Wichita State (0-0, 0-0 American) vs. McNeese (0-0, 0-0 Southland)

Friday, February 14 | 6:00 pm CT | Lake Charles, Louisiana (Joe Miller Ballpark)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
RHP Brady Hamilton (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Alexis Gravel (0-0, 0.00)

Saturday, February 15 | 2:00 pm CT | Lake Charles, Louisiana (Joe Miller Ballpark)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
TBA vs. TBA

Sunday, February 16 | 12:00 pm CT | Lake Charles, Louisiana (Joe Miller Ballpark)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
TBA vs. TBA

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SCENE SETTER: Wichita State opens the 2025 season with a three-game road series against McNeese in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Shockers are coming off a 32-29 season in 2024 that included a 15-12 mark in American Athletic Conference play, tying for third in the final conference standings. WSU went on to reach the championship game of the AAC Tournament for the first time in program history, falling to Tulane, 11-10. 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: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2025. Denning Gerig will have the call of the action in Lake Charles, with "The Voice of the Shockers" Mike Kennedy returning to the airwaves following the conclusion of the Wichita State men's basketball season. All three games of the McNeese series will also be streamed live on ESPN Plus. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com. 

SERIES HISTORY: The Shockers and Cowboys have six previous meetings, with Wichita State holding a 5-1 lead in the series. The two teams met most recently in 2018, a season-opening three-game series in Lake Charles that the Shockers swept by scores of 10-7, 11-2 and 11-10. Shocker third baseman Alec Bohm reached base 10 times in the series and drove in seven runs, while Jordan Boyer delivered the game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning of the series finale. WSU also swept a two-game midweek set in 2005 (13-4, 7-5), while McNeese claimed the first meeting in 2003, a 4-3 decision in the opening game of the Mardi Gras Ball Classic in Lafayette, Louisiana.

SCOUTING MCNEESE: Like the Shockers, McNeese enters 2025 on the heels of a 32-win season that culminated with an appearance in their conference tournament championship game. The Cowboys finished 32-27 (11-13) in 2024, winning three games in the Southland Conference Tournament before falling to Nicholls in the title game. McNeese is picked third in the SLC preseason poll, trailing only Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana in the 11-team league. Seniors Conner Westenburg (First Team outfielder) and Simon Larranaga (Second Team utility) were both tabbed to the conference's preseason All-SLC team. Two Cowboys have Wichita State ties, as senior outfielder Cole Plowman and junior right-handed pitcher Ty Howry were both on the roster for the Shockers in 2022. Head coach Justin Hill is entering his 12th season at the helm of the Cowboys with a career record of 333-268 (.554).

PRESEASON PUB: Wichita State was picked second in the 2025 American Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, the highest preseason projection for the Shockers since joining the conference in 2017. The Shockers had never been picked higher than fourth in the American preseason poll, a status they reached just once in the 2022 edition. WSU also matched Tulane for the most representatives on the Preseason All-Conference Team; catcher Mauricio Millan, first baseman Josh Livingston, second baseman Jordan Rogers and shortstop Camden Johnson were all recognized by the conference, with Millan as the unanimous selection behind the plate.

GETTING THE GANG BACK TOGETHER: Wichita State returned just 11 total players to their 2024 roster following the coaching change that brought Brian Green to Wichita, but this season the Shockers enter the year with significantly more experience. On the position player front, WSU returns nine players who started 10 or more games, while the pitching staff features nine hurlers who appeared in eight or more contests.

PORTAL POWER: Wichita State turned to the portal for seven D1 transfers: Grant Adler (Kansas), Cole Dillon (Arizona), Jace Miner (Oklahoma), Arnad Mulamekic (Siena), Owen Reynolds (Oral Roberts), MJ Seo (LSU) and Owen Washburn (Texas Tech). Adler and Miner both began their D1 careers at Wichita State before transferring during the coaching change, with Adler named the AAC Newcomer Pitcher of the Year in 2023 and Miner earning Second Team All-Conference honors as a reliever.

