Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational
Clearwater, Fla. | Eddie C. Moore Complex
Feb. 13: vs. #23/24 Kentucky (10 AM CT) | vs. #5/5 Texas A&M (4 PM CT)
Feb. 14: vs. San Diego State (4 PM CT)
Feb. 15: vs. Liberty (2 PM CT) | vs. #8/9 Florida State (6 PM CT)
Video: SEC Network (SEC Network) | ESPN+ (All Other Games)
Stats: Statbroadcast.com

QUICK HITS
• The schedule ramps up in a big way this weekend when Wichita State heads to Florida for the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.
• Wichita State is 5-0 for the first time since 1994 and just the third time in program history. The Shockers' 5-0 weekend in Phoenix also marked the first time since 2021 the Shockers have gone 5-0 at an early season tournament.
• Wichita State is 23-25 in season openers and 11-3 under Bredbenner.
• The Shockers have won 11 of their last 12 season openers, including seven in a row.
• Lauren Lucas was named AAC Player of the Week on Feb. 10.
• Wichita State will face 12 NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago, which includes eight in the opening month of the season (Grand Canyon, Kentucky, Texas A&M, San Diego State, Liberty, Florida State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri).
• Wichita State has made it to the NCAA Tournament three of the last four years. The 2024 Shockers came up just short of an NCAA Regional, snapping a streak of three straight appearances.
• A pair of redshirt seniors return to the lineup in 2025 after missing all of the 2024 season due to injuries in Lauren Lucas and Camryn Compton.
• Lucas was named to the Softball America Preseason Top 100, sliding in at No. 78.
Freshman pitcher Ava Sliger was named to the D1Softball D100 Freshman Watch List.
• Sliger and freshman teammate Ryley Nihart were named to the Softball America Freshman Watch List.
• The Shockers bring back only two pitchers that recorded innings in 2024: Chloe Barber (Sophomore, AAC All-Rookie Team) and Alex Aguilar (Junior, 2023 AAC Rookie of the Year).
• Wichita State was picked to win the American Athletic Conference in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
• In total, Wichita State returns four starters and 11 letterwinners from a season ago.
• Nine newcomers (six freshman, three transfers) join the team in 2025.
• Bredbenner is 3 wins away from her 400th career victory at Wichita State. She is the all-time winningest coach in program history.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY
Kentucky is 4-1 after its opening weekend with wins against Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Morgan State and Southern Miss. The Wildcats' lone loss came against #8 Duke. Three of their four wins came in run-rule fashion. As a team Kentucky is hitting .421, led by Allie Blum at .600. Peyton Plotts is right behind at .563 with four doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs. In the circle, the pitching staff sports a 2.17 ERA. Julie Kelley and Sarah Haendiges have yet to allow a run in 5.0 innings apiece. The Wildcats are led by 18th year head coach Rachel Lawson, the program's all-time wins leader.

SERIES HISTORY
The Shockers have won two of the three all time meetings with the Wildcats, all on a neutral field. This will be the first meeting since 2008 when the Shockers won 6-2.

LAST MEETING VS. THE WILDCATS
The two teams opened the 2008 season in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the Chattanooga Shootout. Kentucky claimed a 5-2 win in the season opener behind a three-run top of the first inning. The Shockers came right back with two runs in the home half of the first. Kentucky got those two runs back in the second, and neither team would score again over the final five innings. Wichita State got its revenge the following day in a 6-2 victory. The Shockers grabbed an early 3-1 lead on a Britnee Barnett home run. A two-run triple in the sixth made it 6-2 to record the win.

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Ranked in the Top 10 in all four polls, the Aggies are 6-0 heading into Clearwater. They are coming off three straight shutouts and a win over No. 19 Baylor. The Aggies hit .375 as a team and have five student-athletes hitting over .400. Kramer Eschete leads the way with a .636 average and a pair of triples. Mac Barbara leads the Aggies in home runs (3) and RBIs (13) to go with a .438 average. In the circle, Texas A&M is led by Preseason All-American Emiley Kennedy. Kennedy is 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 12.0 innings. Texas A&M is guided by third year head coach Trisha Ford.

SERIES HISTORY
The Aggies won the first nine meetings with the Shockers, but Wichita State picked up its first ever wins in the 2021 NCAA Norman Regional. Texas A&M outscored Wichita State, 51-5, in those first nine matchups. Four of the 11 all-time meetings have come on a neutral field.

LAST MEETING VS. THE AGGIES
Wichita State eliminated Texas A&M from the NCAA Norman Regional in 2021. The Shockers opened the regional with a 9-7 win. Madison Perrigan homered twice and drove in four runs. Addison Barnard had three RBIs. Wichita State was on the brink of run-ruling the Aggies, leading 9-3 in the fifth, but A&M rallied for two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to make it a 9-7 game. The two teams met again a day later for a spot in the Norman Regional Final. Home runs from Barnard and Kaylee Huecker pushed the Shockers past the Aggies for the second straight day. Neleigh Herring was 4-for-4, and Wichita State pounded out 13 hits as a team.

CONNET THE DOTS
Angleton, Texas is the home of Wichita State freshman Gabby Scott and Texas A&M Associate Director of Athletics Communications Tyler Pounds. Pounds was a graduate assistant in the Wichita State Athletics Strategic Communications office for two years where he was molded into the SID (Sports Information Director) he is today.

SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE
San Diego State is 3-2 through its first five games of the season with losses to No. 2 Oklahoma and Cal State Fullerton. Jazmin Williams leads the Aztecs in hits (7), doubles (3), runs (6) and batting average (.438). San Diego State hits .315 as a team with nine doubles, three home runs and 15 stolen bases. Texas A&M transfer Grace Uribe hits .429 at the plate with two doubles and five RBIs and is also the ace of the pitching staff. Uribe is 2-0 with a 1.70 ERA in 12.1 innings. Stacey Nuveman Deniz is in her fourth season at the helm of the program.

SERIES HISTORY
Both meetings between Wichita State and San Diego State have come during Bredbenner's tenure. The Aztecs won the first-ever matchup in 2014, 11-5, right here in Wichita. The opening game of the Shocker Softball Classic saw San Diego State put up 11 runs on a three-run double, grand slam and two-run home run. Just two years ago Wichita State made the return trip to San Diego. San Diego State score all three of its runs in the second inning and then held off a Shocker comeback attempt to win 3-2.

LAST MEETING VS. THE AZTECS
Sydney McKinney had three of Wichita State's five hits, including a solo home run, but it wasn't enough as San Diego State came out on top, 3-2. The Aztecs scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the second.

SCOUTING LIBERTY
Liberty is off to a 5-0 start and ranked Top 25 in two of the four major polls. KK Madrey leads the offensive attack behind a .563 average, seven RBIs and seven stolen bases. Liberty relies more getting on base than the long ball, as they have just two home runs on the season. Their pitching staff is also strength. Liberty comes into the tournament with a team ERA of 1.00. Paige Bachman is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13.2 innings. Dot Richardson begins her 12th season leading the Flames.

SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE
At 4-1, the Seminoles are the second Top 10 team the Shockers will face in Clearwater. FSU split a pair of games with No. 4 Oklahoma State last weekend. Kennedy Harp had a big opening weekend, hitting .667 with two doubles, three triples, a home run and 10 RBIs. Five different pitchers logged at least 4.0 innings, led by Jazzy Francik. Francik is 1-0 in three appearances with a 0.00 ERA in 8.0 IP. Florida State is led by Lonni Alameda who begins her 17th season.

SERIES HISTORY
The only meeting between Wichita State and Florida State came in 1990, a 1-0 win for the Noles.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State went 5-0 on opening weekend at the GCU Kickoff Classic, defeating Northern Illinois, Grand Canyon, Colgate and Montana. The Shockers outscored their opponents, 37-7, hit .350 with 12 doubles and 9 home runs. The pitching staff posted a 1.36 ERA with 30 strikeouts to just 9 walks. Opponents hit just .208 against them.

LUCAS NAMED AAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lauren Lucas made her much-awaited return to the diamond for Wichita State softball this past weekend, and it looked like she hadn't missed a beat. Lucas was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week after a stellar opening weekend in Phoenix. Over five games, Lucas hit .667 (10-for-15) with three doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs and eight runs scored. The Little Elm, Texas, native produced a four-hit game against Montana where she notched a double, home run and four RBIs, while scoring three times. This is her third AAC Player of the Week honor and first since 2023.

WELCOME BACK
Wichita State welcomes back a pair of super seniors in Lauren Lucas and Camryn Compton after missing the entire 2024 season due to injuries. The duo have 161 combined starts between the two of them. Lucas is a two-time First Team All-Conference performer and earned Third Team All-America honors in 2023 after hitting .384 with 16 doubles, 7 triples, 4 home runs and 62 RBIs. Her 62 RBIs ranked Top 10 nationally. Compton has battled injuries throughout her career at Wichita State, but her experience will be key in 2025, as she looks to end on a high note.

SHOCKERS SELECTED FOR 2025 SHRINERS CHILDREN'S CLEARWATER INVITATIONAL
Wichita State softball will be one of 16 teams to compete in the 2025 Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational presented by EvoShield, Feb. 13-16, 2025, at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. Considered one of the premier softball tournaments in the country, Wichita State will be making its first ever appearance at the Clearwater Invitational. Now in its sixth year, the 2025 Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational field features Alabama, Auburn, Charlotte, Clemson, Florida State, Kentucky, Liberty, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, Texas A&M, UCF, UCLA, Virginia and Wichita State. Fourteen of the 16 teams are 2024 NCAA Regional participants. Alabama, Oklahoma State and UCLA advanced to the Women's College World Series. All games will be featured on the ESPN family of networks. 

TOUGH SLEDDING
Wichita State has never shied away from playing a tough schedule, and that is no different in 2025. The Shockers are scheduled to play 10 teams ranked or receiving votes in the Preseason NFCA Top 25: No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Florida State, No. 15 Missouri, No. 19 Nebraska. Kentucky, Texas State, Grand Canyon and Liberty all received votes.

PRESEASON TOP 100 LOVE
Lauren Lucas was named to the Softball America Preseason Top 100 list and the D1 Softball D100 Player Rankings. Lucas checked in at No. 78 on the Softball America Top 100 and No. 88 on the D100. Lucas was also named the No. 21 outfielder according to D1 Softball. Freshman pitcher Ava Sliger was named to the D1 Softball D100 Freshman Watch List on Jan. 8.

UP NEXT
Wichita State travels to Texas to face East Texas A&M on Wednesday, Feb. 19 before making a stop in Norman, Okla. for the Oklahoma Tournament, Feb. 20-22.