Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
[3] Nebraska vs. [2] Wichita State
Friday, May 19 | 6 PM CDT
Stillwater, Okla. | Cowgirl Stadium
ESPNU | NCAA.com
QUICK HITS
• Wichita State received an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• Wichita State is making its third straight NCAA Regional appearance and seventh overall. Five of the seven have come under Coach Bredbenner.
• Wichita State is making its 2nd Regional appearance in Stillwater.
• Wichita State is 6-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Wichita State won the American Athletic Conference regular season championship.
• Wichita State is ranked in all four polls: NFCA (#21), USA Softball (#21), D1 Softball (#21) and Softball America (#22).
• Wichita State's 43 wins are the second most in school history.
• Wichita State has its third 40-win season in school history.
• Wichita State is 7-3 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.
• Regular Season Awards: Sydney McKinney (Player of the Year, 1st Team), Sami Hood (Defensive Player of the Year, 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team), Alex Aguilar (Rookie of the Year, 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team), Coaching Staff of the Year, Addison Barnard (1st Team), Zoe Jones (1st Team), Lauren Lucas (1st Team), Lauren Howell (2nd Team), Lainee Brown (2nd Team), Taylor Sedlacek (All-Rookie Team).
• McKinney is the first player in AAC history to win Player of the Year multiple times.
• McKinney was 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 10 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 is the only active DI player with 60+ HR and 50+ SB.
• Barnard ranks 2nd among NCAA DI active players in career home runs.
• Barnard became the first known player in NCAA history with 30+ home runs and 25+ stolen bases in a single season in 2022.
• 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.
LAST MEETING VS. THE HUSKERS
Wichita State won both meetings with Nebraska during the regular season. The Shockers hosted the Huskers back in March and won by scores of 10-8 and 10-1 (5). Addison Barnard and Taylor Sedlacek both homered in the run-rule and Lauren Howell tossed a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits.
WICHITA STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Wichita State is making its seventh NCAA Regional appearance, and third straight. It's the first time Wichita State has made back-to-back-to-back NCAA appearances. Wichita State received an at-large bid for the fourth time in program history, and is the only program outside of the Power 5 to receive an at-large bid each of the last two seasons (2022 and 2023). The Shockers are 6-12 all-time in NCAA Regional games. This is the second time Wichita State will open in the Stillwater Regional. The Shockers were also in Stillwater in 1989 when they made the first-ever NCAA Regional appearance. The Stillwater Regional boasts the No. 6 overall seed, Oklahoma State.
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.
MCKINNEY SELECTED IN 2023 ATHLETES UNLIMITED DRAFT
Sydney McKinney was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Athletes Unlimited College Softball Draft on May 8. McKinney is the first Shocker selected in the brief history of the Athletes Unlimited professional league.
SHOCKER NATION SHOWED UP
Wichita State set a new school record for home season attendance in 2023, as 18,594 fans came through the gates at Wilkins Stadium. That season total ranked 26th nationally, while the Shockers also ranked 31st nationally in average attendace (715).
STRONG RPI
Wichita State checked in at No. 23 in the final RPI rankings prior to Selection Sunday. The Shockers have faced 12 teams in the Top 75, including No. 3 Stanford, No. 5 Oklahoma State (twice), No. 14 Arkansas, No. 25 Minnesota, No. 34 San Diego State, No. 38 Nebraska, No. 40 Texas State, No. 43 UCF, No. 48 South Dakota State, No. 52 Kansas, No. 56 Boise State, No. 61 North Texas, No. 68 Villanova and No. 71 South Florida.
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 (18-4), 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 10 FINALIST
Wichita State senior Sydney McKinney was named one of 10 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on May 3. 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.
AWARD SZN
Wichita State brought home a lot of hardware from the American Athletic Conference regular season awards. The Shockers claimed Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year, as well as four First Team All-Conference and four Second Team All-Conference selections. Sydney McKinney is the third straight Shocker to take home the league's top honor, Player of the Year, and first player in conference history to win it multiple times. She finishes her career as a four-time First Team All-Conference selection – a first in school history. Alex Aguilar broke on to the scene as a true freshman, earning Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Conference honors. Sami Hood was rewarded for her defensive prowess by being named Defensive Player of the Year, while also adding Second Team and All-Rookie Team honors. Head coach Kristi Bredbenner, associate head coach Elizabeth Economon and assistant coach Presley Bell led the team to a record-breaking season. They were named the 2023 Coaching Staff of the Year. Addison Barnard, Zoe Jones and Lauren Lucas were named to the All-Conference First Team. Barnard is a three-time first team selection and Lucas a two-time first teamer. Lauren Howell and Lainee Brown round out the Second Team All-Conference picks. Taylor Sedlacek is the third Shocker on the All-Rookie Team.
ALL HAIL THE HIT QUEEN
• Sydney McKinney is Wichita State's all-time hits leader with 372 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 (372) and at bats (827). She ranks 2nd in runs scored (245) and total bases (533), 3rd in batting average (.450) and 7th in triples (16).
• McKinney's career batting average of .450 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 .500, 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.
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 12 RBI to surpass Wichita State's own Madison Perrigan for the most all-time in American history.