Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
#18/19 Wichita State at Kansas
Wednesday, May 3 | 5 PM
Lawrence, Kan. | Arrocha Ballpark
ESPN+ | StatBroadcast.com
QUICK HITS
• Wichita State concludes the 2023 regular season with a midweek contest at Kansas on Wednesday.
• Wichita State is the AAC regular season champion, and will be the top seed in the 2023 AAC Championship.
• Wichita State is ranked in all four polls: NFCA (#18), USA Softball (#19), D1 Softball (#18) and Softball America (#20). Wichita State's #18 ranking in NFCA and D1 Softball is the highest in school history.
• Wichita State has moved up to No. 18 in the RPI.
• Wichita State's 43-8 record is the best start through 51 games in school history.
• Wichita State has its third 40-win season in school history.
• Wichita State is riding a 7-game win streak.
• Wichita State is 9-1 in its last 10 games.
• Wichita State has three Top 10 wins this season - #9 Arkansas, #2 Oklahoma State and #3 Oklahoma State.
• Wichita State's win at #3 Oklahoma State was the highest ranked road win in school history.
• Wichita State's win over #2 Oklahoma State was the highest ranked win in school history.
• Wichita State has 10 shutouts in 2023. The 2022 Shockers had five all season.
• After playing just 11 home games in 2022, Wichita State had 27 games at Wilkins Stadium in 2023.
• Wichita State received three first place votes in the AAC Preseason Poll and was picked to finish 2nd, just one point behind UCF.
• Alex Aguilar is a 3-time AAC Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 20, Apr. 10, Apr. 24).
• Sydney McKinney has been awarded AAC Player of the Week honors three times in 2023 (Feb. 20, April 3, April 10).
• Zoe Jones was American Player of the Week on March 27.
• Lauren Howell has been named the American Pitcher of the Week twice (Feb. 20, March 6).
• McKinney was also named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on Feb. 21.
• McKinney leads the country in hits and batting average.
• McKinney led the nation in hits and batting average in 2022.
• McKinney is the NCAA DI active leader in hits and at bats.
• McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU.
• McKinney is the program's all-time hits, batting average, runs and total bases leader, while also owning single season records for those categories.
• McKinney is one of 25 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
• Addison Barnard has 69 career home runs, the most all time at Wichita State and in American Athletic Conference history.
• Barnard finished the 2022 season leading the nation in home runs per game and RBI per game, and ranked second in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage.
• Barnard's 33 home runs broke her own single season record.
• Barnard became the first known player in NCAA history with 30+ home runs and 25+ stolen bases.
• Barnard is the only active DI player with 60+ HR and 50+ SB.
• Barnard ranks 2nd among NCAA DI active players in career home runs.
SERIES HISTORY VS. KANSAS
The series between Wichita State and Kansas dates back to 1978 when the two programs met for the very first time. Kansas leads the all time series, 73-23-1. Wichita State didn't record its first win in the series until 1986. Wichita State has won three straight vs. the Jayhawks after Kansas had won the three meetings prior.
LAST MEETING WITH THE JAYHAWKS
The two Sunflower State programs met back in March on the 21st in Wichita. Kansas grabbed a 3-1 lead, only to see the Shockers score eight unanswered, including a five-run fifth inning, to win going away, 9-3. Lainee Brown and Sami Hood both homered and drove in 3 runs apiece. Alison recorded the win out of the bullpen, throwing 6.0 scoreless innings of relief.
40 WIN SEASON
Wichita State recorded its 40th win of the season on Sunday, April 23 vs. East Carolina. It marks only the third 40-win season in school history, joining the 2005 and 2021 teams. The 2005 team holds the current school record with 46 wins.
2023 AAC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS
Wichita State won its second American Athletic Conference regular season championship. It marks the fourth regular season conferene title in school history and second in the last three seasons. All four regular season championships (2014, 2016, 2021, 2023) have come under head coach Kristi Bredbenner. It also ensures the No. 1 seed in the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Shockers will receive a first round bye into the semifinals.
DON'T LET ADDIE GET HOT
One of the nation's premiere home run hitters got off to a slow start in 2023, but seems to be getting into a groove. In her first 17 games of the season, Addison Barnard had just two home runs. She has 12 in her last 30 games, including her first multi-home run game of 2023 vs. Northern Colorado. In conference play, Barnard is hitting .429 with 7 doubles, 8 home runs and 19 RBI.
RPI - WEEK NINE
Wichita State checked in at No. 18 in the week nine RPI rankings on May 1. The Shockers have already faced 12 teams in the Top 75, including No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Oklahoma State (twice), No. 14 Arkansas, No. 27 Minnesota, No. 31 UCF, No. 35 Nebraska, No. 38 San Diego State, No. 42 Texas State, No. 48 Boise State, No. 53 South Dakota State, No. 55 Kansas, No. 62 South Florida and No. 68 Villanova. Wichita State still has a game against No. 55 Kansas.
