#23 Wichita State vs. #12 Stanford
Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium
March 9 | 3:00 PM | ESPN+

Shocker Classic
Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium
March 10: vs. RV/RV Nebraska (5:00 PM/ESPN+)
March 11: vs. RV/RV Nebraska (2:30 PM/ESPN+) | vs. Missouri State (5:00 PM/ESPN+)
March 12: vs. Missouri State (2:30 PM/ESPN+)

QUICK HITS
• Wichita State is ranked in three national polls: #22 in Softball America, #23 in D1 Softball and #23 in NFCA.
• Wichita State has won 11 straight, t-4th longest in school history.
• Wichita State is 10-0 in its last 10 games.
• Wichita State has shut out six of its first 16 opponents. The 2022 Shockers had five all season.
• After playing just 11 home games in 2022, Wichita State has 27 games at Wilkins Stadium in 2023.
• Wichita State received three first place votes in the AAC Preseason Poll and was picked to finish 2nd, just one point behind UCF.
• Lauren Howell was named the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for a second time on March 6.
• Sydney McKinney was named the Softball America Player of the Month for February.
• McKinney and Lauren Howell swept the American Player and Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 20.
• McKinney was also named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on Feb. 21.
• McKinney leads the country in hits and batting average.
• McKinney led the nation in hits and batting average in 2022.
• McKinney is the NCAA DI active leader in hits and batting average.
• McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU.
• McKinney's hit streak ended at 34, 6th longest in NCAA history.
• McKinney is the program's all-time hits and batting average leader and also owns single season records for runs and OBP.
• Lauren Lucas was named the AAC Player of the Week on Feb. 13.
• Lucas currently ranks 2nd nationally in doubles.
• Addison Barnard has 57 career home runs, placing her in 2nd on the Wichita State home run list.
• Barnard finished the 2022 season leading the nation in home runs per game and RBI per game, and ranked second in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage.
• Barnard's 33 home runs broke her own single season record.
• Barnard became the first known player in NCAA history with 30+ home runs and 25+ stolen bases.
• Barnard ranks 4th among NCAA DI active players in career home runs. Barnard and Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings are the only non-seniors or grad students in the Top 25.
• McKinney and Barnard were named to the USA Softball Top 50 Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.
• McKinney and Barnard are D1 Softball (First Team) and Softball America (Second Team) Preseason All-Americans.

SCOUTING STANFORD
Stanford is ranked in the Top 15 in all four polls, as high as No. 5 in the D1 Softball Top 25. The Cardinal have won 17 straight and enter the matchup 19-2 this season. Stanford's pitching has been lights out with a 1.27 ERA and 168 strikeouts to just 25 walks. Topeka native NiJaree Canady has yet to allow a run in 44.0 IP.

SERIES HISTORY
Wichita State and Stanford have met four times entering Thursday's matchup with the Cardinal holding a 3-1 lead in the series. Wichita State's lone win came the last time the two teams met on Feb. 27, 2015.

LAST MEETING WITH THE CARDINAL
Wichita State defeated Stanford, 6-4, at the 2015 Long Beach State Louisville Slugger Tournament in Lakewood, Calif. Mackenzie Wright had three hits and Katie Malone threw a complete game in the circle.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska also enters on a lengthy win streak of 9 games. The Huskers are ranked in the Softball America and D1 Softball Top 25, and receiving votes in the NFCA and USA Softball polls. Nebraska hits .309 as a team with 21 HR, led by Billie Andrews with 8. Nebraska relies on three pitchers in Kaylin Kinney (25.0 IP, 0.84 ERA, 1-1), Sarah Harness (41.0 IP, 2.39 ERA, 5-2) and Courtney Wallace (59.2 IP, 2.58 ERA, 8-3).

SERIES HISTORY
Two midwestern schools that are very familiar with each other features a series dating all the way back to 1978. Nebraska leads the all-time series, 38-23, and has won the last three meetings. Wichita State is 16-17 vs. Nebraska in Wichita.

