2024 American Athletic Conference Championship | First Round
[9] UTSA (15-41, 5-22) vs. [4] WICHITA STATE (25-21, 16-11)
Wednesday, May 8 | 7:00 PM
Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium
TV: ESPN+ 
Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 

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QUICK HITS
• Wichita State opens the 2024 American Athletic Conference Championship as the No. 4 seed.
• The Shockers are 4-3 all-time in the AAC Championship with one tournament title in 2021. This is the second time Wichita State has been the 4-seed at the AAC Championship (2019).
• Wichita State is 1-2 at the AAC Championship since 2022.
• Wichita State has won the last five meetings vs. UTSA and leads the all-time series vs. the Roadrunners, 10-1.
• Wichita State is 6-4 in its last 10 games.
• Wichita State's RPI is 57 as of May 6 and the Shockers have played the nation's 13th toughest non-conference schedule and 53rd toughest overall.
• The American Athletic Conference is rated the 7th best conference according to RPI behind only the SEC, Big 12, Pac-12, ACC, Big Ten and Sun Belt.
• CC Wong was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection. Wong was joined on the First Team by Addison Barnard and Taylor Sedlacek.
• Over her last five starts in the circle, Chloe Barber is 4-1 with four complete games, a 0.96 ERA, 50 strikeouts, 14 walks and has allowed just 11 hits and four runs in 29.0 IP.
• Barber threw the program's 21st no-hitter on Sunday, May 5 vs. Memphis.
• Barber ranks 2nd nationally in strikeouts per 7.0 innings (11.1).
• CC Wong ranks 2nd nationally in batting average (.476), 3rd in on base percentage (.571) and 9th in slugging percentage (.888).
• Wong was named the AAC Player of the Week on May 6.
• Wong is one of 26 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
• Addison Barnard has 87 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 80+ HR and 60+ SB.
• Barnard ranks 3rd among NCAA DI active players in career home runs with 87, 14 behind Miami's Karli Spaid and five behind Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings.
• Her 87 home runs are currently 9th most in NCAA history.
• Barnard ranks 6th nationally in home runs per game (0.39) and 15th in total home runs (18) this season.
• Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner won her 700th career game on March 9 vs. Florida Atlantic.
• Bredbenner is 11 wins away from 400 career wins at Wichita State.

SCOUTING UTSA
Under first year head coach Vann Stuedeman, UTSA finished 5-22 in its inaugural season in the American. The Roadrunners enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed with conference wins over Memphis, North Texas, South Florida and Tulsa. UTSA ranks near the bottom of the NCAA in batting average, hitting just .210 as a team. Jaylen Prichard hits a team-best .336 to go with 8 doubles, a home run and 8 RBI. Camryn Robillard has six of the team's 31 home runs but hits just .154. The UTSA pitching staff has a team ERA of 5.60 and opponents are hitting .310 off them. Jamie Gilbert leads the Roadrunners in appearances (38), starts (24), ERA (4.52), complete games (13), innings (150.1) and strikeouts (99). Gilbert is 7-17 in the circle and has thrown nearly 90 more innings than the next closest pitcher. Iliana Saucedo is the team's No. 2 pitcher with 60.2 innings and a 5.65 ERA.

SERIES HISTORY
A series that started back in 2000 has largely been dominated by Wichita State. In 11 all-time meetings, Wichita State is 10-1 vs. the Roadrunners. After the Shockers won the first five matchups, UTSA picked up its lone win in the series on Feb. 15, 2020 in San Marcos, Texas at the Bobcat Classic. The two teams met one year later in Stillwater at the Mizuno Classic and the Shockers won both times in low scoring games.

LAST MEETING VS. THE ROADRUNNERS
Wichita State swept the regular season series with the Roadrunners back in March at Wilkins Stadium. The Shockers won all three games in run-rule fashion, outscoring UTSA, 30-2. CC Wong homered four times, including a school record tying three home run game in the finale. Wichita State hit seven home runs in the 12-0 win, tied for the third most in a single game in school history. Chloe Barber tossed a complete game shutout behind seven strikeouts in the 8-0 win. Lauren Howell was superb in her second straight start. She tossed a complete game shutout in Saturday's win behind a career-high nine strikeouts and allowed just one hit.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State finished the regular season with a sweep of Memphis on Senior Weekend. The Shockers extended its winning streak to 17 in a row over the Tigers with wins of 8-3, 3-0 and 8-0 (5). Chloe Barber was 2-0 with 18 strikeouts in 9.0 innings, allowing just three hits and three runs. Barber tossed a no-hitter in the finale behind nine strikeouts. CC Wong was 7-for-9 over the weekend with four extra base hits and five RBI. Lauren Howell tossed a one-hitter, complete game shutout in Saturday's 3-0 win behind seven strikeouts. Lainee Brown hit a three-run home run and Addison Barnard homered in the series.

