Florida Atlantic (18-5, 0-0) at Wichita State (9-6, 0-0)
Saturday, March 9 (DH) | 1 PM & 3:30 PM
Sunday, March 10 | Noon
Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium
Video: ESPN+
Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 

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OPENING WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
SAT. MAR. 9 1:00 PM	Winter Weather Warmup - Sip on $2.50 Hot Chocolate while cheering on the Shockers! Ticket Offer - GA Tickets are Two-for-$12 SASO Hot Dog Cookout - SASO Members are invited to attend our annual hot dog cookout as we show our appreciation for their support Giveaway - Schedule Posters & Magnets (while supplies last)
SUN. MAR. 10 12:00 PM	Canned Food Drive - Bring a canned food item to donate to Wichita State University's Shocker Support Locker and receive a $5 GA Ticket Giveaway - Schedule Posters & Magnets (while supplies last) Sunday Run Day - Kids can run the bases on the field following the game

 

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QUICK HITS
• Wichita State is set to host Florida Atlantic for its 2024 home and AAC opener this weekend at Wilkins Stadium.
• Wichita State is coming off a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in 8 innings on Wednesday at No. 4 Oklahoma State and a 2-2 weekend at the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. with both wins over Nebraska and both losses to No. 14 Missouri. Wichita State's 17 runs in the 17-4 win at Nebraska were the most runs ever scored by an opponent in Bowlin Stadium.
• Wichita State is 6-4 in its last 10 games.
• Wichita State's RPI is 21 as of March 4 and the Shockers have played the nation's 15th toughest schedule.
• The American Athletic Conference is rated the 5th best conference according to RPI behind only the SEC, Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC.
• Half of Wichita State's games so far this season have come against ranked teams. They are 2-6 in those games.
• Wichita State has five wins against ranked opponents dating back to last season.
• The Shockers are 5-5 against SEC opponents over their last 10 games with wins over South Carolina, Arkansas and Texas A&M.
• CC Wong was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 26.
• Wong ranks in the Top 25 nationally in batting average (24th) and on base percentage (17th).
• 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 is coming off a record-setting weekend in Fayetteville. She tied the single game school record for strikeouts (15) at #15 Arkansas and then broke it two days later with 16 vs. Illinois State.
• Barber ranks 4th nationally in strikeouts per 7.0 innings and 16th in total strikeouts.
• Softball America named Addison Barnard a Preseason First Team All-American.
• Softball America tabbed Barnard as the No. 17 player on the Preseason Top 100 list and the No. 3 outfielder.
• Barnard is one of 50 on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.
• Barnard has 74 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 50+ SB.
• Barnard ranks 3rd among NCAA DI active players in career home runs with 74, just six behind Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings and five behind Miami's Karli Spaid.
• Wichita State is the preseason favorite as voted on by the league's coaches in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Shockers received 8 first place votes and 80 total points. Charlotte and North Texas were picked No. 2 and No. 3.

SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Under second year head coach Jordan Clark, Florida Atlantic is off to an 18-5 start in 2024. Florida Atlantic was a win away from being an NCAA Tournament team a season ago, falling in the Conference USA championship game to Middle Tennessee, 2-1. The Owls were picked to finish fifth in the Preseason American Athletic Conference Coaches Poll. Florida Atlantic hits just under .300 as a team at .297 with 33 doubles and 11 home runs. Eight different Owls have multiple stolen bases. Florida Atlantic leads the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (18th nationally) and fielding percentage (11th nationally). Jesiana Mora hits a team-high .458 with six doubles and 17 RBI. Kamryn Jackson leads the Owls in home runs (4) and RBI (20) to go with a .310 average and five doubles. In the circle, Florida Atlantic sports a 2.21 team ERA with 105 strikeouts to just 31 walks in 149.0 innings. Ainsley Lambert has a team-best 1.68 ERA in 33.1 innings with 28 strikeouts and just six walks. Trinity Schlotterbeck leads the Owls in wins (8) and innings (53.1) to go with a 2.23 ERA.

SERIES HISTORY
The series between Wichita State and Florida Atlantic dates back to 2001, but the two programs have only met twice prior to this weekend's series. This will be the first meeting as conference foes. The Owls are 2-0 all-time vs. Wichita State with both wins coming at the FIU Invitational in back-to-back seasons.

LAST MEETING VS. THE OWLS
Florida Atlantic needed only five innings to take down Wichita State, 10-2, on March 1, 2002 at the FIU Invitational. The year before Florida Atlantic shut out the Shockers in six innings, 8-0, on March 2, 2001 again at the FIU Invitational.

LAST TIME OUT
No. 4 Oklahoma State needed extra innings to escape Wichita State's upset bid Wednesday night in Stillwater. A walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth gave the Cowgirls a 4-3 win. Wichita State dropped to 1-2 in extra inning games this season and 2-6 vs. ranked teams. Behind a three-run top of the sixth, Wichita State held a 3-1 lead just five outs away from a Top 5 road win. Oklahoma State would plate the tying runs on a two-out, two-run triple eventually sending the game to extra innings. The Cowgirls would plate the winning run on an RBI single with two outs. Alex Aguilar received a no decision in her best outing of the season in the circle. She allowed just one run on three hits and one walk in 5.1 innings.

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.

RPI - WEEK ONE
Wichita State checked in at No. 21 in the first RPI rankings on March 4. The Shockers have already faced 7 teams in the Top 65, including No. 4 Missouri, No. 6 Clemson, No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Arkansas (twice), No. 18 Auburn, No. 22 South Carolina, No. 63 Nebraska (twice). The Shockers still have games against No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 17 Charlotte (three times), No. 34 Kansas, No. 38 Florida Atlantic (three times), No. 45 South Florida (three times), No. 47 East Carolina (three times) and No. 49 Tulsa (three times).

INTRODUCING THE BARBER SHOP
Freshman pitcher Chloe Barber has appeared in all of nine games in her collegiate career, and has already etched her name in the record books. After striking out eight in Wichita State's win over No. 20 South Carolina in Puerto Vallarta, Barber was even more impressive in her next two starts. The Minnesota native went into the Razorback Invitational and proceeded to tie the single game school record for strikeouts with 15 against No. 15/14 Arkansas. Two days later she broke that very same record with 16 strikeouts vs. Illinois State. That feat had only been accomplished twice in 2008 by Ashly Bright. Her 16 strikeouts are tied for the 2nd most by a pitcher in the NCAA this season. In four games vs. ranked SEC opponents, Barber has 30 strikeouts.

UP NEXT
Wichita State travels to Lawrence, Kan., on Tuesday, March 12 for a doubleheader with the Jayhawks starting at 3 p.m.