LAST MEETING WITH THE HUSKERS
Wichita State suffered a pair of losses vs. Nebraska just a year ago in Lincoln. Nebraska defeated the Shockers by scores of 10-4 and 12-4 in six innings.

SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
The Bears are 8-10 through the first month of play. Their struggles can be found offensively where they hit .194 as a team. In the circle they sport a 3.52 ERA.

SERIES HISTORY
The former Missouri Valley Conference foes meet for the 112th and 113th time this weekend. Wichita State holds a slim 56-55 lead in the all-time series, including a 30-18 record in Wichita.

LAST MEETING WITH THE BEARS
Missouri State came back from a 5-1 deficit to defeat the Shockers, 9-8, just one year ago in Springfield on March 9, 2022.

HIT STREAK
Sydney McKinney saw her incredible hit streak come to an end on March 4 vs. Bradley. McKinney hit safely in 34 straight games after finishing the 2022 season with hits in her final 18 games. The streak started on April 14, 2022 at Houston. The 34-game hit streak is the 6th longest in NCAA history. McKinney became just the 11th player ever to record a hit in 30 straight games.
 

No.	Player, Team	Dates
43	Sara Graziano, Coastal Carolina	April 8, 1993-March 24, 1994
42	Cathy Frohnheiser, Furman	March 4-April 17, 1993
36	Stephanie Tofft, NIU	March 4-May 1, 2011
35	Kelly Kretschman, Alabama	Feb. 27-April 4, 1998
35	Robyn Yorke, Fresno State	Feb. 12-April 1, 1995
34	Sydney McKinney, Wichita State	April 14, 2022-March 4, 2023

HOWELL EARNS SECOND PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Lauren Howell picked up her second American Pitcher of the Week honor on March 6. Howell appeared in two games, making one start and was 2-0 over the weekend. The Jefferson City, Mo., native had a sparkling 0.00 ERA in 11.0 innings. She allowed one unearned run on just four hits to go with 0 walks and 6 strikeouts.

NFCA TABS MCKINNEY NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
In addition to being named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, Sydney McKinney also took home Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week honors on Feb. 21. It marks the first time in her career earning National Player of the Week honors. Addison Barnard earned the weekly award three times in 2022.

LEADING OFF
Sydney McKinney leads the country in hits so far in 2023, and is at the top of the class in leadoff opportunities. McKinney has reached base 22 times in leadoff chances, which ranks second in the NCAA. Twenty of those are hits.

NO-HITTER
Alison Cooper recorded the 20th no-hitter in school history on Feb. 18 vs. San Diego. The sophomore lefty struck out three in 5.0 innings, allowing only two walks against the Toreros.

SHOCKER SLUGGERS RETURN
Wichita State returns 100 of the 121 home runs hit from the 2022 team. Led by Addison Barnard (33), Wichita State brings back one of the nation's best offenses in 2023. Lauren Mills (16), Zoe Jones (15), Sydney McKinney (13), Lauren Lucas (10), Jessica Garcia (5), Lainee Brown (4), Bailey Urban (3) and Krystin Nelson (1) combined to hit the century mark in homers.

PITCHERS BEWARE
Wichita State obliterated the single season home run record for the second straight season in 2022. The Shockers crushed 103 in 2021, only to see the 2022 team set a new mark of 121. It only took 42 games for the 2022 team to match that number of 103. Wichita State has finished second nationally in home runs each of the last two seasons, behind only Oklahoma.

