Wichita State softball rights its season in time for MVC Tournament

The longer Wichita State’s midseason softball losing streak lasted, the more sure the Shockers became about what would happen when it ended.

WSU lost seven straight in March despite a roster full of players who helped the Shockers win the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship last season, when they never had a losing streak longer than three games.

Those players were confident that the losing streak was an anomaly, and they were proven right as WSU (34-22) ended the regular season with 18 wins in 22 games to tie the schools wins record set in 2014.

The Shockers host the MVC Tournament beginning Thursday at Wilkins Stadium. WSU earned a bye as the No. 4 seed and plays the winner of Indiana-State Southern Illinois in the second round of the single-elimination tournament. The No. 4 seed has won the last two tournaments.

“We all just kind of came together and we’re like this isn’t us, this is not us,” WSU outfielder Brittany Fortner said. “We know we’re better than this. Fortunately for us, we were able to pull it together. We know how deadly and explosive our offense can be, and our pitchers, we know how good they can be.”

WSU must win three games to advance to its first NCAA Tournament since 2005. The Shockers are guarding against unpredictability by entering the tournament on a well-rounded note.

Since March 29, when WSU began its 18-4 stretch, the Shockers have batted .326 and averaged more than six runs and nearly nine hits per game. Before then, WSU played 34 games with a .294 average, 5.2 runs and 7.8 hits. WSU has a higher slugging percentage and a nearly even strikeout to walk ratio, 68-69, since March 29.

The pitching has kept up, as the Shockers have lowered their ERA from 4.73 to 3.87 with a 2.61 mark over the last 38 days.

“When we’re firing on all cylinders we’re a pretty deadly team,” WSU coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “I’m hoping that that’s the team that shows up on Thursday. The bottom line is we’ve peaked a little bit late, which is great, and that’s exactly where you want to be going into the postseason.”

Offense still may be WSU’s sure thing. The Shockers’ .307 team average is the result of five .300 hitters, led by Fortner’s .417 mark – she also leads the team in RBIs, runs, hits, doubles, walks, and is tied for the lead with nine homers with 12 strikeouts in 175 at-bats.

WSU is 30-8 when scoring at least four runs, so a high-output game like the Shockers have gotten used to over the last five weeks, when they’ve scored seven or more eight times, may not be necessary to advance.

“It’s an offensive conference,” Bredbenner said. “Our pitchers have to be on their toes all the time, and defensively we’ve got to be on our toes. But when it comes down to it, the bats have to show up, for sure.”

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Wichita State softball rights its season in time for MVC Tournament."