Wichita State (21-34, 9-15 American) vs. Houston (34-22, 13-11 American)
Tuesday, May 24 | First pitch 47 minutes after Game Three, which starts at 3:00 pm CT | Clearwater, Florida (BayCare Ballpark)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
LHP Caden Favors (1-1, 2.22) vs. RHP Ben Sears (6-3, 2.95)

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SCENE SETTER: Wichita State opens the American Athletic Conference Championship on Tuesday night against Houston at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. The Shockers are the number six seed in the bracket, matched with the third-seeded Cougars in the opening round. WSU plays the final game of the day on Tuesday, with a first pitch time scheduled for 47 minutes after the conclusion of game three, which starts at 4:00 pm ET. The Shockers dropped two of three games over the weekend at South Florida, losing Thursday before splitting a doubleheader on Saturday. After dropping 16 of 17 games from March 25-April 29, WSU has righted the ship with an 8-6 record over the final two weeks of the regular season, highlighted by an 18-0 win over #24 ranked Oklahoma in the last midweek game of the campaign. The Shockers are coming off a 31-23 season a year ago, including an 18-13 mark in the American Athletic Conference that produced a third-place finish, WSU's best since joining the AAC in 2017. Wichita State is seeking their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 2013 season, a regional bid that was later vacated by the NCAA.

SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO AND ESPN PLUS: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for all Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2022. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will have the call at the American Athletic Conference Championship, with the pregame show beginning approximately 20 minutes prior to first pitch. All games at the Championship will be streamed on ESPN+, with analyst Garrett Walvoord and play-by-play Jeff Brightwell on the call. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com.

SERIES HISTORY:  The Shockers and Cougars have met 58 times, with Houston holding a 36-22 lead in the all-time series. Since Wichita State restarted the baseball program in 1978, the Cougars lead the series 15-14. Houston took two of three games in each of the two regular season series in 2022, winning four of six overall. The two teams met a record nine times in the 2021 season, including once in the American Athletic Conference tournament in Clearwater. After losing the first game of the season series against the Cougars, the Shockers rattled off eight consecutive victories, including a dominant four-game series in Wichita in which WSU outscored Houston 40-6. The Shockers and Cougars also played the first-ever game at Riverfront Stadium in downtown Wichita, a 10-1 win on April 10 in front of 7,509 fans. Prior to Wichita State's eight straight victories, the Cougars won seven in a row, including a three-game sweep at Schroeder Park in 2018.

SCOUTING HOUSTON: The Cougars bring an overall record of 34-22 into play on Tuesday, including a 13-11 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The Cougars have lost six consecutive games entering the AAC Championship. Houston has played their best baseball in the friendly confines of Schroeder Park, with a 22-10 record at home and 11-9 mark away from Houston. Closer Ben Sears will be making his first start of the year after racking up 12 saves during the regular season. Sears worked a season-long 4.1 innings in the last matchup against the Shockers on May 8. The Cougars possess a balanced offensive lineup that has eight different regulars hitting .280 or better, highlighted by Kansas transfer Anthony Tulimero and his .324 average. Head Coach Todd Whitting is back for his 12th season at the helm of the Cougars, with a 379-285-1 record since taking over as head coach. The former TCU assistant has led Houston to three American regular season titles and two conference tournament championships. The Cougars were picked seventh in the 2022 American Preseason Poll, following a 19-34 (7-21) mark a season ago.

BOMB SQUAD: After hitting two more home runs in the series at South Florida, the Shockers have now launched 65 long balls on the season, third-most in the conference behind Cincinnati and UCF. That's the most home runs in the BBCOR era for Wichita State, and the most in a season since the 2004 Shockers hit 78. Six different Wichita State hitters have blasted six or more, led by Brock Rodden's 16.

CLEANING IT UP: The Shockers defense is currently putting together its best stretch of the season, committing just one error over the last 65 innings dating back to the final game of the series against Houston. One of the biggest contributing factors has been consistency in the starting lineup, as the Shockers have used the same starters at six defensive positions in each of the last ten games.

GOOD FAVORS: Since taking over as Wichita State's primary opener, left-handed pitcher Caden Favors has put together an incredible run of performances. The sophomore left-hander is currently on a stretch of 15.1 scoreless innings, allowing just seven hits over the course of five appearances with 14 strikeouts and only three walks. All seven of the hits allowed have been singles. The dominant stretch has lowered Favors season ERA from 3.24 to 2.22.

