranks 38th in the nation with 25 steals. That is tied for the most in a season at Wichita State.

BREDBENNER REACHES MILESTONES
Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner became the all-time wins leader at Wichita State on April 24, 2022. Bredbenner notched her 314 the win, surpassing Jim Maynard's 313. She recorded her 300th career win at Wichita State on Monday, March 14 vs. Kansas. She is just the second coach in program history to record 300 wins.

MCKINNEY MILESTONE WATCH
• Sydney McKinney is Wichita State's all-time hits leader with 261 in her career. She passed Britnee Barnett on April 29 vs. ECU with No. 251.
• McKinney has 170 career runs scored - the most in school history.
• McKinney is on pace to shatter her own single season record for batting average. She set it at .439 a season ago and is currently No. 1 in the nation at .497.
• McKinney has a career batting average of .420. That number places her among the elite in all of college softball. She ranks 14th on the active list for career batting average in NCAA DI.
• Her 261 career hits rank No. 12 on the NCAA active leaders list. She is the only non-senior in the top 25.
• With a career OBP of .475, McKinney currently holds the top spot in that category as well at Wichita State.
• She broke into the top 10 list on April 24 with her ninth career triple.
• Her 35 career doubles place her in T-9th on the school's all-time list.

ADDIE'S ACCOLADES
Addison Barnard has racked up quite a list of awards already this season, including three NFCA National Player of the Week awards. She is the first Shocker to earn one National POW honors, let alone three.
• American Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference.
• Barnard joins  Oklahoma's Jocelyn Alo as the only players to earn multiple NFCA National Player of the Week awards this season.
• Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on May 3 after hitting .600 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI in the series at ECU.
• For a fourth time this season, Barnard was tabbed the American Player of the Week on May 2.
• After a stellar month of April, Barnard was tabbed the Softball America Player of the Month. She hit .456 with 16 home runs and 40 RBI.
• Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on April 26. In four games, she hit .667 (8-12) with a slugging pct. of 2.250, 6 home runs, 10 runs scored and 15 RBI.
• D1 Softball Player of the Week on April 26.
• American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on April 25.
• Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on April 5. In four games during the week of March 28-April 3, Barnard hit .500 with 5 home runs and 14 RBI.
• D1 Softball Player of the Week on April 5.
• American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on April 4.
• American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 14. She hit .500 (8-for-16) on opening weekend at the Bearkat Classic (Feb. 11-13). Barnard recorded 3 home runs, 7 RBI, 4 walks, 9 stolen bases and 11 runs.

USA SOFTBALL POY TOP 10 FINALIST
Junior Sydney McKinney was named a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 finalist on May 4. McKinney is one of only two players from the American Athletic Conference on the prestigious list, joining South Florida's Georgina Corrick. McKinney is coming off an All-American campaign in 2021 where she ranked third nationally in hits. She is the first Shocker in program history to make the Top 10 for USA Softball POY.

AN APRIL TO REMEMBER
Lauren Lucas has quietly put together a hitting clinic over the month of April. In 17 games, Lucas hit .462  with two home runs, five doubles, nine walks, 10 RBI and 17 runs scored. She had multiple hits in eight of the last 17 games, including a pair of three-hit games. Her scalding month has raised her season batting average over the .400 mark and third on the team.

PITCHERS BEWARE
Wichita State obliterated the school record for home runs in a single season in 2021. The Shockers crushed 103 - a mark that ranked second nationally behind only the defending National Champion, Oklahoma Sooners. Wichita State graduated four seniors in the every day lineup from that record-breaking squad, including 44 of the team's 103 home runs. It only took 42 games for the 2022 team to match that number of 103. Wichita State has since set a new single season mark at 113 and counting.

RPI - WEEK 10
Wichita State checked in at No. 37 in the 10th RPI rankings on May 9. The Shockers have faced 12 teams in the Top 75, including No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 6 Arkansas, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 16 UCF, No. 30 Nebraska, No. 32 Charlotte, No. 34 Illinois, No. 35 Minnesota, No. 39 South Florida, No. 48 South Dakota State, No. 69 Northern Iowa and No. 73 Houston.

DOUBLE DIGIT HOMERS
Wichita State is one of only three teams, joining Oklahoma and Georgia, in the country that have at least six players with 10 or more home runs this season. Addison Barnard (30), Zoe Jones (15), Neleigh Herring (14), Sydney McKinney (13), Lauren Mills (12) and Lauren Lucas (10) all have double digit homers.