Scouting the Wichita State Shockers softball team: Season preview of the top players

The Wichita State softball team opens its 2023 season on Friday at the Bobcat Classic, a four-team tournament in San Marcos, Texas that will feature five games in three days.

The Shockers play Villanova (10 a.m.) and Texas State (3 p.m.) on Friday, Kent State (3 p.m.) and Villanova (5:30 p.m.) on Saturday and Texas State (noon) on Sunday. Both games against Texas State will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

“I think everybody is itching to play somebody besides each other,” WSU coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “I just want to see where we’re at and what we need to work on.”

Here’s what to know about WSU for this upcoming season:

Season overview for Shocker softball

The Shockers return their two All-American studs in senior shortstop Sydney McKinney and junior outfielder Addison Barnard, who have been included in every preseason watch list possible. After finishing second in the country in home runs, WSU should once again be in the mix for the most explosive offense in the country with big bats like Lauren Lucas, Lauren Mills and Zoe Jones also returning. The pitching staff is young and inexperienced after graduating its top two starters from last season, but WSU is optimistic about its options in the circle.

“It’s a dog fight to get into our lineup because everybody is hitting good and everyone is playing good defense,” McKinney said. “It’s going to be really tough for the coaches to make the lineup, but that just shows how much talent we have and how much competition there is every day in practice.”

After a 34-18 season that ended with another NCAA Regional appearance, the Shockers return the bulk of their production and are once again pegged as a postseason team. WSU is receiving votes in the national top-25 poll and is expected to have an intense battle with UCF, another top-25 caliber team, for supremacy in the American Athletic Conference.

Good news for WSU fans is that after the team played just 11 home games in 2022, WSU will play 27 times at Wilkins Stadium this season. The home opener is slated for March 4 with a doubleheader against Western Illinois and Bradley with another doubleheader against the same teams on March 5. Home games against Stanford (March 9), Nebraska (March 10, 11), Arkansas (March 14), Minnesota (March 17, 18), Kansas (March 21), Oklahoma State (April 4) and Oklahoma (April 25) are also on deck.

Scouting the opening-season tournament

Host school Texas State doesn’t play in a major conference, but very well could be the toughest opponent of the weekend. The Bobcats are playing at home and return the majority of their production from last season’s 38-win team that finished with a No. 50 RPI and barely missed out on an NCAA Regional at-large bid after falling in the Sun Belt tournament championship. Texas State’s best player is junior ace Jessica Mullins, who has a career ERA of 1.76 and struck out 253 batters in 241 innings last season.

Villanova brings the major conference cache and is the two-time defending Big East champions, although the Wildcats finished last year with a No. 94 RPI and lost both games in their NCAA Regional appearance. Sophomore Kelsey White was the team’s leading pitcher with a 6-7 record and 3.17 ERA and also a key hitter, batting .326 last season.

Kent State figures to be the weakest team of the bunch, as it finished with a 20-28 record last season and No. 179 in the RPI. The Golden Flashes, pegged to finish sixth this season in the MAC, are led by Emily Lippe, who returns after hitting nine home runs last season.

Positional preview for Wichita State softball

Catcher

Lainee Brown figures to handle the majority of the work behind the plate after starting 37 games as a redshirt freshman. Whenever she needs a break, junior Jessica Garcia (.326 average) offers a little more pop in the bat.

First base

Senior Zoe Jones appears at the front of the line to replace Neleigh Herring at first base. She hit .324 with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs to earn second team all-conference honors, an instant success in her first season at WSU after transferring from Texas Tech. But Jones proved capable of playing either corner, which opens up the possibility for an expanded role for sophomore Caroline Tallent, who only saw six at bats last season but has earned rave reviews from teammates for her offseason improvement. Sophomore Camryn Compton, back from a season-ending shoulder injury from last year, also could be in the mix.

Second base

The future of WSU’s middle infield is bright, as freshmen Sami Hood and Siera Hoekstra have both impressed early. Hood was a heralded high-school recruit who broke the Dallas-area record for career home runs, but it’s actually been her athleticism and glove that have likely earned her the starting gig from day one. Hoekstra, a former Shawnee Mission North standout, also figures to see time as the backup at both middle infield spots.

Shortstop

The home for one more year of Sydney McKinney, who will likely cement her status as the program’s greatest player of all time with this season’s send-off. She led the NCAA in batting average (.522) and hits (97) last season and has already become the program’s all-time hits leader. She’s a lock to be at the top of WSU’s lineup every game and she’s on every preseason watch list for a reason with another All-American honor looming.

Third base

If sophomore Caroline Tallent emerges at first base, then senior Zoe Jones will hold down the hot corner once again. But if Jones shifts to first base, sophomore Krystin Nelson, who made 35 starts last season and hit .257, could be an option to replace her. Junior Jessica Garcia (.325 average) also showed promise in her occasional appearances at the hot corner.

Left field

Addison Barnard figures to make the move from right to left field for her junior season. She’s speedy and a plus-glove wherever she is in the outfield, but her biggest strength is obviously her bat. She is the program’s single-season home run (33) and RBI (84) record holder and figures to once again be one of college softball’s most dangerous sluggers. The only question is if the preseason All-American will bat second or third in WSU’s lineup.

Center field

Junior Lauren Lucas is back in center field after a breakout season that saw her bat .387 with 10 home runs and 39 RBIs and earn first team all-conference honors. She hit the 3-hole in WSU’s explosive lineup last season and will once again be a major part of the Shockers’ success this season.

Right field

The job is up for grabs and could see a rotation between three players early in the season. Redshirt sophomore Bailey Urban, who has made 79 career starts, has the most experience, but is also still recovering from a season-ending knee injury. Camryn Compton, another redshirt sophomore who is returning from a season-ending injury last season, also figures to be in the mix for playing time either in right field or at first base. Freshman Taylor Sedlacek, another small-town Nebraska star, has lived up to the hype and already made a strong impression with her preseason performances.

Designated hitter

Senior Lauren Mills should be a constant in WSU’s lineup as a potential clean-up or No. 5 hitter. A breakout season saw the Topeka native smash a career-high 16 home runs with 51 RBIs and a .303 batting average to earn first team all-conference honors. She figures to once again be one of WSU’s most dangerous bats in the middle of the lineup.

Pitching staff

Caitlin Bingham and Erin McDonald both graduated, so the Shockers must replace nearly three-fourths of their total innings pitched from last season. Sophomore Alison Cooper (8-4, 3.72 ERA) has the most innings (64) pitched under her belt on the staff after the lefty showed promise as a spot starter last season. Lauren Howell is a former highly rated high-school recruit who is looking to make an immediate impact with the Shockers after waiting her turn the last two years at Arkansas.

Freshman Alex Aguilar could also make the occasional start, while freshman left-hander Sarah Proberts and sophomore Kenzie Schopfer should both see time in relief. WSU coach Kristi Bredbenner has mentioned that the Shockers will likely rotate pitchers more than they have in years past, playing the matchups from game to game.