Good morning, Shocker Nation! Jaden Gustafson slapped an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Wichita State Baseball to an 8-7, walk-off win over East Carolina on Sunday afternoon at Eck Stadium.

The win is Wichita State's first in a rubber match this season, securing a 2-1 series win over the Pirates and moving the Shockers back into a three-way tie for the eighth and final seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

What else are we mixing into today’s edition of the Shocker Brew? Find out below!

🥎 Shockers Softball clinched series/regular season finale at Memphis
🏟️ Gene Stephenson Park unveiled
🌾 ​ And much, much more!

🌾 ONE BIG THING

If You Build It... The finished product does not tell the origin story of the countless hours and boundless energy that carried Wichita State's baseball stadium to this point.

Fortunately, there are many people who lived it and can recount the program's beginnings in 1977 and how a baseball field with flatbed trailers for bleachers and no locker rooms turned into a showcase for the sport. Humble is too strong, as those people know, because when WSU hired coach Gene Stephenson in 1977, he became the program's singular asset.

"We wanted to do something nobody else had done," Stephenson said.

On Saturday, a baseball facility that didn't exist in 1977 and seemed like an impossible dream into the 1990's received a fitting addition to its name. "Gene Stephenson Park" was added to Eck Stadium, home of Tyler Field, at a ceremony and unveiling.

⚾️ : Read “RH: Build It He Did"

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Eckuva Win, Indeed. Behind a three-hit day from Ellee Eck and a complete game in the circle from Ryley Nihart, the Wichita State softball team clinched the series and the regular season finale at Memphis Sunday afternoon, 4-2.

Wichita State (28-24-1, 15-11-1) will be the No. 5 seed in next week's American Athletic Conference Championship. They will face the winner of No. 7 UAB and No. 10 Memphis on Wednesday, May 7, in Tampa.

🥎 : RECAP, GAME ONE
🥎 : RECAP, GAME TWO

 🔼 Going Above the Rim. Wichita State men's basketball added another frontcourt piece with the signing of center Emmanuel Okorafor to a financial aid agreement.

Okorafor, a native of Abia, Nigeria, has one year of eligibility after spending a season at Seton Hall (2024-25) and two at Louisville (2022-24). At 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, Okorafor provides Wichita State an athletic, pick-and-roll threat that can put pressure on the rim and defend it on the other end.

🔼 This Tracks. Head to our X/Twitter account for more impressive results from the Horned Frog Invite!

🌾 SHOCKER TRIVIA

In the Genes. How many trips to the College World Series did the Wichita State baseball team take while being coached by Gene Stephenson?

Have a guess?

Scroll to the bottom to find out!

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📆 LOOKING AHEAD

*All times CST

Monday, May 5
(No Events Scheduled)

Tuesday, May 6
⚾️ Baseball vs. BYU @ 6 p.m. | Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets

Wednesday, May 7
🥎 Softball @ American Athletic Conference Championship in Tampa, Florida

Thursday, May 8
🥎 Softball @ American Athletic Conference Championship in Tampa, Florida

Friday, May 9
🥎 Softball @ American Athletic Conference Championship in Tampa, Florida
👟Track and Field - Shocker Open | Meet Info | Schedule
⚾️ Baseball @ Rice @ 6:30 p.m. | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Saturday, May 10
🥎 Softball @ American Athletic Conference Championship in Tampa, Florida
⚾️ Baseball @ Rice @ 2 p.m. | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Sunday, May 11
⚾️ Baseball @ Rice @ 1 p.m. | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

🌾 Click here to see the full Wichita State Athletics Calendar

🤓 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Seven!

With seven trips to the College World Series and a title in 1989, Gene Stephenson showed that baseball could succeed outside of the nation's warm-weather locales. He showed athletic directors that college baseball had potential to draw crowds and attention.

🌾 Have a fabulous week, Shocker Nation!