Mizzou Invitational
Columbia, Mo. | Mizzou Softball Stadium
Feb. 27: vs. Drake (10:00 AM CT) | at Missouri (3:00 PM CT)
Feb. 28: vs. Drake (10:00 AM CT | vs. Miami (OH) (12:30 PM CT)
Mar. 1: at Missouri (10:00 AM CT)
Video: SEC Network+ (Friday vs. Missouri Only)
Stats: Statbroadcast.com

QUICK HITS
• Wichita State heads to Columbia for the Mizzou Invitational to wrap up the final weekend before conference play.
• Wichita State is coming off a 5-0 weekend in Arlington, Texas. The Shockers recorded a pair of run-rule wins and outscored their opponents, 40-12.
• The Shockers are 60-35 all time vs. Drake, 2-29 vs. Missouri and this will be the first-ever meeting with Miami (OH).
• Jade Sanders threw the program's 22nd no-hitter in the 8-0 run-rule win over Creighton on Feb. 21. It was the first no-hitter since Chloe Barber's 5-inning no-no on May 5, 2024.
• After failing to hit a home run over the first 5 games, Wichita State has hit 14 over its last eight.
• Freshman Kinzey Woody hit her first career home run vs. Creighton on Feb. 21 - a walk-off grand slam.
• Ava Sliger tossed a one-hit, complete game shutout vs. New Mexico in the final game of the Getterman Classic.
• Wichita State ranks 19th nationally in fielding percentage at .981. Wichita State has committed just seven errors over its first 13 games.
• Wichita State is scheduled to face eight NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago (Mississippi State, Arkansas, Clemson, Miami (OH), Oklahoma State, Florida Atlantic, South Florida, Oklahoma).
• Wichita State was picked to finish 3rd by the league's coaches in the 2026 American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Florida Atlantic received 8 first place votes and was picked to win the league. USF came in 2nd.
• Seven Shockers return in 2026, led by 2025 American Conference Co-Freshman of the Year, Ryley Nihart.
• Wichita State welcomes 14 newcomers into the fold in the way of seven transfers, two junior college transfers and five freshmen.
• A pair of highly decorated McLennan Community College transfers hope to follow in CC Wong's footsteps. Wong, a former Wichita State All-American, spent two seasons at McLennan and was the 2022 Co-National Player of the Year. This season Trinity Allen and Mickayla Tosch bring their talents to Wichita. Allen was the 2025 NJCAA National Player of the Year and two-time All-American. Tosch was also a two-time NJCAA All-American and two-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner.

SCOUTING DRAKE
After starting the season 4-1, Drake enters the weekend on a five-game losing streak with losses to No. 15 Arizona, Utah Valley, Coastal Carolina and Creighton. The Bulldogs come into the tournament hitting .305 with 20 doubles, four triples and 11 home runs. Freshman Kiley Kindelspire hits a team-best .378 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs. Natalee Watts has five home runs through 10 games and ranks 15th nationally in slugging percentage at 1.120. The Bulldogs rank 18th in the country in doubles per game (2.00). The pitching staff sports a 6.14 ERA and opponents are hitting .327. Five pitchers have thrown at least 9.0 innings. Peyton Driscoll has thrown a team-high 14.2 innings. Jayme Scheck is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12.1 innings.

SERIES HISTORY
The series between Wichita State and Drake dates all the way back to 1984, but the two programs have met only once since the Shockers departed for the American Conference. Wichita State has won 65 of the 95 all time meetings and enters the matchup winning each of the last nine games vs. the Bulldogs. Wichita State is 11-2 vs. Drake on a neutral field.

LAST MEETING VS. THE BULLDOGS
Not long before the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID, Wichita State and Drake squared off on March 7 in Lawrence. A two-home run game and 4 RBIs from Sydney McKinney powered the Shockers to a 7-3 win. Wichita State pounded out 12 hits. Caitlin Bingham allowed three runs on two hits in 4.0 innings, before Bailey Lange took over. Lange tossed the final 3.0 innings, giving up no runs on just three hits.

