Wichita State (10-8, 1-2 AAC) at Kansas (14-7-1, 1-2 Big 12)
Tuesday, March 12 (Doubleheader)
3:00 PM | 5:30 PM
Lawrence, Kan. | Arrocha Ballpark
Video: None
Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 

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QUICK HITS
• Wichita State travels up the turnpike for a midweek doubleheader at Kansas on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
• Wichita State went 1-2 on opening weekend of American Athletic Conference play against the Florida Atlantic Owls. The Owls scored 17 runs in the finale to win the series. The 17 runs were the second most allowed in school history.
• Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner won her 700th career game on March 9 vs. Florida Atlantic.
• Wichita State is 4-6 in its last 10 games.
• Wichita State's RPI is 33 as of March 11 and the Shockers have played the nation's 9th toughest schedule.
• The American Athletic Conference is rated the 5th best conference according to RPI behind only the SEC, Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC.
• Wichita State ranks 7th nationally in home runs per game and 26th in slugging percentage.
• Nearly half of Wichita State's games so far this season have come against ranked teams. They are 2-6 in those games.
• Wichita State has five wins against ranked opponents dating back to last season.
• The Shockers are 5-5 against SEC opponents over their last 10 games with wins over South Carolina, Arkansas and Texas A&M.
• CC Wong was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 26.
• Chloe Barber was named the D1 Softball National Freshman of the Week and American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27.
• Barber is coming off a record-setting weekend in Fayetteville. She tied the single game school record for strikeouts (15) at #15 Arkansas and then broke it two days later with 16 vs. Illinois State.
• Barber ranks 4th nationally in strikeouts per 7.0 innings and 28th in total strikeouts.
• Softball America named Addison Barnard a Preseason First Team All-American.
• Softball America tabbed Barnard as the No. 17 player on the Preseason Top 100 list and the No. 3 outfielder.
• Barnard is one of 50 on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.
• Barnard has 76 career home runs, the most all time at Wichita State and in American Athletic Conference history.
• Barnard became the 6th player in NCAA history with 70 career home runs and 50 career stolen bases, and is the only active DI player with 70+ HR and 60+ SB.
• Barnard ranks 3rd among NCAA DI active players in career home runs with 76, just five behind Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings and four behind Miami's Karli Spaid.
• Wichita State is the preseason favorite as voted on by the league's coaches in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Shockers received 8 first place votes and 80 total points. Charlotte and North Texas were picked No. 2 and No. 3.

SCOUTING KANSAS
Under sixth year head coach Jennifer McFalls, Kansas is off to a 14-7-1 start in 2024. The Jayhawks are coming off their Big 12 opening weekend where they went 1-2 at former American Athletic Conference foe, UCF. Kansas has played just one home game through its first 22 games this season. Prior to this past weekend at UCF, the Jayhawks had won 10 straight, including a 1-0 win at No. 18 Texas A&M. Presley Limbaugh hits a team-best .449 with a pair of doubles and triples and 14 RBI. Campbell Bagshaw is next on the team at .352 with five doubles, two triples and 14 RBI. Lyric Moore is responsible for half of the team's eight home runs to go with 15 RBI. Hailey Cripe's 16 RBI lead the team. Katie Brooks and Kasey Hamilton lead the charge in the circle, combining for 115.1 of the team's 143.2 innings. Brooks is 6-1 with a 1.94 ERA in 47.0 innings, while Hamilton is 5-5 with a 2.56 ERA in 68.1 innings. They also have 92 of the team's 111 strikeouts. As a team, KU has a 2.39 ERA and opponents are hitting .241.

SERIES HISTORY
The series between Wichita State and Kansas dates back to 1978 when the two programs met for the very first time. Kansas leads the all time series, 74-23-1. Wichita State didn't record its first win in the series until 1986. Wichita State has won three of the last four meetings vs. the Jayhawks after Kansas had won the three meetings prior. The Shockers are just 9-40 all-time in Lawrence.

LAST MEETING VS. THE JAYHAWKS
The two programs split the regular season series in 2023 with the home team winning each game. Kansas won the rematch in Lawrence in the regular season finale on May 3, 3-1. Wichita State managed just four hits in the game and scored its lone run in the sixth inning on a Lauren Mills RBI single.

LAST TIME OUT
Florida Atlantic took 2-of-3 against Wichita State on the opening weekend of conference play at Wilkins Stadium. The Owls scored a total of 29 runs over the three games, including 17 in the finale on Sunday. Florida Atlantic won the opener in a back-and-forth affair, 8-7, on a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 7th. After the Owls jumped out to a 5-0 lead, Wichita State scored six in the bottom of the 3rd on three home runs. FAU scored two in the 4th and Wichita State a run in the 5th to send the game to the 7th tied at 7. The Shockers bounced back to take game two, 6-4, behind a pair of 6th inning home runs from Krystin Nelson and Addison Barnard. Wichita State hit eight home runs over three games. In the rubber match on Sunday, FAU again stormed out to a 5-0 lead in the 1st inning until a Taylor Sedlacek three-run home run cut it to two. From that point on it was all FAU, scoring three in the 3rd, four in the 4th and five in the 6th.

SHOCKERS SELL OUT SEASON TICKETS
Four days before the home opener vs. Florida Atlantic on March 8, Wichita State announced it had sold out its season ticket allotment for the first time in school history.

RPI - WEEK TWO
Wichita State checked in at No. 33 in the second RPI rankings on March 11. The Shockers have already faced 8 teams in the Top 65, including No. 6 Missouri, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Clemson, No. 19 Auburn, No. 22 Arkansas (twice), No. 31 South Carolina, No. 44 Florida Atlantic (three times), No. 60 Nebraska (twice). The Shockers still have games against No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. No. 17 Charlotte (three times), No. 39 Kansas (twice), No. 49 South Florida (three times), No. 54 North Texas (three times) and No. 56 Tulsa (three times).

UP NEXT
Wichita State continues American Athletic Conference play at East Carolina this weekend, March 15-17 on ESPN+.