CLAGGETT PROMOTION: Following the 2024 season, head coach Brian Green promoted pitching coach Anthony Claggett to assistant head coach in addition to his pitching coach duties. Working with a pitching staff that returned just four pitchers and 71.1 total innings from the year prior, Claggett guided the Wichita State arms to a 5.07 ERA in 2024 that ranked second in the American Athletic Conference and finished top three in hits allowed per nine innings (8.73) and WHIP (1.49).

UPS AND DOWNS: The 2024 season was a true roller coaster ride for Wichita State. The Shockers entered the month of April at 18-9 following a three-game sweep of Rice, but had a miserable month that threatened to derail the season. WSU went 4-17 in their next 21 games, suffering a pair of conference sweeps at the hands of South Florida and East Carolina. But the Shockers righted the ship in May, winning a season-best seven games in a row from May 4-17 and reaching the championship game of the American Athletic Conference tournament with the help of two wins over top-seeded East Carolina.

IT'S GONNA BE MAY: The star of Wichita State's late season surge was infielder Josh Livingston, who put together one of the most impressive months in recent program history to buoy the Shockers. Livingston went 11-for-33 in the month of May with three doubles, six home runs and 23 RBI in just nine games, highlighted by a two-homer, seven-RBI game in the AAC tournament semifinals against East Carolina. The junior college transfer became the first player in program history with three pinch-hit homers in the same season and the first with a pinch-hit grand slam since Zach Reding accomplished the feat in 2016.

RESURGENT ROGERS: A huge key to the Shockers success in 2024 was a breakout season from utilityman Jordan Rogers. After hitting just .102 with two extra-base hits in 2023, Rogers exploded for a .296/.409/.531 slash line that included 12 doubles, four triples and 11 home runs. The redshirt senior was Wichita State's primary second baseman but also earned starts in center field and right field.

RAMP UP THE RUN GAME: One area where the Wichita State offense stalled last season was on the basepaths, where the Shockers ranked 272nd nationally in stolen bases per game (0.51, 31-for-37 in total). Only Camden Johnson (7-for-8) returns with more than three swipes from last season's roster, but the Shockers have added speed from the junior college ranks in Davis Mauzy (35 stolen bases), Zeb Henry (24), Kaleb Duncan (23) and Jordan Black (11).

YEAR TWO LOADING: The Shockers got significant contributions offensively from freshmen in 2024, highlighted by Camden Johnson, Kam Durnin, Lane Haworth and Gannon Snyder. The quartet combined for a .306 batting average in 589 total at-bats, including 13 home runs. Johnson was the standout, leading the Shockers with a .326 average and 78 hits. He became the first Wichita State freshman to lead the team in hits since Chris Wimmer in 1990.

HOLMES ON THE CASE: Wichita State left-hander Hunter Holmes was the busiest pitcher in college baseball last season, leading the nation and tying the school record with 38 appearances out of the WSU bullpen. Primarily utilized for his ability to neutralize left-handed batters, Holmes worked less than an inning in 22 of his 38 outings. The junior college transfer allowed just 13 hits in 70 at-bats against lefties, a .186 batting average.

POWER OF THE PLUNK: Wichita State shattered the program record for hit by pitches in 2024, drawing 116 HBPs to best the previous mark (84 in 2019) by 32. Mauricio Millan set a new program and conference record with 24 hit by pitches and Jordan Rogers was close behind with 21. The Shockers finished 16th nationally in team HBPs.

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 came 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 281-230-1, good for a .550 winning percentage.

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE: With a program record of 2,342 wins, 1,277 losses and nine ties, Wichita State ranks in the top ten of all college baseball programs with a .646 winning percentage. The Shockers have won 20 regular season conference championships and 18 conference tournament championships, earning a trip to Omaha for the College World Series on seven different occasions. WSU claimed the 1989 national championship and finished as national runner-up in 1982, 1991 and 1993.