WICHITA STATE (16-10, 7-2) at CHARLOTTE (18-12, 6-3)
Thursday, March 28 | 5:00 PM CT
Friday, March 29 | 5:00 PM CT
Saturday, March 30 | 12:00 PM CT
Charlotte, N.C. | D.L. Phillips Complex
Video: ESPN+ (All Games)
Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 

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QUICK HITS
• Wichita State and Charlotte square off in a crucial conference series in Charlotte this weekend.
• Charlotte leads the series with Wichita State 2-1.
• Wichita State recorded its second straight conference series sweep of the season vs. UTSA last weekend. The Shockers outscored the Roadrunners, 30-2, over three games. CC Wong had 4 home runs and 11 RBI in the series. She tied the program record with three home runs in Saturday's win, joining Addison Barnard and Lauren Mills as the only Shockers to hit 3 HR in a single game.
• Wong was named the NFCA National Player of the Week and American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on March 26. In three games last week Wong hit an incredible .625 (5-for-8) with the 4 HR and 11 RBI.
• Wichita State is 7-3 in its last 10 games.
• Wichita State's RPI is 36 as of March 27 and the Shockers have played the nation's 20th toughest schedule.
• Of Wichita State's 26 games this season, eight have come against ranked opponents. They are 2-6 in those games.
• Wichita State has five wins against ranked opponents dating back to last season.
• The American Athletic Conference is rated the 6th best conference according to RPI behind only the SEC, Big 12, Pac-12, ACC and Big Ten.
• Wichita State ranks 6th nationally in home runs per game and 14th in slugging percentage.
• 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 ranks 3rd nationally in strikeouts per 7.0 innings and 22nd in saves.
• Softball America named Addison Barnard a Preseason First Team All-American.
• Barnard is one of 50 on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.
• Barnard has 79 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 79, just seven behind Miami's Karli Spaid and six behind Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings.
• Her 79 home runs are currently 16th most in NCAA history.
• Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner won her 700th career game on March 9 vs. Florida Atlantic.

SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
Under fifth year head coach Ashley Chastain, the Niners are 18-12 to start the 2024 campaign and 6-3 in its first season of American Athletic Conference play. The Niners own a pair of ranked wins over No.4 Florida State, No. 14 Kentucky and No. 12 Virginia Tech. Charlotte hits .249 as a team with 40 doubles and 22 home runs. Arianna Rodi leads the offensive attack, hitting .366 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI. Her 11 homers are tops in the American. Abigail Knight is the only other Niner hitting above .300 at .301 with five doubles and 13 RBI. The pitching staff has a team ERA of 2.88 and opponents are hitting .237. Four pitchers have logged more than 29.0 innings, led by Georgeanna Barefoot's 76.2 IP. Barefoot is 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA and a strikeout-walk ratio of 49-11. Sam Gress is 5-5 with a 2.36 ERA in 50.1 innings. Gress was the AAC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 12.

SERIES HISTORY
The two programs have met three times prior to this weekend's crucial series in North Carolina. The Niners are 2-1 all-time vs. the Shockers with the series starting in 1999. Most recently Wichita State and Charlotte took the field just two years ago at the Niner Invitational.

LAST MEETING VS. THE NINERS
At the 2022 Niner Invitational, Charlotte jumped out to a 4-0 lead only to see Wichita State come back with four runs in the 4th and a run in the 5th to tie the game at 5-5. However, the Niners would strike back with a five-run 6th inning to take down Wichita State, 10-7. Cassie Passwaters went 3-for-4 behind a grand slam. She drove in five of the team's seven runs. In the rematch a day later, Wichita State scored three in the 1st and four in the 4th to win convincingly, 10-2. Addison Barnard and Lauren Mills had a home run and four RBI apiece. Caitlin Bingham went the distance, allowing just two runs on five hits.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State recorded its second straight conference series sweep of the season last weekend vs. UTSA, beating the Roadrunners in run-rule fashion in all three games (10-2, 8-0 and 12-0). Wichita State outscored UTSA, 30-2, over the three-game series. CC Wong homered four times, including a school record tying three home run game in the finale. Wichita State hit seven home runs in the 12-0 win, tied for the third most in a single game in school history. Chloe Barber tossed a complete game shutout behind seven strikeouts in the 8-0 win. Lauren Howell was superb in her second straight start. She tossed a complete game shutout in Saturday's win behind a career-high nine strikeouts and allowed just one hit.

WONG COLLECTS NATIONAL, AAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Fresh off a four-home run weekend, CC Wong was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week and American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on March 26. In the series vs. UTSA, Wong was 5-for-8 (.625) with four home runs, 11 RBI and five runs scored. Three of her four home runs came in the finale where she went 3-for-3 with a career-high six RBI. She's the first Shocker to earn National POW honors since Sydney McKinney in 2023.

GET LO
Over her last two starts Lauren Howell has returned to form, tossing back-to-back complete game shutouts with wins over East Carolina and UTSA. In her last 10.0 innings in the circle, she's allowed no earned runs on four hits and 16 strikeouts. She set a new career high in strikeouts vs. UTSA with nine. In her first eight appearances this season she had a 10.92 ERA in 16.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and 13 walks. Opponents were hitting .378 against her.

KRYSTIN IS COOKIN'
Since the calendar turned to March, Krystin Nelson has been red-hot at the plate. The junior is hitting .462 (18-for-39) with five doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and has scored 12 runs. She started the season 1-for-26 (.038). She's tied her career high with three hits twice in the month of March alone.

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.

TOUGH SLEDDING
Wichita State has never shied away from playing a tough schedule, and that is no different in 2024. The Shockers have already played eight teams ranked in the NFCA Top 25: No. 8 Clemson, No. 25 Auburn, No. 20 South Carolina, No. 15 Arkansas (twice), No. 14 Missouri (twice) and No. 4 Oklahoma State. No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 4 Oklahoma State come to Wilkins Stadium in the coming weeks.

RPI - WEEK FOUR
Wichita State checked in at No. 34 in the fourth RPI rankings on March 25. The Shockers have already faced 8 teams in the Top 70, including No. 6 Missouri, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Clemson, No. 23 Arkansas (twice), No. 24 Auburn, No. 27 Kansas (twice), No. 28 South Carolina, No. 44 Florida Atlantic (three times) and No. 61 Nebraska. The Shockers still have games against No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 38 Charlotte (three times), No. 52 South Florida (three times), No. 53 Tulsa (three times) and No. 66 North Texas.

UP NEXT
American play rolls on next weekend when the Shockers host Tulsa, April 5-7, at Wilkins Stadium.