GCU Kickoff Classic
Phoenix, Ariz. | GCU Softball Stadium
Feb. 7: vs. Northern Illinois (3:30 PM CT) | at Grand Canyon (8:30 PM CT)
Feb. 8: vs. Colgate (1:00 PM CT) | vs. Montana (3:30 PM CT)
Feb. 9: vs. Colgate (10:00 AM CT)
Video: ESPN+ (GCU Game Only)
Stats: Statbroadcast.com

QUICK HITS
• Wichita State opens the 2025 campaign and Year 14 of the Kristi Bredbenner era in the desert at the GCU Kickoff Classic.
• The Shockers will face two first-time opponents in Colgate and Grand Canyon, while they are 0-1 all time vs. Montana and 2-6 vs. Northern Illinois.
• Wichita State is 22-25 in season openers and 10-3 under Bredbenner.
• The Shockers have won 10 of their last 11 season openers, including six in a row.
• 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 was picked to win the American Athletic Conference in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
• 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).
• 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 8 wins away from her 400th career victory at Wichita State. She is the all-time winningest coach in program history.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois enters a new era under first year head coach Kathryn Gleason. The Huskies will look to improve upon an 18-34 record in 2024. They bring back five starters, including Danielle Stewart who hit .344 with 12 doubles, 7 home runs and 29 RBIs. Stewart is also the ace of the pitching staff. In the circle she was 10-10 with a 2.54 ERA in 129.1 innings with 117 strikeouts. She was an All-MAC First Team performer. Alana Powell earned All-MAC Freshman Team honors after a strong finish to the season. She played in only 23 games but hit .425 with a triple, home run and 12 RBIs. As a team, Northern Illinois hit .276 in 2024 with 63 doubles, 10 triples and 31 home runs. They made a living on the basepaths, stealing 116 bases in 146 attempts. The Huskies ranked 6th nationally in steals per game (2.17) and 9th in total stolen bases. Outside of Stewart the Huskies' pitching staff struggled. Six pitchers recorded innings and none of the six had an ERA below 4.82.

SERIES HISTORY
The Shockers will look to win consecutive games in the series with Northern Illinois for the first time in nine meetings. The Huskies are 6-2 all-time vs. Wichita State after winning the first four meetings in the 80s and early 90s. Five of the eight matchups have come on a neutral field.

LAST MEETING VS. THE HUSKIES
Wichita State wrapped up the final day of the 2014 Shocker Softball Classic with an 8-3 win over Northern Illinois at Wilkins Stadium. Melanie Jaegers went a perfect 3-for-3 for the Shockers with three RBIs, while Paige Luellen went 3-for-4 from the plate and Cacy Williams recorded three hits in four at-bats, including two RBIs.

SCOUTING GRAND CANYON
Coming off a record-breaking campaign in 2024 that saw Grand Canyon set a school record with 50 wins and an NCAA Regional appearance at UCLA, the Lopes will look to continue that momentum in 2025. GCU recorded a pair of wins in the Los Angeles Regional before falling to UCLA in the regional final. Shanon Hays is in his fourth season at the helm of the program with three consecutive WAC Tournament titles. Hays earned his second WAC Coach of the Year award in three seasons, and oversaw the WAC Player of the Year, WAC Pitcher of the Year, WAC Freshman of the Year, four first-team All-WAC athletes, three second-team All-WAC players and four NFCA All-West Region honorees. The 2025 Lopes will look to replace its top five of its top seven hitters. Savannah Kirk is back after earning WAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2024. She hit .389 with 9 doubles, 1 triple, 19 stolen bases and 20 RBIs. GCU also has lost its top three home run hitters who combined for 35 of the team's 57 home runs. Last season GCU ranked 3rd nationally in doubles, 8th in batting average and on base percentage, 11th in scoring, 15th in stolen bases, and doubles per game, 18th in slugging percentage and 19th in shutouts. In the circle, GCU brings back a pair of key pitchers in Meghan Golden and Emily Darwin. Golden was 13-4 with a 2.15 ERA in 104.1 innings. She tossed eight complete games in 30 appearances. Darwin was in 9-2, primarily in a relief role. In 24 appearances, she logged a 2.39 ERA in 52.2 innings.

SCOUTING COLGATE
Colgate is in year eight under Marissa Lamison-Myers at the helm. Colgate finished the 2024 season at 22-28 overall. The Raiders return three of their top four hitters, led by Quinn Livesay. Livesay is the top returning hitter after posting a .322 average with 9 doubles, 4 home runs and 19 RBIs. Adrienne Nardone is top returning run producer after tying for the team lead with 38 RBIs last season. She hit .310 with 10 doubles and 6 home runs in 2024. In the circle the Raiders bring back three of the four pitchers who logged innings, but must replace their ace, Bailey Misken. Misken led the team in every pitching category. Maya Servedio will take on a bigger role in 2025 after tossing 99.2 innings and finishing with an 8-9 record.

SCOUTING MONTANA
Wichita State will face another first-year head coach when they face Montana. Stef Ewing begins her tenure with the Grizzlies after spending the previous 6 seasons at Division II Cal State San Marcos. Montana went 17-33 in 2024 and just 1-14 in Big Sky play. The Grizzlies bring back two of their top three hitters in Presley Jantzi and Hannah Jablonski. Jantzi hit .393 with 16 doubles, 2 home runs and 25 RBIs. In the circle Grace Haegele is the lone returning pitcher with significant experience. In 27 appearances, she was 7-10 with a 5.09 ERA, 48 strikeouts, 46 walks in 85.1 IP.
LAST MEETING VS. THE GRIZZLIES
In the lone meeting between Wichita State and Montana, the Grizzlies claimed a 3-1 win on March 12, 2017 in Tulsa at the Tulsa Invitational. Wichita State scratched outs its lone run in the bottom of the first on a Laurie Derrico RBI double, but would go silent the rest of the game. Montana scored a pair of runs in the third on a Wichita State error and an insurance run in the fifth on a walk and steal home.

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's challenging schedule really ramps up when the Shockers travel to Clearwater for the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational, Feb. 13-15. All five of Wichita State's opponents are ranked or receiving votes in the polls.