The RoundHouse | 5/14/2024 2:15:00 PM
By Paul Suellentrop
Trying to pick the most ridiculous
Addison Barnard statistic is a chore.
Putting her amazing career into perspective by comparing it to previous eras isn't perfect, but it does resonate.
Barnard, an outfielder who recently completed her Wichita State career, hit 33 home runs in 2022 – one more than all the Shockers home run leaders hit total from 1977-1987. It took her predecessors as season leaders until 2000 to reach 90 total, three behind Barnard's 93 career homers.
Those 93 career home runs are one more than the Shockers hit as a team from 1978-1994. Her 66 career steals are also first on WSU's list.
The game and the bats and balls changed significantly from the 1970s until home run totals began to climb in the early 2000s. Barnard's lowest season total of 14 home runs would have ranked first for a season at WSU until 2007, when Cynthia Verhulst hit 15. Nobody hit more than 14 again until Cacy Williams hit 16 in 2014.
"That was a pretty high bar that she set," coach
Kristi Bredbenner said. "She's always been a great leader by example and somebody we could always count on working hard and competing. This year, she was much more than. She took them on her back. She led them vocally and did such as great job for a senior."
The Barnard update after four seasons rewriting WSU's record book:
NCAA
Career home runs – No. 4, 93
Season home runs per game – No. 1, 0.63 (2022)
Season home runs – No. 4, 33 (2022)
WSU career
Home runs – No. 1, 93
RBI – No. 1, 229
Total bases – No. 1, 558
Stolen bases – No. 1, 66
Slugging percentage – No. 1, .873
Batting average – No. 3, .369
On base percentage – No. 3, .463
Runs – No. 2, 225
Hits – No. 4, 236
Walks – No. 2 (tied), 108
Intentional walks – No. 2, 6
WSU season
Batting average – No. 8, .397 (2024)
Batting average – No. 10, .391 (2022)
Slugging percentage – No. 1, 1.018 (2022)
Slugging percentage – No. 2, .973 (2024)
On base percentage – No. 8, .511 (2024)
Runs – No. 3, 64 (2022)
Runs – No. 4, 59 (2023)
Home runs – No. 1, 33 (2022)
Home runs – No. 2, 24 (2024)
Home runs – No. 3, 22 (2021)
Home runs – No. 10 (tied), 14
RBI – No. 1, 84 (2022)
RBI – No. 3, 61 (2021)
Total bases – No. 1, 172 (2022)
Total bases – No. 4, 142 (2024)
Stolen bases – No. 1 (tied), 25 (2022)
Stolen bases – No. 3, 22 (2023)
WSU game
Runs – No. 1, 5 vs. Sam Houston State, 2022
RBI – No. 3 (tied), 7 vs. ECU (2022)
Home runs – No. 1 (tied), 3 vs. ECU (2022), vs. UTSA (2024)
Total bases – No. 1, 14 vs. ECU (2022), vs. UTSA (2024)
Stolen bases – No. 1 (tied), 4 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (2023)
Intentional walks – No. 1, 3 vs. Charlotte (2024)
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