TOP 10 WINS
Wichita State owns a trio of Top 10 wins in 2023 after taking down No. 3 Oklahoma State on April 18 in Stillwater. The Shockers completed the regular season sweep of Oklahoma State with wins in Stillwater and Wichita. The win over the Cowgirls in Wichita marked the highest ranked win in program history, having never beaten a Top 5 team before the matchup. The road win over OSU marked the highest ranked win on the road in school history. Wichita State's resume now includes wins over No. 2/3 Oklahoma State (twice) and No. 9 Arkansas (March 14), making it the first season in school history with multiple Top 10 victories. Wichita State has four Top 10 wins under head coach Kristi Bredbenner, all four coming in the last three seasons.
PITCHING PROWESS
The pitching staff was a question mark entering the season in 2023, but those questions have since disappeared. Wichita State's trio of Lauren Howell, Alex Aguilar and Alison Cooper have accomplished something already that no other team in school history has done. All three have double digit wins in 2023. Howell (18-2), Aguilar (14-2) and Cooper (11-4) have combined for all 43 wins so far this season, making them the first trio of teammates to have 10 or more wins in a single season in the circle.
TOP 25 FINALIST
Wichita State senior Sydney McKinney was named one of 25 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on April 19. A top 10 finalist a season ago, McKinney is once again putting the nation on notice. McKinney was named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List prior to the season before making the cut at 25. Considered the most distinguished individual honor in Division I college softball, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players from across the country. The Top 25 Finalists will be narrowed down to 10 athletes on May 3, followed by the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 17.
SHOCKER SLUGGERS RETURN
Wichita State returns 100 of the 121 home runs hit from the 2022 team. Led by Addison Barnard (33), Wichita State brings back one of the nation's best offenses in 2023. Lauren Mills (16), Zoe Jones (15), Sydney McKinney (13), Lauren Lucas (10), Jessica Garcia (5), Lainee Brown (4), Bailey Urban (3) and Krystin Nelson (1) combined to hit the century mark in homers.
PITCHERS BEWARE
Wichita State obliterated the single season home run record for the second straight season in 2022. The Shockers crushed 103 in 2021, only to see the 2022 team set a new mark of 121. It only took 42 games for the 2022 team to match that number of 103. Wichita State has finished second nationally in home runs each of the last two seasons, behind only Oklahoma.
ALL HAIL THE HIT QUEEN
371 in her career. She passed Britnee Barnett on April 29, 2022 vs. ECU with No. 251.
• McKinney is the NCAA DI active career leader in hits (371) and at bats (820). She ranks 2nd in runs scored (245) and total bases (532), 3rd in batting average (.452) and 7th in triples (16).
• McKinney's career batting average of .452 ranks 17th all-time in NCAA history.
• McKinney became the first Shocker with 300 career hits on Feb. 19 vs. FDU.
• McKinney's 245 career runs scored are the most in school history.
• McKinney shattered her own single season record for batting average. She set it at .439 in 2021 and hit a nation-leading .522 in 2022.
• With a career OBP of .502, McKinney currently holds the top spot in that category as well at Wichita State.
• She ranks second with 16 career triples.
• Her 45 career doubles place her in 5th on the school's all-time list.
ONE OF THREE
Wichita State is one of only three schools in the country, joining Oklahoma and Arkansas, to return multiple NFCA All-Americans from a season ago. The Shockers of course bring back NFCA Second Team All-Americans Addison Barnard and Sydney McKinney.
THE AMERICAN STANDARD
Since Wichita State entered the American Athletic Conference in 2018, the Shockers have been the league's top offensive team in the league. Not counting the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Wichita State has led the American in batting average (2021, 2022), slugging percentage (2018-22), on base percentage (2019-22), runs (2019-22), hits (2022), RBI (2019-22), doubles (2018, 2021-22), home runs (2018-22), total bases (2018-22) and walks (2019, 2021).
HOME SWEET HOME
Just a season ago Wichita State took on the role of road warrior. The Shockers had 27 home games at Wilkins Stadium in 2023 compared to only 11 in 2022. During the month of March Wichita State only left Wichita once. Seventeen of those 27 home games took place in the month of March, including matchups against 2022 NCAA Regional teams: Stanford, Nebraska, Missouri State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Florida.
IN THE AMERICAN RECORD BOOKS
Wichita State is well-represented in the American Athletic Conference record books. Currently Sydney McKinney holds the single-season record for batting average, hits, on base percentage and runs. Addison Barnard is the single-season record holder for home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and total bases. On the career charts, McKinney already enters her final season holding the top spot in batting average, on base percentage, runs, total bases and hits. Barnard is the all-time home run leader and needs 14 RBI to surpass Wichita State's own Madison Perrigan for the most all-time in American history.
UP NEXT
Wichita State has the weekend off before opening American Athletic Conference Championship play on May 12 at 11 a.m.