Wichita State (19-13, 7-5) at #5/3 Oklahoma (34-3, 8-1)
Norman, Okla. | Love's Field
Tuesday, March 31 | 5:00 PM CT | SEC Network
Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 

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QUICK HITS
• Wichita State visits No. 5 Oklahoma Tuesday night at Love's Field for a midweek showdown.
• Wichita State is just 5-55 vs. Oklahoma, having lost 45 in a row to the Sooners.
• Wichita State is 7-3 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 had its 7-game win streak in the series finale vs. Florida Atlantic. Wichita State recorded its first-ever series win over the Owls.
• Freshman Kinzey Woody has 6 home runs this season. Her first 4 career home runs completed the home run cycle, hitting a solo HR, 2-R HR, 3-R HR and a grand slam. Her first career HR was a walk-off grand slam.
• 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.
• Ausha Moore ranks 1st in the American in on base percentage at .545 and home runs (10).
• Moore is a two-time American Player of the Week, earning the weekly honor on March 2 and March 23.
• Wichita State ranks 28th nationally in fielding percentage (.974). The American has 3 teams in the Top 25 in fielding pct.: USF ranks 9th and FAU ranks 15th.
• 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.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
The top-5 Sooners are 34-3 overall this season and 8-1 in the SEC. Oklahoma once again fields an explosive offensive lineup, ranking 1st nationally in batting average (.426), hits (440), home runs (133), on base percentage (.517), RBIs (431), scoring (11.95), slugging percentage (.883) and total runs (442). The Sooners have 10 players hitting over .400 this season and the nation's home run leader in freshman Kendall Wells. Wells has already homered 26 times in just 36 games to go with 57 RBIs. Five other Sooners have 10 or more home runs this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma has dominated the series vs. Wichita State, winning 55 of the 60 all-time meetings,
including 44 straight. Wichita State's last win against the perennial powerhouse was back in 1990
when the Shockers won a doubleheader against the Sooners.

LAST MEETING VS. THE SOONERS
A year ago, Wichita State fell behind against the Sooners 8-0 in the top of the 1st and 14-3 after the top of the 3rd, but fought all the way back to make it a game at the end. Wichita State had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the 6th, but OU escaped the jam. The Sooners left Wichita with a 19-16 win in a shootout. 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. 15, 2019 vs. Florida State.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State dropped its second conference series of the season this past weekend at South Florida. After the Shockers took Game 1 in 11 innings, 5-4, the Bulls regrouped to win the final two games, 3-1 and 6-3. In the opening game Wichita State went into the bottom of the 7th with a 4-1 lead only to see the Bulls score three runs, including the game-tying runs on a strikeout, throwing error. Finally Wichita State scrapped out a go-ahead run in the top of the 11th and escaped a bases loaded jam in the home half to hang on for the win. In Game 2, Wichita State managed just four hits and scored its only run on Ausha Moore's solo home run. In the finale, Wichita State again scored all of its runs on solo home runs, including a two-home run game from Trinity Allen.

BRINGING THE WOOD(Y)
Freshman Kinzey Woody is coming off a scorching weekend series vs. Florida Atlantic. Woody was 8-for-10 with two home runs and three RBIs. She had a hit in eight straight at bats over the three games, going 3-for-3 in Game 1 and 4-for-4 in Game 2. After her stellar week, D1 Softball named Woody the Mid-Major Freshman of the Week. Through the first 12 conference games, Woody is hitting a team-high .500 (19-for-38) with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs.

HOME RUN CYCLE
Kinzey Woody has 5 home runs so far in her freshman season. The first 4 home runs of her career completed the home run cycle - hitting a walk-off grand slam for her first career home run on Feb. 21 vs. Creighton, a 3-run home run on March 13 vs. UAB, a 2-run home run on March 14 vs. UAB and finally a solo home run vs. FAU on March 20. Not a bad way to start your collegiate career.

AUSHA AGAIN
For a second time this season Ausha Moore was named the American Conference Player of the Week. Moore took home the weekly honor on March 23 after hitting .500 (8-for-16) in games against South Dakota State and Florida Atlantic. She had a pair of multi-home run games, including a grand slam against the Jackrabbits.

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 in Wichita with the Shockers leading 8-3 when the Cowgirls were already scheduled to play at Wichita State.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ausha Moore picked up her first American Conference Player of the Week award on March 2. Moore crushed the ball at the Mizzou Invitational, going 8-for-10 with two doubles, three home runs, six runs scored and five RBIs over four games. It is the first POW for Wichita State this season. D1 Softball also tabbed Moore the Mid-Major Player of the Week.

RPI - WEEK FOUR
Wichita State checked in at No. 60 in the fourth week of RPI rankings on March 30. The Shockers have already faced 12 teams in the Top 65, including No. 3 Arkansas, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 22 Clemson, No. 27 Baylor, No. 36 South Florida (three times), No. 41 Missouri, No. 42 Florida Atlantic (three times), No. 49 Kansas, No. 50 Texas State and No. 63 Miami (OH). The Shockers still have games against No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 46 Charlotte (three times) and No. 49 Kansas.

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 opens a seven-game homestand with a conference series against Tulsa, April 2-4.