SCOUTING MISSOURI
Missouri stands at just 5-11 through the first three weekends of the season, but has faced the 22nd toughest schedule in the country. The Tigers have already faced No. 5 Oregon, No. 21 Liberty, No. 6 UCLA, No. 23 Florida Atlantic and No. 22 Duke. Missouri doesn't have a single batter hitting over .300 in the lineup. Abby Hay hits a team-best .292 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. A familiar foe resides on the Missouri roster this season in the way of Emma Jackson. Jackson spent the previous two seasons at East Carolina. So far, Jackson is just 4-for-27 at the plate with two RBIs. The Tiger pitching staff has a 3.80 ERA with 85 strikeouts to 45 walks. Marissa McCann has thrown a team-high 34.1 innings, but is 1-3 with 28 strikeouts to just eight walks. Cierra Harrison is next in innings pitched with 30.2. She is 2-3 with a 3.65 ERA, 26 strikeouts and eight walks.

SERIES HISTORY
A series that began in 1980 has been dominated by the Tigers. Missouri has won 29 of the 31 all time meetings, including the last 19. 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. Wichita State has never won in Columbia.

LAST MEETING VS. THE TIGERS
The two teams met last season in Wichita during the Shocker Invitational. Missouri broke up a scoreless game in the third on a solo home run, before adding six runs in the fourth, cruising to a 10-1 win. Cierra Harrison struck out 10 Shockers and allowed just four hits in 6.0 innings. A Taylor Sedlacek solo home run was the lone scoring for the Shockers. Wichita State committed four errors in the game.

SCOUTING MIAMI (OHIO)
Miami is riding a five-game win streak and stands at 10-4 overall this season. The Redhawks hit .291 as a team with six players hitting over .300. Evey Dieudonne is 11-for-21, but has started only five games. Kari Krueger has only been in the starting lineup in eight of the 14 games, but is hitting .375 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Danitza Hernandez leads the team in home runs (4) and ranks second in RBIs (18). Bailey Manos has driven in a team-best 19 runs to go with three home runs. Presley Hosick is the ace of the pitching staff, as she's tossed 54.1 of the team's 96.1 innings. She is 5-2 with a 1.42 ERA, 35 strikeouts and just 14 walks.

NO-NO
Jade Sanders tossed the program's 22nd no-hitter in the 8-0 run-rule win over Creighton on Feb. 21. Sanders struck out 10 and walked only two in 6.0 innings of work. Its the first no-hitter since Chloe Barber's on May 5, 2024 vs. Memphis. Sanders' 10 strikeouts are the most in a no-hit performance by a Wichita State pitcher since Margo Pruis struck out 13 in her no-hitter on March 11, 2006 vs. Northern Colorado.

GRAND FASHION
Wichita State freshman Kinzey Woody hit her first career home run - a walk-off grand slam - on Feb. 21 vs. Creighton. It was the first grand slam since Addison Barnard vs. Tulsa in the American Conference Championship on May 9, 2024 and the first walk-off home run since Barnard on April 20, 2024 vs. UAB.

TOUGH SLEDDING
Wichita State has never shied away from playing a tough schedule, and that is no different in 2026. The Shockers are scheduled to play six teams ranked or receiving votes in the Preseason NFCA Top 25: No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 9 Arkansas, No. 13 Clemson, No. 22 Mississippi State and No. 24 Oklahoma State. Florida Atlantic received votes.

COLLECTING THE ACCOLADES
The Shockers had a First-Team All-Conference honoree for the 12th consecutive season in 2025. Lauren Lucas earned First Team All-Conference honors this season. The streak began in 2013 with Erin Carney.

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON
Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner started a new tradition in 2021 to reward players who hit home runs. Instead of a normal high-five for her players as they round the bases, Bredbenner began tossing a piece of Hi-Chew candy to her home run hitters. Former Shocker Madyson Espinosa should be credited for introducing the chewy candy to Coach B at the first tournament of the season down in Conroe, Texas, and thus a new tradition was born. The tradition enters season No. 5 in 2025, so be on the lookout for flying candy.

THE BRED-WINNER
Kristi Bredbenner is the longest tenured head coach in Wichita State softball history, which has resulted in 429 wins in 15 seasons. Bredbenner has the second-highest winning percentage in school history (.574) behind current Florida softball coach Tim Walton. She is Wichita State's all-time wins leader after surpassing Jim Maynard on April 24, 2022.

UP NEXT
Wichita State welcomes Kansas to Wilkins Stadium on Wednesday for its 2026 home opener at 6 p.m.