The RoundHouse | 5/4/2022 10:29:00 AM

 
In 2018, Wichita State softball stumbled through its introduction to its new conference. It lost series to Memphis, preseason favorite Tulsa and Houston.
 
"We just never really got into any kind of rhythm," coach Kristi Bredbenner said.
 
Then UCF visited Wilkins Stadium in second place in the American Athletic Conference. That weekend served as a marker for Shocker softball – 6-6 in conference play when it started and 49-19 since.
 
Not many stumbles after that 2018 weekend. Lots of winning rhythm.
 
This weekend, UCF is back at Wilkins Stadium to end the regular season and resume a rivalry that packed much drama into three seasons (not counting COVID-19 interrupted 2020). It is again critical to the conference race and NCAA resume. Wichita State, who won the 2021 conference title, leads the series 10-1-1.
 
"The biggest thing for us is we play well against good teams," Bredbenner said. "We look forward to play (UCF) because we know how fun of a game it's going to be."
                                                    
No. 15 UCF (42-11, 14-1) leads the conference standings by one game over No. 25 Wichita State (31-13, 13-2). The Shockers, on an 11-game win streak, must win at least two of three to tie the Knights for the regular-season title and claim top seed in the tournament. The Shockers also need wins to boost their NCAA at-large chances.
 
The American is set up to produce unlikely rivalries by nature of its geographic distribution.
 
Wichita State vs. UCF is one such series. Both teams regularly contend for the conference title and NCAA regional spots. Last season, both (along with USF) reached the regional title round. Both teams pride themselves on playing strong non-conference schedules.
 
Similar success. Contrasting geography.
 
"We've surprised a lot of people with the thought that when we moved into this league that we would be one of the teams that would be at the top, because we're from Kansas," Bredbenner said. "Most of the schools are from the South and warm climates. Great players in droves that surround their schools. We're just this ragtag team from Kansas that are all Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska kids."
 
Similar success. Contrasting ways to get there.
 
"Totally different styles of play," Bredbenner said. "They're trying to put the ball in play and get to a couple of kids that can hit the long ball. It's speed."
 
The Knights rely on hitting all over the field, running and pitching.
 
They rank second in the conference with a 2.16 earned run average and second in batting average at .299. With a conference-leading 207 walks, UCF ranks second with a .401 on-base percentage. UCF's 64 doubles are tied for third and their 81 steals are second. UCF has 33 home runs, third in the American.
 
The Shockers lead the American with a .354 batting average, a .441 on-base percentage, 109 home runs and 74 doubles. Wichita State's earned run average of 4.12 is fourth in the conference.
 
Both teams pitch even better in conference play – UCF boasts a 0.88 ERA in 15 games with Wichita State at 3.00 in 14.
 
In 2018, the Shockers entered a series with UCF with a record of 24-17, 6-6 in the American. A sweep of the Knights keyed a 7-3 finish to the regular season that kept the Shockers in the title race until the final weekend and helped them earn an NCAA at-large spot.
 
Wichita State won the first two games of the series with walk-off home runs in a doubleheader. The Shockers won the opener 9-8 with Bailey Lange's two-run homer in the eighth inning ending the game. In the nightcap, Laurie Derrico hit a two-run homer in the seventh to give the Shockers a 5-4 win.
 
In 2019, Wichita State won two of three against first-place UCF in Orlando.
 
After losing the opener 3-2, the Shockers won the series with more drama. Three 10^th-inning runs, two on a home run by Madison Perrigan, gave them a 6-3 win. Perrigan homered in the sixth inning of the finale to give the Shockers a 2-1 win, in which pitcher Erin McDonald threw a three-hitter.
 
 In 2021, the preseason coaches poll picked UCF first and the Shockers fifth.
 
The Shockers traveled to Orlando ranked No. 25 to face the 23^rd-ranked Knights. Wichita State won 7-0, 3-0 and 5-2. Lange threw a one-hitter in the opener and Caitlin Bingham followed with a two-hitter in the second game.
 
The fourth game of the series ended in a 0-0 tie. Travel plans put a time limit on the game and UCF had a runner on third with one out when the game ended.
 
In the American tournament title game, Wichita State defeated UCF 7-4 after trailing 3-0. Home runs by Addison Barnard, Perrigan and Ryleigh Buck supplied the Wichita State runs.
 
Starting Friday, all that history matters not, and the conference's top two teams meet again at Wilkins Stadium.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.