Oklahoma State (15-9, 3-3 Big 12) vs. Wichita State (15-8, 2-1 American)
Tuesday, March 26Â | 6:00Â pm CT | Wichita, Kansas (Eck Stadium)
TV: ESPN+Â | Radio:Â KFH 97.5Â FM/1240Â AM
TBA vs. TBA
SCENE SETTER: Wichita State welcomes long-time rival Oklahoma State to Eck Stadium on Tuesday night for a midweek matchup at 6:00 pm. The Shockers claimed two of three games on the road at UAB this past weekend to open American Athletic Conference play; WSU has won all five of their weekend series in 2024. Wichita State is one of five teams in the AAC to take two of three games on opening weekend as none of the conference series ended in a sweep. 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 on Tuesday night. The game will also be streamed live on ESPN+, with former Shocker pitcher (1991-94) and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Shane Dennis handling play-by-play duties. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com.Â
SERIES HISTORY: The Shockers and Cowboys meet for the 105th time on Tuesday, with Oklahoma State holding a 66-38 lead in the all-time series. The Cowboys have won 12 of the last 15 matchups, though the Shockers claimed a 13-6 win in the most recent meeting last season on April 4 in Stillwater. Oklahoma State won the first meeting of the year, a 10-1 decision on March 22 in Wichita. Prior to the WSU program's rebirth in 1978, the Shockers were just 2-25 against the Cowboys. The two programs have battled 15 times in NCAA postseason play, including a pair of matchups in the College World Series. Wichita State defeated the Cowboys in Omaha in 1982 and 1993.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE: The Cowboys enter play on Tuesday at 15-9 overall and 3-3 in Big 12 play, good for a fifth-place tie in the conference standings. Oklahoma State took two of three games over the weekend against TCU at O'Brate Stadium, bouncing back from a Friday night 1-0 defeat in which former Wichita State pitcher Payton Tolle fired a complete game shutout with 15 strikeouts for TCU. Another former Shocker pitcher, right-hander Robert Cranz, leads the Cowboys in appearances with 11 and owns a 1.96 ERA. Oklahoma State is 4-2 in midweek games this season, with wins against Abilene Christian, Oklahoma and Missouri State, a loss against Dallas Baptist and a two-game series split against common opponent Utah Tech. The Cowboys pitching staff owns a 3.74 ERA, good for the 15th-best mark in the country, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.04:1 that ranks eighth. Two-way talent Carson Benge is a projected first round pick, hitting .333 with three homers and a 1.42 ERA. Head coach Josh Holliday is 418-228-2 in 12 seasons at his alma mater.
SHOCKERS IN THE RPI: Wichita State enters the game on Friday ranked 58 in the latest edition of the RPI (Rating Percentage Index). The Shockers have the second-best RPI in the American Athletic Conference, trailing only East Carolina at #27. Tuesday's opponent, Oklahoma State, checks in at 31.
SEVENTH HEAVEN: The seventh inning has been kind to Wichita State in 2024. The Shockers are outscoring opponents by a staggering 31-4 margin, the most runs scored and fewest runs allowed by WSU in any single inning this season. The Shockers have only been outscored in one inning, the fourth (19-7).
STAYING OFF THE BARREL: The Shockers enter play on Tuesday allowing only 7.21 hits per nine innings, the 10th-best mark in the nation. Wichita State pitchers are holding opponents to a .217 batting average and have held the opposition to six or fewer hits in 12 of 23 games.
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 14 appearances already to tie for 2nd-most in the nation. The Shockers are the only team in the country with two players in the top five nationally in appearances.
LEAVING THEM STRANDED: In addition to their high usage rates, Anderson and Holmes have been nearly flawless in cleaning up messy situations. The duo has combined to strand 34 of 39 inherited runners (Anderson 17-20, Holmes 17-19).Â
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 (47-29) and a two-out batting average that is 48 points higher than their opponents (.250-.202).
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 76 at-bats so far this season, Rogers has already recorded 11 extra-base knocks, including five home runs. He also recorded two four-hit games in the span of six contests (3/15 vs. Gonzaga and 3/23 at UAB).
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 264-209-1, good for a .558 winning percentage.
TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE: With a program record of 2,325 wins, 1,256 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.