ALL HAIL THE HIT QUEEN
• Sydney McKinney is Wichita State's all-time hits leader with 314 in her career. She passed Britnee Barnett on April 29, 2022 vs. ECU with No. 251.
• McKinney is the NCAA DI active career leader in hits (314) and batting average (.447). She ranks 2nd in at bats (702) and 3rd in runs scored (199) and total bases (452).
• McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU. She is only 19 hits shy from etching her name in the NCAA record book for career hits.
• McKinney's 199 career runs scored are the most in school history.
• McKinney shattered her own single season record for batting average. She set it at .439 in 2021 and hit a nation-leading .522 in 2022.
• With a career OBP of .499, McKinney currently holds the top spot in that category as well at Wichita State.
• She ranks second with 12 career triples.
• Her 39 career doubles place her in 7th on the school's all-time list.

ONE OF THREE
Wichita State is one of only three schools in the country, joining Oklahoma and Arkansas, to return multiple NFCA All-Americans from a season ago. The Shockers of course bring back NFCA Second Team All-Americans Addison Barnard and Sydney McKinney.

TOUGH SLEDDING
Wichita State has never shied away from playing a tough schedule, and that is no different in 2023. The Shockers will play eight teams either ranked or receiving votes in the Preseason NFCA Top 25. Four of those are top 10 matchups against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Arkansas and No. 8 Stanford.

THE AMERICAN STANDARD
Since Wichita State entered the American Athletic Conference in 2018, the Shockers have been the league's top offensive team in the league. Not counting the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Wichita State has led the American in batting average (2021, 2022), slugging percentage (2018-22), on base percentage (2019-22), runs (2019-22), hits (2022), RBI (2019-22), doubles (2018, 2021-22), home runs (2018-22), total bases (2018-22) and walks (2019, 2021).

A PAIR OF PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Wichita State senior Sydney McKinney and junior Addison Barnard picked up a pair Preseason All-American honors. The duo were named First Team All-Americans by D1 Softball and Second Team All-Americans by Softball America.

PRESEASON TOP 100 LOVE
Junior Addison Barnard and senior Sydney McKinney were named to the D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 on Jan. 10. Barnard checked in as the No. 3 player in the country behind only Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings (No. 1) and Oklahoma State's Kelly Maxwell (No. 2). McKinney came in at No. 18, making Wichita State one of only two schools (Oklahoma) with multiple players in the top 20. The duo also made the Extra Elite 100 College Rankings with McKinney at No. 6 and Barnard at No. 27, and the Softball America Top 100 with McKinney at No. 18 and Barnard at No. 21.

HOME SWEET HOME
Just a season ago Wichita State took on the role of road warrior. The Shockers have 27 home games at Wilkins Stadium compared to only 11 in 2022. During the month of March Wichita State only leaves Wichita once. Seventeen of those 27 home games take place in the month of March, including matchups against 2022 NCAA Regional teams: Stanford, Nebraska, Missouri State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Florida.

IN THE AMERICAN RECORD BOOKS
Wichita State is well-represented in the American Athletic Conference record books. Currently Sydney McKinney holds the single-season record for batting average, hits, on base percentage and runs. Addison Barnard is the single-season record holder for home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and total bases. On the career charts, McKinney already enters her final season holding the top spot in batting average, on base percentage and hits. She is 9 away from the most total bases in American history. Barnard needs four home runs and 40 RBI to surpass Wichita State's own Madison Perrigan for the most all-time in the American history.

BARNARD TABBED AAC PRESEASON POY
D1 Softball tabbed Addison Barnard as the preseason AAC Player of the Year on Feb. 2. The publication predicted Barnard to repeat as the conference's top player in 2023 after earning the honor in 2022. D1 Softball projected Wichita State to finish first in the American, followed by UCF and South Florida. Freshman Sami Hood was named the Freshman of the Year. D1 Softball released the top 20 players in the American Athletic Conference for 2023, and Wichita State led the way with five players in the top 10 - No. 1 Barnard, No. 3 Sydney McKinney, No. 4 Lauren Lucas, No. 7 Zoe Jones and No. 9 Lauren Mills.

UP NEXT
Wichita State continues its tough home schedule with a visit from No. 6 Arkansas on Tuesday, March 14 at 6 p.m.