South Dakota State (15-17, 0-0) at Wichita State (14-10, 4-2)
Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium
Tuesday, March 17 | 2:00 PM (DH)
TV: ESPN+ (All Games)
Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 

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St. Patrick's Day
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the ballpark! Wear your green and cheer on the Shockers in a festive game-day atmosphere. The first 250 fans through the main stadium entrance will receive a special-edition St. Paddy's Day silicone cup.
TWOsday ticket offer (BOGO GA Tickets)
 

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QUICK HITS
• Wichita State hosts South Dakota State for a midweek doubleheader at Wilkins Stadium.
• Wichita State is 5-5 over its last 10 games.
• Wichita State's midweek at Oklahoma State on March 10 was suspended until April 8 with the game in the bottom of the 7th with 1 out and the Shockers leading 8-3. The two teams will finish that game before starting the scheduled game on April 8.
• Wichita State picked up its first sweep of the season this past weekend over UAB. It is the first sweep for the Shockers since 2024.
• 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 27 over its last 15.
• Ausha Moore ranks 19th nationally in on base percentage at .584.
• Moore was named American Player of the Week on March 2.
• 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 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
South Dakota State has already played 32 games, but have yet to play a conference opponent. The Jackrabbits are coming off a 1-4 weekend at the Maverick Invitational and have lost six of their last seven games. South Dakota State started the season with a 12-4 record, but have since managed just a 3-13 record to stand 15-17 overall. Seven every day starters currently hit at least .300 through SDSU's 32 games. Amanda Vacanti leads the way with a .427 batting average. She's followed by Emma Christensen (.337), Akayla Barnard (.333), Alivya Bollen (.333), Emma Vike (.330), Bria Riebel (.312) and Abby Gentry (.306). South Dakota State has seen eight different players pitch so far this season. Grace Proctor, who had thrown just one inning prior to last weekend, pitched 14 1/3 innings against the Lions and Mavericks. She has a team-low 2.74 ERA. She's followed in that category by Madi Mangulis (4.20).

SERIES HISTORY
Wichita State has won nine of the 11 all-time meetings with South Dakota State, including five of the last six. The Jackrabbits snapped a five-game losing streak vs. the Shockers last year in Wichita with a 6-4 win. This will be the fifth time in the last six years Wichita State and South Dakota State have faced off.

LAST MEETING VS. THE JACKRABBITS
Wichita State and South Dakota State split the two meetings last season in Wichita. In the win over South Dakota State, Wichita State took a 4-2 lead into the top of the 7th only to see the Jackrabbits hit a game-tying two-run home run. In the bottom of the 7th, Jodie Epperson hit a walk-off RBI double. Ryley Nihart struck out a season high eight batters in 4.1 innings of relief in Sunday's 6-4 defeat to South Dakota State. She came in with the Shockers trailing, 5-1, and allowed just one run.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State is coming off a conference sweep of UAB this past weekend. The Shockers defeated the Blazers 6-5, 9-1 (5) and 2-1 to earn their first sweep since 2024. In the series opener, Wichita State rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win in walk-off fashion thanks to Jodie Epperson's RBI single. The two teams played a doubleheader on Saturday to wrap up the series, both in different fashion. Wichita State needed only 5 innings to run-rule the Blazers, 9-1, in the first game. Gabby Scott and Kinzey Woody both homered, while four different Shockers had multi-hit games. The finale saw both teams go scoreless through the first 4 innings until Trinity Allen drove in both of Wichita State's runs on a double in the bottom of the 5th. The Blazers got a run back in the 6th, but Ryley Nihart would keep them off the board in the 7th to close it out.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH FOR A GAME AND TWO OUTS
Wichita State's midweek game at #21 Oklahoma State was suspended in the bottom of the 7th with one out due to weather. The Shockers were two outs away from recording a top 25 win until rain and lightning stopped the game. The two teams will complete the game on April 8 with the Shockers leading 8-3 when the Cowgirls are already scheduled to play at Wichita State.

RPI - WEEK TWO
Wichita State checked in at No. 70 in the second week of RPI rankings on March 16. The Shockers have already faced 10 teams in the Top 65, including No. 6 Arkansas, No. 9 Mississippi State, No. 15 Clemson, No. 17 Baylor, No. 28 Oklahoma State, No. 41 Kansas, No. 55 East Carolina (three times), No. 58 Texas State, No. 60 Miami (OH) and No. 64 Missouri.The Shockers still have games against No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 28 Oklahoma State, No. 31 South Florida (three times), No. 41 Kansas, No. 56 Charlotte (three times) and No. 59 Florida Atlantic (three times).

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 431 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 Florida Atlantic for another home conference series, March 20-22 at Wilkins Stadium.