Shocker Invitational
Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium
Feb. 27: vs. #16 Oklahoma State (5:00 PM)
Feb. 28: vs. Missouri (5:30 PM)
Mar. 1: vs. South Dakota State (12:30 PM) | vs. #18 Nebraska (5:30 PM)
Mar. 2: vs. South Dakota State (2:30 PM)
Stats: Statbroadcast.com

QUICK HITS
• Wichita State's home opening weekend brings four teams to Wilkins Stadium for the Shocker Invitational.
• Wichita State is 16-89 all-time vs. Oklahoma State, 2-28 vs. Missouri, 8-1 vs. South Dakota State and 28-39 vs. Nebraska.
• The Shockers are coming off a 3-1 weekend in Norman where they defeated Bowling Green and Abilene Christian, and fell to No. 2 Oklahoma.
• Wichita State started the season 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.
• 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 recorded her 400th career win at Wichita State on Feb. 23 vs. Abilene Christian. She is the all-time winningest coach in program history.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
At 8-4, Oklahoma State enters the weekend ranked in the Top 20 in all four polls. The Cowgirls own wins over Florida State, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Alabama. As a team, Oklahoma State hits .312 with 14 doubles and 12 home runs. Rosie Davis leads the Cowgirl offense, hitting .382 with three home runs and 16 RBIs. Micaela Wark has a team-high four home runs but is batting just .233. Washington transfer Ruby Meylan heads up the pitching staff in her first year in Stillwater. She is 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA in 34.0 innings and has 40 strikeouts to just eight walks. Oklahoma State is in Year 10 under head coach Kenny Gajewski.

SERIES HISTORY
The series between Wichita State and Oklahoma State dates all the way back to the first meeting on March 25, 1978. Wichita State won that first-ever matchup, only to see Oklahoma State win the next 56 in a row. The Cowgirls lead the all-time series, 89-16. Nine of those 16 wins have come under Kristi Bredbenner. The Shockers and Cowgirls have played each other every year since 1984.

LAST MEETING VS. THE COWGIRLS
Wichita State led 5-1 after 4.0 innings only to see the Cowgirls strike for five runs in the Top of the 5th. That would prove to be enough as Oklahoma State held on for a 6-5 win at Wilkins Stadium on April 17, 2024. Oklahoma State won both meetings in 2024 in comeback fashion over the Shockers. In early March Oklahoma State came back from a two-run deficit to earn a walk-off win in 8 innings in Stillwater.

SCOUTING MISSOURI
The Tigers came into the season ranked in the Top 20 of every major poll, but an 8-8 start has dropped Missouri out of the rankings after three weeks. The Tigers own ranked wins over No. 21 Northwestern and No. 7 Duke, but have lost seven of their last 11 games after a 4-1 start. Missouri's offense has got off to a slow start, hitting just .259 as a team with 23 doubles and 14 home runs. Julia Crenshaw hits a team-high .360 with four doubles and three home runs. Madison Walker's five home runs lead the Tigers, but she hits just .208. In the circle, Missouri relies on Marissa McCann and Cierra Harrison, as the duo has made up 75.0 of the 105.2 innings. McCann is 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 40.2 innings to go with 28 strikeouts and 18 walks. Harrison is 3-3 with a 5.10 ERA in 34.1 innings. She has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 27:9. Larissa Anderson is in her seventh season at the helm of the Tigers.

SERIES HISTORY
A series that began in 1980 has been dominated by the Tigers. Missouri has won 28 of the 30 all-time meetings, including the last 18. Both of Wichita State's wins against the Tigers have come in Wichita. The Shockers' last win against the Tigers came in 1999, a 1-0 shutout in Wichita.

LAST MEETING VS. THE TIGERS
The two teams met twice in 2024 at the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. The Tigers run-ruled the Shockers 13-3 in 5 innings in the first matchup and then 8-2 in the rematch a day later.

SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
South Dakota State comes to Wichita having lost seven in a row and sits at 5-8 through the first three weeks of the season. The Jackrabbits have a trio of .400 hitters in Amanda Vacanti (.429), Emma Christensen (.423) and Brooke Dumont (.406). Dumont leads SDSU in doubles (6), home runs (4) and RBIs (13). Vacanti also sees time in the circle. She is 1-0 with a 2.74 ERA in 15.1 innings and all eight appearances out of the bullpen. Seven different pitchers have logged innings for the Jackrabbits with Madi Mangulis leading in appearances (10) and innings (19.0).

SERIES HISTORY
Wichita State has won eight of the nine all-time meetings with South Dakota State, including each of the last four. The Jackrabbits' lone win in the series came in 2021 as part of a doubleheader in Wichita. This will be the fourth time in the last five years Wichita State and South Dakota State have faced off.

LAST MEETING VS. THE JACKRABBITS
Wichita State needed some 7th inning magic in 2023 against South Dakota State. In the final game of the 2023 Shocker Invitational, South Dakota State scored two runs in the Top of the 7th to take a 3-1 lead. In the Bottom of the 7th and down to its final out, Wichita State put together four straight singles to rally for a walk-off 4-3 win. Taylor Sedlacek drove in the winning run on an RBI single up the middle.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska entered the 2025 campaign with high expectations and is off to a fast start at 12-4 and ranked in the Top 20 in all four polls. All four of their losses have come to ranked teams. The Huskers lead the country in home runs and rank third in slugging percentage and runs, fifth in RBIs and scoring, eighth in hits, ninth in hit by pitches and 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio. After missing all of 2024, Jordy Bahl has come out of the gates red-hot both at the plate and in the circle. She's hitting .500 with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs and 14 RBIs. In the circle, she is 5-2 with a 0.80 ERA with 54 strikeotus and just 8 walks in 43.2 innings. Ava Kuszak leads the nation in home runs with 10 to go with 24 RBIs. Rhonda Revelle is in her 33rd season leading the Huskers.

SERIES HISTORY
Two midwestern schools that are very familiar with each other features a series dating all the way back to 1978. Nebraska leads the all-time series, 39-28. Wichita State is 18-17 vs. Nebraska in Wichita. Since 2015, Wichita State has closed the gap in the series winning 15 of the last 22 matchups. Wichita State swept the Huskers twice in 2024, both on Nebraska's home field.

LAST MEETING VS. THE HUSKERS
Last March at the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln, Wichita State crushed the Huskers on their field on back-to-back days. After opening the tournament with a 7-1 win, the Shockers came back the next day and run-ruled Nebraska in 6 innings, 17-4. It was the largest margin of victory over Nebraska in the series.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State is coming off a 3-1 weekend in Norman at the Oklahoma Tournament. The Shockers recorded wins over Bowling Green and Abilene Christian twice, but fell to No. 2 Oklahoma. Wichita State opened with a 15-4 run-rule win over Bowling Green behind a 3-for-4 day from Sami Hood. Hood homered and drove in four runs. The next day Wichita State suffered an 8-1 loss to the Sooners before bouncing back with a 3-1 over Abilene Christian. Sydney Zenon blasted a two-run, pinch-hit home run to help the Shockers erase a 1-0 deficit in the fifth inning. On the final day Wichita State downed ACU for a second time, 10-3. Taylor Sedlacek, Jodie Epperson and Camryn Compton all homered in the win.

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.

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 Kansas City for the first midweek contest of the season on March 5 at 4 p.m.