East Carolina (23-17, 9-6) at Wichita State (19-18-1, 7-7-1)
Friday, April 11 | 6:00 PM
Saturday, April 12 | 6:00 PM
Sunday, April 13 | 12:00 PM
Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium
Video: ESPN+ 
Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 

---

Weekend Promotions

Friday
Scout Night: Scouts receive free admission when they wear their uniform to the game. Guests can receive discounted tickets.

Saturday
Hometown Heroes Day: Military, Fire, Police, EMS, and Healthcare workers receive free admission to the game when they show their military/employee ID at the ticket office! Guests can receive discounted tickets.
Giveaway: The first 500 fans will receive a Wichita State branded cup presented by the Shocker Store.
Postgame Fireworks (weather pending)
Shocker Store Pop-Up Shop

Sunday
Postgame Egg Hunt: Bring your buckets and your bags and find all the eggs that you can on the field after the game!
 

---

QUICK HITS
• Wichita State returns home for a three-game series with East Carolina, April 11-13.
•  Wichita State is coming off a 2-1 weekend at UAB. The Shockers now have three series wins in conference play, but still searching for their first sweep of the season.
• The tie with South Florida on March 30 is just the third game in program history to end in a tie. Two of those three have come under Kristi Bredbenner. The last tie came four years ago on April 18, 2021 when the Shockers and UCF Knights ended in a 0-0 tie in 9 innings.
• Wichita State set a new single game attendance record on March 26 vs. #2 Oklahoma. The announced crowd of 1,245 broke the previous record of 1,115 set 8 years ago on March 18, 2017 vs. LSU.
• Camryn Compton has eight home runs over her last 13 games. She's already set career highs in home runs (9) and RBIs (29) this season through 38 games.
• Lauren Lucas leads the American in doubles and on base percentage. In AAC play, Lucas is hitting .447 (21-for-47).
• Wichita State has faced the nation's 20th toughest schedule this season.
• Wichita State will face 12 NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago, which included eight in the opening month of the season.
• 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).
• Nine newcomers (six freshman, three transfers) join the team in 2025.
• Head Coach Kristi 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 EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina comes into the weekend series two spots ahead of the Shockers in the standings at 9-6. They own series wins over UTSA and Memphis, while dropping 2-of-3 vs. Tulsa, South Florida and Charlotte. The Pirates are led at the plate by Kanisha Anderson's .429 batting average (2nd in AAC) and the speedy sophomore leads the team with 16 multi-hit games this season. Emma Jackson, Morgan Johnson and Annie Kate Dalton combine for 32 of the Pirates' 49 home runs, which ranks first in the league (27th in NCAA). Taylor Apple (3.16 ERA, 94 Ks) and Kendall Frost (3.61 ERA, 78 Ks) are the two primary arms in the circle for ECU.

SERIES HISTORY
All but one meeting between Wichita State and East Carolina has taken place since the Shockers joined the American in 2018. The two programs first met back on March 20, 1999 on a neutral field. Wichita State has won 10 straight meetings and leads the overall series, 17-3.

LAST MEETING VS. THE PIRATES
Wichita State swept the regular season series with ECU last season, beating the Pirates: 4-1, 6-5 and 9-1 (5). Taylor Sedlacek broke out of a slump in a big way, going 6-for-8 with three home runs, nine RBI and scoring five times. She hit a grand slam in the first inning of game one and a three-run homer in the first inning of game two to set the tone early. CC Wong was 5-for-10 with three doubles in the series. Alex Aguilar struck out six in 6.0 innings in the opening night win, allowing just one run. Lauren Howell had her best outing of the season in the finale, tossing a complete game. She tied a career high with seven strikeouts and allowed just one run on three hits. Chloe Barber recorded a pair of saves out of the bullpen.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State went 2-1 at UAB last weekend, taking the first two games by scores of 7-3 and 6-5 before falling in the finale, 4-1. The Shockers won the series opener behind a two-home run game from Taylor Sedlacek and a solo homer from Camryn Compton. On Saturday the two teams played a doubleheader with the Shockers erasing a 3-1 deficit. Lauren Lucas doubled, tripled and drove in three runs to lead the offense. Chloe Barber tossed a complete game in the circle. Looking to complete the sweep, Wichita State opened the scoring on a Krystin Nelson RBI double in the 2nd inning, but that would turn out to be the only run of the game. Wichita State managed just five hits with two of those belonging to Nelson on a pair of doubles.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
Camryn Compton is playing the best softball of her career over her last 13 games. During that stretch she's hitting .341 (14-for-41) with 8 home runs, 21 RBIs, 13 runs scored and a slugging percentage of .976.

SOONER SHOOTOUT
Wichita State took No. 2 Oklahoma (19-16) to the wire Wednesday night at Wilkins Stadium. The 35 combined runs were the most in program history, edging out a March 9, 2014 contest vs. Iowa State when the Shockers defeated the Cyclones, 18-16. Oklahoma's 19 runs were the second most Wichita State has allowed in a game in program history. Wichita State's 16 runs were the most an Oklahoma team has allowed since June 3, 2019 when UCLA scored 16 against the Sooners in the WCWS Championship series. Wichita State belted five home runs, the most Oklahoma has given up in a game since Feb. 29, 2020 vs. North Texas. It marked the first time since March 17, 2018 vs. Creighton a Shocker team scored 10 or more runs in a loss.

FRESHIES MAKING AN IMPACT
Wichita State's offense has received a boost in conference play from a pair of freshmen. Gabby Scott was inserted into the lineup for the North Texas series and has started every game at catcher since. In 12 conference games, Scott is hitting .343 (12-for-35) with three doubles, a home run, nine runs scored and 11 RBIs. Brookelyn Livanec has taken a hold of the DP position since the start of conference play at Florida Atlantic. Through 15 AAC games, Livanec is hitting .364 (16-for-44) with a double, six runs scored and eight RBIs.

RPI AT A GLANCE
Wichita State checked in at No. 55 in this week's RPI rankings. The Shockers have already faced 10 teams in the Top 75, including No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 8 Florida State, No. 9 Oklahoma (twice), No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 26 Florida Atlantic (Three times), No. 27 Liberty, No. 31 Kentucky, No. 33 Nebraska, No. 36 Missouri, No. 38 South Florida (three times), No. 42 San Diego State, No. 43 Grand Canyon, No. 47 Texas State, No. 51 North Texas (three times), No. 62 Kansas and No. 73 Central Arkansas. The Shockers still have games against No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 45 Charlotte (three times) and No. 62 Kansas.

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 visits Stillwater for a midweek tilt at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, April 15 at 6 p.m.