The RoundHouse | 3/27/2024 9:32:00 PM
By Paul Suellentrop
Wichita State played 26 softball games against 17 opponents. Eight of those opponents – 15 games – rank in the top 50 of the NCAA earned run average leaders, all below 2.53.
"We've faced some of the best in the country," coach
Kristi Bredbenner. "When you know that you can hit the best, you feel confident you can hit the next best."
Confidence is certainly the feeling Bredbenner gets when infielder
CC Wong hits. Wong, a graduate transfer, fit in immediately and is putting up big numbers as leadoff hitter.
"She's a great example that not every fit is a good fit," Bredbenner said. "Second chances are something that the transfer portal offers. If you don't get that fit the first time, you've got a second opportunity."
Facing that level of competition plays a key role in getting the Shockers (16-10, 7-2 American Athletic Conference) to No. 36 in the NCAA's RPI and third in the AAC with a six-game win streak.
WSU travels this weekend to play Charlotte (18-12, 6-3), which ranks No. 35 in the RPI, in a series starting Thursday (5 p.m. ESPN+). In all, the Shockers face five weekend series against teams in the top 100 over the remaining schedule, plus Oklahoma and a rematch with Oklahoma State.
"Every pitcher is going to be a battle," Wong said. "A really hard (non-conference schedule) has really helped us see what we can do and what we need to work on. We're prepared."
Wong, a transfer from Grand Canyon, is as prepared as anyone with a bat. She is tied for third nationally with a .500 batting average, ranks sixth with a .574 on-base percentage and seventh with a .953 slugging percentage. She is coming off a series in which she hit .625 with four home runs – three in one game - and 11 RBI in a sweep of UTSA to earn NFCA Player of the Week honors.
Her arrival, after one season at Grand Canyon in which she hit .290 with 18 starts, helped the offense recover from losses such as
Sydney McKinney,
Lauren Mills and
Zoe Jones from the 2023 Shockers. Like McKinney (who transferred from Missouri) and Jones (Texas Tech), Wong demonstrates how the transfer portal can help a program.
Wong, from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, earned NJCAA Division I Co-Player of the Year honors in 2022 at McLennan (Texas) Community College. She hit a nation-leading .580 with 27 home runs and 91 RBI. As a freshman, she hit .481 with 17 home runs and 20 doubles.
Transferring to Wichita State, she said, revived her affection for the sport with support from coaches.
"They're always smiling and saying, 'You'll get the next one' if something doesn't go my way," she said. "It's definitely been a long journey. Sometimes I see myself falling back. Then (coaches) are always there to say 'Just do you. You're OK.' Working on that mental game is something I really needed."
Wong, a lefty, started a third early in the season before moving to second in recent weeks to help the Shockers through injuries. Her 10 home runs are tied with
Addison Barnard for the team lead.
"We're giving her all of the things she needs to be successful, to love softball again," Bredbenner said. "Kids have come here, and they've enjoyed the process."
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
