Wichita State (7-3, 0-0 American) vs. Oklahoma (5-5, 0-0 Big 12)

Tuesday, March 5 | 6:30 pm CT | Norman, Oklahoma (L. Dale Mitchell Park)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM
LHP Tyler Dobbs (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Will Carsten (0-0, 11.25)

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SCENE SETTER: After a dominant three-game sweep against Utah Tech in the home-opening series, Wichita State heads back on the road for a lone midweek contest against Oklahoma on Tuesday evening. Tuesday's game is the only road game for WSU until March 22 as the Shockers are in the midst of a stretch that will see them play 12 of 13 games at Eck Stadium. Wichita State has won five games in a row dating back to a win over #18 Iowa on February 25 and has put together the program's best start to a season through 10 games since the 2020 club began the year 8-2.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: Tuesday's game will air on KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM, with "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy calling the action alongside Denning Gerig. The game will also be streamed live on ESPN+, with Josh Helmer and Todd Miller on the call. 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 Sooners have met 36 times, with Oklahoma holding a 20-16 lead in the all-time series. Wichita State bested the Sooners in two of three 2023 meetings; on March 28 at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita, Brock Rodden blasted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth for an 8-7 WSU victory and on March 14 the Shockers downed the Sooners 6-2, riding five shutout innings from Caden Favors and a late two-run homer from Chuck Ingram to the victory at Eck Stadium. Oklahoma claimed the final meeting of the year on April 11 with an 8-1 win. Prior to 2023, the last time Wichita State beat Oklahoma twice in the same season was in 2006, a year that ultimately ended with two losses to the host Sooners at the Norman regional. The two teams also met once in the College World Series, an 8-4 Oklahoma win in 1992 that eliminated the Shockers.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA: The Sooners enter play on Tuesday with a record of 5-5 after a pair of defeats at the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic this past weekend. Oklahoma already owns a top-10 win with an extra inning victory over then-#9 Tennessee on opening weekend at Globe Life Field. The Sooners are hitting .331 as a team, led by the .486 average of outfielder John Spikerman. The Oklahoma pitching staff ranks 17th nationally with 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings. The Sooners are coming off a 32-28 record in 2023 (11-13 in Big 12 play) that ended with a 1-2 showing at the Charlottesville Regional. Seventh year head coach Skip Johnson owns a 194-137 record and helped lead Oklahoma to the College World Series finals in 2022.

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 256-204-1, good for a .556 winning percentage.

ARMS RACE: The Wichita State pitching staff turned in a near perfect week over the span of four games against Oral Roberts and Utah Tech. All told, the Shockers allowed just two total runs in 36 innings on the mound, conceding 16 hits while striking out 43. WSU blanked Utah Tech on both Friday and Sunday, sandwiched around a one-hit performance on Saturday in which the Shockers were four outs away from the program's first combined no-hitter. Friday starter Caden Favors was named AAC Pitcher of the Week after a complete game shutout with 10 strikeouts to open the series.

WILLIAMS WOWS: Wichita State outfielder Derek Williams had three hits in the series against Utah Tech, all three of which left the ballpark. The junior college transfer homered twice on Saturday and once more on Sunday; of his 11 hits on the season, eight have gone for extra bases (four doubles, four home runs).

CAUGHT ON CAM: Freshman infielder Camden Johnson has been a revelation at the top of the Shockers batting order, hitting .463 through 10 games for the second-best mark in the American Athletic Conference. Johnson had multiple hits in all three games of the series against Utah Tech, finishing 8-for-12 in the set. The left-handed hitter has struck out just once in 41 at-bats.

FANCY SEEING YOU HERE: Tuesday's game does not lack for storylines, as each team features players and staff with ties to the opposing dugout. Oklahoma added Wichita State transfers Jace Miner and Austin Henry over the summer and hired former WSU head coach Todd Butler to Skip Johnson's coaching staff. Wichita State has a former Oklahoma player in Brayden Luikart and a former Oklahoma commit in Gavin Oswald, while current recruiting coordinator Clay Overcash spent the last six seasons in the same role with the Sooners.

PAIN PRODUCTION: Green's teams at Kentucky at New Mexico State both led the nation in hit by pitches during his tenure and Wichita State is following a similar formula in 2024. The Shockers set a program record last Sunday against Iowa by earning six hit by pitches and now rank 12th nationally with 28 hit by pitches on the season. Individually, four different Shockers have already been hit multiple times in a game this season, including first baseman Ryan Callahan, who was hit three times against Iowa to tie a program record.