Good morning! As regular season play wraps up across WSU, it makes for a good time to go back and reminisce on how far our programs have come thus far in 2023. Don’t worry though, post season play is coming soon, and you’ll want to be ready for that, trust us.

What else are we tossing into today’s Brew?

🎓 The Shocker Way
⚾️ Weekend Preview
​🌾 And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Among The Best. Sydney McKinney continues to rake in the awards as it was announced she was included as one of ten finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. This is her second year in a row that she has been included in the top-10 for this award.

By now you know the absurd stats that McKinney has produced this season; an NCAA best .533 batting average, an NCAA best 96 hits, and in 180 at bats, she has struck out just seven times. Prior to the season, McKinney was on the watch list for the award, but after her three-time AAC Player of the Week awards and moving into the top five all-time hits list in the NCAA, there really wasn’t a question she would be one of the remaining finalists.

The ten current finalists will be narrowed down to a top-three on Wednesday, May 17th, and the winner will be announced prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series. She definitely has our vote, but for now, we will just have to wait and see.

🔼 The Shocker Way. While our student-athletes were dominating in their respective sports, they were also grinding away in the classroom. The NCAA announced the scores for all programs under the Academic Progress Rate (APR) which measures university’s academic status and determines whether or not programs can compete in postseason play.

The Shockers went above an beyond expectations, with all 13 programs registering a 964 or above in their four-year APR scores, 30 points above what is considered ‘good standing’. One program stood out among the rest, with women’s golf achieving a perfect score of 1000 in their one-year APR.

“These results are a testament to our student-athletes resolve and our department’s commitment to developing young people and programs,” said Director of Athletics Kevin Saal. Get you a university that can do it all; oh wait, that’s us.

🔼 Wrapping Things Up. In Wednesday’s regular season finale, the Shockers fell to Kansas 3-1 in a night where the bats struggled to get hot.

Lauren Mills stepped up for the Shockers and went 2-4 with the lone RBI of the night. The team collectively came up with four hits across their seven innings of play. KU got a couple of runs in the fourth, and one in the fifth, to take, and keep, the lead for good.

It’s not the way the Shockers hoped to wrap things up, but there is still a lot to play for coming up. WSU now shifts to preparing for Tampa next week for the AAC Championship.

🔼 Weekend Preview. The Shockers are headed south this weekend for a first place conference battle against Houston. The two squads are currently tied atop the AAC standings with the winner coming out of the series firm in the driver’s seat.

After an impressive defensive showing earlier this week, the Shockers look to capitalize on their shut-out performance. WSU’s pitching has been lights out as of late with stellar outings from Payton Tolle, Grant Adler, and closer, Nate Snead. If they play how they have been as of late, the Shockers will be in a good position to win ballgames this weekend.

Historically against the Cougars, it’s been all about the streaks. The Shockers lost seven in a row from 2018-2021, but bounced back with nine straight wins from 2021-2022. This season, the series stands at 1-2 in favor of Houston, but all that changes with WSU coming in with three wins out of the past four games.

The series starts tonight in Houston at 6:00. Watch all the action tonight, and the rest of the weekend, over on ESPN+.

🤔 SHOCKER TRIVIA

Close Out. This weekend, track and field is wrapping up the regular season in Wichita for the annual Shocker Open. This is a last chance meet for any athletes who hope to qualify for postseason competitions later this season.

The question today—do you know which Shockers squad has the highest ranking among all track and field events?

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

🌾 ONE BIG THING

As one of the most prestigious honors at Wichita State, the Senior Honor goes to 10 students across all of WSU, and this year, three of our student-athletes earned the award. The honor is given to students who demonstrate scholarship, leadership, involvement, and service in and around Wichita State’s campus.

Destanee Brigman-Reed, a member of WSU’s spirit squad, earned the award for her involvement on campus, leadership within her program as a Dance Team Captain of two years, and her dedication in the classroom as she pursued a degree towards nursing through the honors program.

Kayce Litzau, a four-year player for WSU’s volleyball team, made Wichita her home away from home. She pursued her education in manufacturing engineering and product design, made the Dean’s list seven times in her collegiate career, and was the representative for the SAAC for two years, once as president.

Orel Ovil, originally from Israel, earned the honor from his commitment to grow the game he loves, tennis. He coaches for all ages and skill levels, served as team captain and representative for the SAAC, and dedicated his time in the classroom to business, studying management, marketing, information systems, and information technology.

📬 STICK WITH US

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📅 THE WEEKEND AHEAD

Friday 5/5

⚾️ Baseball at Houston @ 6:30pm CT on ESPN+ | Watch

👟 Shocker Open in Wichita, KS @ Cessna Stadium

Saturday 5/6

⚾️ Baseball at Houston @ 6:30pm CT on ESPN+ | Watch

Sunday 5/7

⚾️ Baseball at Houston @ 1:00pm CT on ESPN+ | Watch

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Women’s High Jump!

The women’s high jump squad comes in at No. 6 in the USTFCCCA Rankings. The team consists of Destiny Masters, Marissa Jensen, Mattelyn Swartz, and Tess Roman. In this weekend’s meet, the squad will attempt to leap their way into a top-5 ranking (did I try too hard there?) to wrap up the regular season. Good luck Shockers!

Have a great weekend, y’all.