ALL-CONFERENCE: Three Shockers were named to the American Athletic Conference First Team on Monday, as right-handed pitcher Cameron Bye, outfielder Chuck Ingram and second baseman Brock Rodden all received honors for standout regular seasons. Rodden was also named the conference's Newcomer Position Player of the Year. It's the first All-Conference honors for each of the sophomore trio in their young Shocker careers.

FEAST OR FAMINE: No Shocker position player has experienced more statistical variance this season than outfielder Seth Stroh, who ended the regular season with a solid .252/.336/.495 slash line, good for an .831 OPS that is fifth-best on the team. However, Stroh has struck out in 47 of his 103 at-bats this season (46%), easily the highest rate on the club. When not striking out, the sophomore is 26-for-56, an incredible .464 batting average on balls in play. 13 of his 26 hits have gone for extra bases.

OFFENSE AWAKENING: One of the primary culprits in Wichita State's losing streak was an offense that averaged just 3.55 runs per game over the course of an 18-game stretch from March 25 through April 22. The Shockers slashed .222/.318/.349 as a team during the stretch. Beginning on April 19 against Oklahoma, the Shocker bats have produced a .311/.394/.511 slash line in the succeeding 19 games, averaging 7.63 runs per contest.

RODDEN RAKING: The catalyst to the Wichita State offensive resurgence has been second baseman Brock Rodden, who has slashed .432/.511/.851 over the last 19 games with nine home runs. Perhaps most impressively, Rodden has struck out just five times in 74 at-bats while drawing 14 walks. The switch-hitter now has 16 home runs on the season, most since future first rounder Alec Bohm also launched 16 in 2018.

BOOMER BLOWOUT: Monday's 18-0 victory over #24 Oklahoma was a significant one in the Wichita State program record book. The win represented the largest margin of victory in the history of the series against Oklahoma, as well as the most runs the Shockers have ever scored in a game against the Sooners. It was Wichita State's first shutout of a ranked team since March 12, 2011, when the Shockers blanked #24 Tulane 1-0. The Shockers set a new season high with 18 hits, five home runs, and 35 total bases. On the mound, the Shockers carried a no-hitter through 7.2 innings before a double from Kendall Pettis. All told, the combination of Caden Favors, Jace Miner and Robert Cranz allowed just four baserunners on the night, none of which reached third base.

JUST WANTED TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK: Wichita State has scored 25 runs this season in the first inning, hitting .218 as a team with only 17 extra-base hits. The second time through the order against an opposing starter has proven statistically significant, as the Shockers are hitting .309 and .321 in the third and fourth innings, respectively. Wichita State has homered 15 times in the 4th inning this season, most of any one frame.

STAT PADDING: Freshman infielder Xavier Casserilla entered last Saturday's game against Tulane with four home runs and 11 RBI in 45 games. After starting the day 0-for-2, Casserilla blasted a grand slam and three-run homer in successive at-bats, finishing the day with two home runs and seven RBI, most by a Shocker in a single-game the season. The seven runs batted in represented 39 percent of his season RBI total.

SAWYRE SWINGS: Shockers infielder Sawyre Thornhill added another individual accolade to his growing list of accomplishments last Monday against Oklahoma. The junior college transfer set a new career high with five hits, four RBI and three runs scored in Wichita State's 18-0 win over the Sooners. Thornhill already has a 19-game hitting streak to open the season, and added a career-high five walks in an extra-inning game against Cincinnati on April 15.

KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY: Shocker coaches Eric Wedge, Mike Pelfrey, Mike Sirianni and Director of Operations Loren Hibbs all have ties to the WSU baseball program. Wedge powered the Shockers to a national championship as the starting catcher in 1989, earning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors along the way. Pelfrey was an All-American starter who ranks second in program history in ERA (2.18) and strikeouts (366). Sirianni was a volunteer assistant coach for the Shockers in 2015 and 2016 before taking the head coaching position at Regis University. Hibbs helped WSU to the program's first-ever CWS appearance in 1982, and still holds the NCAA record for single-season runs scored with 125.