Good morning! Today, the Shockers will be playing for something bigger than basketball. Wichita State coaches will wear sneakers as part of the NABC's Coaches vs. Cancer Week.

Cancer doesn't wait, and neither should you. Visit coaches.cancer.org to find a screening location near you.

What are we mixing into today’s Brew?

👟 Track and field sweeps men’s conference awards
🏀 Preview of the Shockers vs. Pirates
🌾 ​ And much, much more!

🌾 ONE BIG THING

Two Shocker athletes were treated to conference awards following their performances in the Mark Colligan Memorial last weekend, sweeping the men’s awards for the first time in the 2024 season.

Brady Palen earned his fourth AAC Field Athlete of the Week award for his showing in the high jump. His 2.15m-clearing jump tied for the conference lead and currently ranks 25th in the NCAA.

Jaleel Montgomery earned his first-ever AAC Track Athlete of the Week award following his personal best performances. The junior won the 60-meter hurdles with a conference-leading time of 7.79, which now ranks 27^th in the NCAA and third all-time in school history. He then went on to finish second in the 200-meter dash, running 21.68, which ranks him fourth in the conference and ninth all-time in Shocker history.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Giaudrone The Great. Pitcher Charlie Giaudrone, a member of the 2024 class of the Wichita State Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, retired hitters for four seasons as a Shocker and his name is all over some of the biggest games from the 1989-1992 seasons.

🗣️ "I think I still have the shirt that has 'Never be satisfied' on the back. That was one of our mantras. The thing I remember is that if you work hard, you'll get your opportunity. It's a meritocracy in Gene's program." - Charlie Giaudrone

🗣️ "I had never seen anybody throw the ball the way he threw the ball. It looked like his hand was coming right out of his shoulder. He was so flexible in his shoulders that he could snap his elbows together behind his back. He had some funky movement on the baseball." - Jay Haffley

🗣️ "He had confidence. He just kept getting people out. Every time you put him out there you knew you were going to get a good performance." - Coach Gene Stephenson

Giaudrone went 31-7 with a 2.69 earned run average across four seasons as a Shocker, including a 1989 six-inning no-hitter against Fordham. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference and second-team ABCA All-American honors in 1992.

📚️ Read more about Charlie Giaudrone in this Hall of Fame feature by Paul Suellentrop

🔼 Batten Up The Hatches. Shocker men’s basketball has returned the The Roundhouse where they will host two straight games, starting with East Carolina this evening at 6:30 p.m. Wichita State leads the all-time series with East Carolina, 7-1, and is coming in looking for its first conference win of the season.

Standout guard, Colby Rogers, is the team’s leading scorer with 16.2 points per game and has made a three-pointer in all 18 games this season and multiple in 14 of the 18. He leads the AAC in three’s per game (2.78), total three-point field goals made (50), and three-point percentage (38.8%). Harlond Beverly enters the game with 43 assists over his last 12 games. His 57 total assists are the most on the team.

🔍️ Check out the scouting report on East Carolina ahead of tonight’s matchup

🔼 Heralding Harden. Playing for coach Jody Adams, Alex Harden headlined the program's first three NCAA Tournament teams from 2011 to 2015 as a 5-foot-11 do-it-all guard. She ranks first on the Shockers’ career list for points (1,708), second in steals (278), third in assists (436), and seventh in rebounds (683).

Harden, a member of the 2024 class of the Wichita State Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, earned honorable mention Associated Press All-America honors and Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in 2014-15. She twice claimed MVC Defensive Player of the Year honors (2013, 2014) and earned spots on the All-MVC team three times.

📚️ Read more about Alex Harden in this Hall of Fame feature by Paul Suellentrop

🤔 SHOCKER TRIVIA

Shocker Hall of Famers. This year, Wichita State is honoring four of its former student-athletes by placing them in the school’s Hall of Fame. Both Harden and Giaudrone will be inducted formally later this month, but can you name the other two Class of 2024 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame inductees?

Think you got it? Scroll down to the bottom of this email for the answer!

📬 STICK WITH US

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📆 LOOKING AHEAD

Wednesday, Jan. 24

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. East Carolina @ 6:30pm in Wichita, KS | Tickets | Listen | Live Stats

Thursday, Jan. 25

👟 Track and Field @ Wilson Invitational in Wichita, KS

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. UAB @ 6:00pm in Wichita, KS | Listen | Live Stats

Friday, Jan. 26

👟 Track and Field @ Wilson Invitational in Wichita, KS

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Omaha @ 1:00pm in Wichita, KS | Live Stats

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. Kansas State @ 4:00pm in Wichita, KS | Live Stats

🌾 Click here to see the full Wichita State Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Taryn Torgerson and Cacy Williams!

Torgerson (women’s golf) and Williams (softball) will be inducted alongside Harden and Giaudrone on Jan. 27th at 6:00 p.m. at the Hall of Fame Dinner.

Purchase tickets now to see these Shocker legends be honored!

🌾 Have a great Wednesday, y’all!