Wichita State (13-7, 0-0 American) vs. UAB (10-10, 0-0 American)

Friday, March 22 | 5:00 pm CT | Birmingham, Alabama (Young Memorial Field)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
LHP Caden Favors (4-0, 1.83) vs. RHP Blayze Berry (2-0, 1.82)

Saturday, March 23 | 2:00 pm CT | Birmingham, Alabama (Young Memorial Field)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
RHP Brady Hamilton (0-2, 3.86) vs. RHP Braxton Shelton (1-1, 3.92)

Sunday, March 24 | 12:00 pm CT | Birmingham, Alabama (Young Memorial Field)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
RHP Tommy LaPour (1-1, 6.27) vs. RHP Colin Daniel (4-0, 2.57)

---

SCENE SETTER: Wichita State opens American Athletic Conference play with a three-game road series on the road at UAB beginning Friday at Young Memorial Field. Sunday's series finale has been moved up one hour to a 12:00 pm first pitch due to accommodate Wichita State's travel schedule. The Shockers are 3-2 in conference-opening series since joining The American in 2018, including a series win on the road at Cincinnati last season. Wichita State has not swept or been swept in any of those five series. WSU is looking to start a new winning streak after dropping an 8-6 decision to Kansas State on Tuesday night at Eck Stadium. An early 4-0 Wichita State lead was erased by a six-run sixth inning by the Wildcats. The Shockers are coming off a 30-25 season in 2023 that included a 13-10 mark in American Athletic Conference play, good for third place in the final conference standings. Wichita State is hunting 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 Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2024. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will have the call over the weekend in Birmingham, with Denning Gerig joining the broadcast on color. All three games of the series will also be streamed live on ESPN+. 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 Blazers have never met on the diamond.

SCOUTING UAB: The Blazers enter conference play with a 10-10 overall record following a 9-8 midweek loss against Troy on Tuesday. UAB owns series wins over Kennesaw State, North Alabama and a sweep of Lindenwood, with series losses against Southeastern Louisiana and Belmont. The Blazers are 1-4 in midweek contests, including a loss to common opponent Auburn on February 20. UAB utilizes a small-ball offensive approach, ranking 38th in the nation with 38 stolen bases and 81st in sacrifice bunts. The weekend rotation features a talented trio of right-handers, led by Friday starter Blayze Berry whose 1.82 ERA ranks 39th nationally. Reliever Christian Clack began his career at Wichita State, making one appearance in 2021. Longtime Samford head coach Casey Dunn is in his third season at the helm of the Blazers and 20th season overall, owning a career record of 467-493 (.486)

HAVING A RECORD YEAR: Senior outfielder Seth Stroh has had a penchant for big hits throughout his career, but has taken that trend to the extreme in 2024. After a two-run triple on Tuesday against Kansas State, Stroh has already established a new career high with 21 RBI despite recording just 13 hits; all 13 of his knocks this season have come with runners on base (13-40, .325) compared to 0-for-19 with the bases empty.

SHOCKERS IN THE RPI: Wichita State enters the game on Friday ranked 83 in the latest edition of the Warren Nolan RPI (Rating Percentage Index). The Shockers have the third-best RPI in the American Athletic Conference, trailing East Carolina at #25 and South Florida at 82. This weekend's opponent, UAB, checks in at 131.

PERFECT PILFERING: While the Shockers do not steal many bases as a team (15, ranking 214th nationally), Wichita State does not run into many outs on the basepaths, either. WSU is one of just three teams in the country that has not been thrown out attempting to steal this season, joining Texas Tech (25-25) and Kansas (9-9).

POWER SURGE: Coming into the 2024 season, redshirt junior utilityman Jordan Rogers had produced 12 extra-base hits (one home run) in 188 at-bats. In 64 at-bats so far this season, Rogers has already recorded 10 extra-base knocks, including five home runs. He was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after a week in which he went 10-for-19 with 11 RBI, including his first career grand slam on Friday against Gonzaga.

DAYVIN DOUBLES: Wichita State outfielder Dayvin Johnson has rapidly climbed up the national leaderboard in doubles after recording five consecutive two-base hits over the last week (two vs. Gonzaga on 3/16, two vs. Gonzaga on 3/17, one vs. Kansas State on 3/19). Johnson's nine doubles for the season rank second in the American Athletic Conference and 33rd in the country.

BUSY MEN: Wichita State relievers Caleb Anderson and Hunter Holmes have worn out a path from the bullpen to the mound this season, each logging 12 appearances already to tie for 4th-most in the nation. The Shockers are one of just two teams in the country with two players in the top five nationally in appearances (Loyola Marymount, UCLA).

SHARK ATTACK: One of the goals for the Wichita State offense in 2024 is more production with two outs, with the team assigning the term "shark" to a two-out RBI. The result has been nearly twice as many two-out RBI as the opposition (44-26) and a two-out batting average that is 46 points higher than their opponents (.251-.205).

PINCH-HIT POP: Coming into the 2024 season, WSU had not had a pinch-hit home run since Mason O'Brien came off the bench and homered against South Florida on May 11, 2018. Junior Josh Livingston accomplished the feat twice in the first 11 games of 2024, cranking a three-run shot against Iowa on February 25 and replicating the achievement with a solo blast against Oklahoma on March 5.

GREENER PASTURES: Brian Green was named the fifth head coach in the modern era of Wichita State baseball on June 5, 2023, replacing interim head coach Loren Hibbs. Green comes to Wichita State after four seasons at the helm of Washington State, where he guided the Cougars to four straight seasons above .500, the first such stretch of success for the Cougars since 2006-10. Green went 91-79 overall in Pullman, including a 29-win season in 2023 that matched the most wins for Washington State since 2010. Prior to his tenure with Wazzu, Green revitalized the program at his alma mater New Mexico State, taking the Aggies from 11 wins in 2015 to 40 in 2018. In 10 total seasons as a head coach, Green owns a career record of 262-208-1, good for a .558 winning percentage.

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE: With a program record of 2,323 wins, 1,255 losses and nine ties, Wichita State ranks in the top ten of all college baseball programs with a .648 winning percentage. The Shockers have won 20 regular season conference championships and 18 conference tournament championships, earning a trip to Omaha for the College World Series on seven different occasions. WSU claimed the 1989 national championship and finished as national runner-up in 1982, 1991 and 1993.