AWARD SZN
For the fifth time in seven seasons since Wichita State joined the American Athletic Conference, the Player of the Year resides in Wichita. CC Wong was named the AAC Player of the Year, joining Mackenzie Wright (2018), Sydney McKinney (2021, 2023) and Addison Barnard (2022) as the other Shockers to earn the league's top honor. No awards were given out in 2020 since the season was canceled due to COVID. Wong was a unanimous pick for the All-Conference First Team. Barnard was also a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection, making her a perfect 4-for-4 on the First Team during her career. Taylor Sedlacek was the third Shocker to earn First Team All-Conference honors. Chloe Barber was named to the All-Rookie Team. The Shockers have placed at least one on the All- Rookie Team every year since joining the American in 2018.

AAC TABS WONG PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME
For the third time this season CC Wong was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on May 6. On the final weekend of the regular season Wong tortured the Memphis pitching staff, going 7-for-9 (.778) with four extra base hits (3 doubles, 1 home run) and five RBI. In the final game of the series, she was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles. Her four hits and two doubles both tied a career high.

BUZZIN' AT THE BARBER SHOP
Chloe Barber finished the regular season nearly unhittable in the circle. In her last five starts, Barber is 4-1 with a 0.96 ERA in 29.0 innings, allowing just 11 hits and 14 walks. She has 50 strikeouts in those five starts. In the regular season finale vs. Memphis, Barber recorded the program's 21st no-hitter.

WONG NAMED TOP 26 FINALIST FOR USA SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior CC Wong was named one of 26 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, it was announced on May 1. Wong is one of only five student-athletes on the list from outside the Power 5. The Top 26 Finalists will be narrowed down to 10 athletes on May 15, followed by the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 20. The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed prior to the Women's College World Series, which is scheduled to take May 30 – June 7 at the Softball Capital of the World®.

THE WONG BALL
Wichita State hit the jackpot with the addition of CC Wong from the transfer portal. Wong ranks 2nd nationally in batting average (.476), 3rd in on base percentage (.571) and 9th in slugging percentage (.888), 17th in total bases (127), 35th in runs per game (1.00) and 40th in home runs per game (0.30). She is the only student-athlete at the NCAA DI level hitting .460 or better with 10+ home runs.

JUST GRAND
Hitting from the leadoff spot in the order CC Wong has found herself at the plate with the bases loaded eight times this season. Safe to say she rarely misses. With the bases loaded Wong is 7-for-8 (.875) with 2 home runs and 17 RBI. Her numbers with runners in scoring position include: 22-for-43 (.512) with 4 doubles, 4 home runs, 5 walks, 36 RBI and just 2 strikeouts. When she's at the plate with 2 outs and runners on: 14-for-25 (.560), 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 6 walks and 21 RBI.

FOUR-HEADED ATTACK
In conference play Wichita State's offense was powered by CC Wong, Addison Barnard, Taylor Sedlacek and Krystin Nelson. The quartet was responsible for 62% of Wichita State's hits, 74% of its home runs and 65% of its RBI's. Those four were 120-for-294 (.408) at the plate with 31 doubles, 31 home runs and 94 RBI. The rest of the team hit a combined 74-for-377 (.196) in AAC games.

NINE-HOLE NELLY
Krystin Nelson has been red-hot over the past two months at the plate for the Shockers. Since March 1, the junior is hitting .407 (35-for-86) with 9 doubles, 2 home runs, 16 RBI, 13 walks and has scored 24 runs after starting the season 1-for-26 (.038). Nelson has six multi-hit games during that stretch. In American Athletic Conference play she hit .403 with 8 doubles, a home run, 11 RBI and 19 runs scored. Nelson is 11-for-25 (.440) at the plate with 2 outs in AAC games.

RPI - WEEK 10
Wichita State checked in at No. 57 in the 10th week of RPI rankings on May 6. The Shockers have faced 13 teams in the Top 65, including No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 8 Oklahoma State (twice), No. 9 Missouri (twice), No. 15 Arkansas (twice), No. 22 Clemson, No. 24 Auburn, No. 26 Charlotte (three times), No. 27 South Carolina, No. 40 Florida Atlantic (three times), No. 46 Kansas (twice), No. 47 Nebraska (twice), No. 58 South Florida (three times) and No. 63 Tulsa (three times).

TOUGH SLEDDING
Wichita State has never shied away from playing a tough schedule, and that is no different in 2024. The Shockers have already played nine teams ranked in the NFCA Top 25: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Oklahoma State (Mar. 6), No. 6 Oklahoma State (Apr. 17), No. 8 Clemson, No. 25 Auburn, No. 20 South Carolina, No. 15 Arkansas (twice) and No. 14 Missouri (twice).