The RoundHouse | 5/10/2024 6:58:00 PM
By Paul Suellentrop
Krystin Nelson earned her playing time with superb defense at third base and kept it through hitting slumps. She grew into a trusted nine-hole hitter who helped the offense by getting two of the nation's best hitters more at-bats.
On Friday, she took care of the power herself, emblematic of a lineup hitting with belief and pop.
"We are riding with confidence," left fielder
Bailey Urban said. "The ball looks big."
Wichita State run-ruled top-seeded Florida Atlantic 12-2 in five innings in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship at Wilkins Stadium. The fourth-seeded Shockers (28-21) play second-seeded Charlotte (37-16) at 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPN2) in the title game.
The Shockers hit three home runs in the game, knocking out FAU all-conference pitchers Trini Schlotterbeck and Ainsley Lambert in three innings. Nelson's three-run home run in the third inning opened the way for the rout. Urban followed with another three-run homer to make it 11-1.
Nelson lofted a 2-2 pitch off the top of the wall in right field and over to give the Shockers an 8-1 lead. Nelson's second homer of the season, and first since March 9 against FAU, put the confidence firmly in the WSU dugout.
"I'm not your typical home run hitter," she said. "Being able to capitalize on the pitch that I hit, and being able to help my team, it's really wholesome."
Pitchers
Chloe Barber and
Alison Cooper held the Owls to five hits and stranded seven runners. Second baseman
Sami Hood made a diving catch with two runners and one out in the second inning to help limit the damage to one run. She teamed with shortstop
Taylor Sedlacek to end the game with a crisp double play.
Nelson, a junior from La Porte, Texas, hit .273 last season after recovering from a tough start. She is hitting .310 this season and teammates brag she is the nation's best nine-hole hitter.
"Last year, it was a lot of pressure," she said. "It took the confidence of the coaches, and the entire team, having my back. They were telling me 'You've got it. You're meant to be here.'"
Nelson struggled again early this season. Bredbenner took her out the lineup and reminded her of the value of her defense. Relax, coaches said, and focus on base hits and having fun.
"She's not trying to do too much anymore," Bredbenner said. "She's not overswinging. I think a lot of people overlook her, because when she rolls (the lineup) over, you go to CC (Wong) and
Addison Barnard and you forget 'Who was on base before them?'"
Bredbenner considers Nelson the AAC's best third baseman and her .403 batting average in 27 conference games added to the value of her glove.
"(Bredbenner) told me 'We're not going to take you out again, but you have to believe in yourself like we believe in you,'" Nelson said. "From then on, it's been a game-changer of being confident in myself."
After a regular season weighed down by a 3-6 stretch in conference play and nine one-run losses, the Shockers found their confidence in the tournament. Barnard homered again on Friday, a two-run shot in the first inning, to give her six in three games in the tournament. She raised her career total to 93, fourth on the NCAA's list.
"Addie has given us momentum the entire week," Nelson said. "She set the mood."
The mood can't be much better after three wins in the tournament, two by run-rule. The Shockers point to better health, the return of Hood at second, maturity and preparation for the hot streak. AAC teams at the top of the conference, Bredbenner said, didn't see the Shockers at their best in the regular season.
"This is like a revenge tour," Barnard said. "From the first game, we're like 'We can do this.'"
The Shockers caught the Owls in early March without Hood and lost the series 2-1, dropping the finale 17-5 in six innings.
"We did exactly what we expected – we executed," Bredbenner said. "We knew the speeds. We knew tendencies. We looked for certain pitches and we got them. Today we played the way I knew we could play against them and it was really awesome to see."
The Shockers get another chance to reverse the regular-season outcome against Charlotte. The 49ers, a strong NCAA at-large candidate, beat the Shockers 4-3 and 11-7 before losing 7-5 in late March in Charlotte. WSU led the opener 2-1 entering the sixth inning and led 7-4 in the sixth of the second game.
"They're a great team," Bredbenner said. "Fantastic defense. They play a lot of shifts. They'll play their second baseman up the middle. They hit well. They've got a lot of different looks, arm-wise."
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
