#24 Shocker SB vs. #1 OU

[shocks02]

Biggest regular season WSU softball game ever?

6 PM ESPN+

VOTE GETTERS
Wichita State is receiving 19 votes - the most in school history - in the latest NFCA Coaches Poll (April 6). The Shockers are on the brink of the top 25 for the third straight week.

A START FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
Wichita State is 24-5 so far this season. That mark is the best record through the first 29 games in program history.

RANKED WINS
Wichita State has picked off two ranked teams over the first month of the season. The Shockers' upset of No. 8/6 Oklahoma State on Thursday, March 18 was the program's highest ranked win in program history. The win in Stillwater was just the fifth-ever win at OSU and marked the largest margin of victory over the Cowgirls. Wichita State's win over No. 23 Iowa State on March 7 in Arlington was its first victory over a ranked foe since May 2019 when the Shockers took two games of a weekend series vs. No. 25 USF. The Shockers are 2-2 this season against teams ranked in the top 25. The two losses were to No. 7 Texas and No. 8/6 Oklahoma State.

Shockers are ranked #24 in the D1Softball.com rankings.

[Kel Varnsen]

Easily the biggest regular season game we've ever had.

I hope for our sake that it's at least close. OU hasn't even lost a game this season and they've run-ruled the opposition in 20 (!!!) of those games.

But I'm excited for HCKB and that program. She's done an incredible job regardless of the result tonight.

[flyingMoose]

Well, Sully does not have this quite right. The Shockers are not #24 - they are RV26, truly just outside the Top 25. For some reason, the Shockers have no votes in the ESPN poll. I do not know who votes there.

EDIT: Reading more closely (my bad), I see the Poll where the #24 come from. It is not one of the two polls normally referenced in "the literature," but it is still worth talking about.

OU has been a unanimous #1 in the Coach's Poll for several weeks and has been #1 for six straight weeks. In the ESPN Poll, Alabama has the only #1 vote that Oklahoma does not have. Hmm, maybe the SID at Alabama has a vote.

OU does not publish their stats, so you have to garner those from the Big 12 site. They are obscene! Jocelyn Alo (OPS of 2.069 and twenty home runs), Tiare Jennings (1.770 and fifteen homers), Kinzie Hansen (1.705 and fourteen homers) ... I can't bear to go on. They have five starters with an OPS greater than 1.000.

The starts for the Sooners are scattered (in innings-pitched order) among Giselle Juarez (ERA of 2.33 and WHIP of 0.67), Nicole May (1.34 and 0.80), and Shannon Saile (0.00 and 0.58). Juarez is most likely the arm they will ride to the WCWS. Maybe it is more accurate to say they will ride their offense to the WCWS.

The Shocks themselves have five starters with an OPS above 1.000: Neleigh (1.342 and seven homers), Addison (1.304 and fourteen homers), Butters (1.174 and ten homers), Sydney, and Ryleigh.

Bailey (1.49 and 1.10), Erin (3.0 and 1.11), and Caitlin (2.17 and 1.48) are the starters for the Shocks.

[Kel Varnsen]

Well, Sully does not have this quite right. The Shockers are not #24 - they are RV26, truly just outside the Top 25. For some reason, the Shockers have no votes in the ESPN poll. I do not know who votes there.

We're not ranked in the AP poll, but we are in this poll.

I'm fine with using it since I don't believe we've ever been ranked, unless I'm missing something.

[flyingMoose]

... the ESPN poll. I do not know who votes there.

Overcoming my lassitude,

In conjunction with ESPN.com, USA Softball distributes a weekly Top 25 poll. The poll is voted on by coaching representatives from 10 Division I conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions as well as members of national and local media who consistently cover Division I softball across the country.

Like I suggested, local media=the Alabama SID. :)

[shocks02]

Postponed to May 4th due to possible inclement weather.

[1972Shocker]

Easily the biggest regular season game we've ever had.

I hope for our sake that it's at least close. OU hasn't even lost a game this season and they've run-ruled the opposition in 20 (!!!) of those games.

But I'm excited for HCKB and that program. She's done an incredible job regardless of the result tonight.

We played #1 ranked OU in Wichita in 2019 losing 8-0 in 5 innings.

We had OU home and away. Losing in Norman to the then #6 Sooners 5-8. The game in Wichita was after the 2nd half of the season was cancelled due to Covid.

In 2018 the Shocks lost to the then #2 ranked Sooners 6-7 in Norman in a game where the Shockers lead 6-0 heading into the bottom of the 6th. OU scored 7 runs on only 3 hits thanks largely to 6 walks issued by Shocker pitchers (after walking only 2 in the 1st 5 innings).

In any case nice to have a team like Oklahoma and also Oklahoma State willing to schedule the Shocks including game in Wichita.

[1972Shocker]

Looking at OU's stats post by flyingMoose is a bit scary. Looking at the OU schedule and game results is also a bit frightening.

They 28-0 (31-0 if you count their 3 games against Team Mexico that they won by a combined score of 25-4). Then you look at the scores.

As Kel Varnsen mentioned 20 of their 28 NCAA games were by run rule run rule shortened games (8+ run leads after 5 innings). Average score in their 28 NCAA game is 12.1 to 1.4.

Beat UTEP 29-0 and 21-2, beat New Mexico 33-4, and Iowa State 22 (all 5 innings run rule games).

If you make OU play a full 7 innings you will have a moral victory.

[WstateU]

Looking at OU's stats post by flyingMoose is a bit scary. Looking at the OU schedule and game results is also a bit frightening.

They 28-0 (31-0 if you count their 3 games against Team Mexico that they won by a combined score of 25-4). Then you look at the scores.

As Kel Varnsen mentioned 20 of their 28 NCAA games were by run rule run rule shortened games (8+ run leads after 5 innings). Average score in their 28 NCAA game is 12.1 to 1.4.

Beat UTEP 29-0 and 21-2, beat New Mexico 33-4, and Iowa State 22 (all 5 innings run rule games).

If you make OU play a full 7 innings you will have a moral victory.

Yipes Stripes Beechnut Gum!

[1972Shocker]

A START FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
Wichita State is 24-5 so far this season. That mark is the best record through the first 29 games in program history.

The final 23 games on the schedule appear to present a much bigger challenge than the first 29 games have. Yes, they played Texas, Iowa State and Oklahoma State twice and went 2-2 in those games. They also played two 4-game AAC series against ECU and Memphis going 7-1. ECU and Memphis are the only AAC teams picked to finish below the Shockers in AAC coaches preseason poll.

So they have four 4-game AAC series to play against the 4 teams picked to finish ahead of them in the polls They play UCF and Tulsa on the road and they play Houston and USF at home. The 7 remaining non-conference games are Kansas City x 2, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Arkansas x 2.

Note that Kansas City owns wins over Texas Tech, Houston, and Oklahoma State and they gave Oklahoma one it its closer games losing to the Sooners 2-6. So they can play a little.

6 of the 7 non-conference games are at Wilkins Stadium. The Kansas game is in Lawrence.

I think it is safe to say the Shocker winning percentage in these games will not be close to there current .828 rate. But it will be interesting to see what the Shocks can do with this very challenging schedule to close out the season. And it is definitely a challenging finishing schedule.