Bus accident forces Wichita State-Oklahoma State softball postponement
What began as an already unusual day for Wichita State softball turned tragic Wednesday when the Shockers’ scheduled games against Oklahoma State were postponed after the Cowgirls’ team bus was involved in a crash on Interstate 35 in Oklahoma that killed a pedestrian, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
According to local reporting by KWTV in Oklahoma City, the crash happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday near Perry, Oklahoma, in the northbound lanes of I-35. Authorities said the pedestrian, an unidentified woman, had been running in and out of traffic before she was struck and killed.
OSU said in a statement that no one from its traveling party was injured.
The incident led to another postponement in a matchup that had already been interrupted once before.
Wednesday’s plan was for Wichita State and Oklahoma State to first resume their suspended game from March 10 with the Shockers leading 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Cowgirls were at bat with one out, runners on first and second and a 2-2 count on the hitter when that game was halted last month. After the completion of that game, the two teams were then set to play a full seven-inning game at Wilkins Stadium.
Instead, both contests are back on hold.
The postponement wiped out what was supposed to be WSU’s final home midweek date of the season and created another scheduling challenge for both teams. Wichita State enters the rest of the regular season at 21-15, while Oklahoma State is 25-10 and ranked No. 19 nationally.
There is not much flexibility left on either schedule before the regular season ends on the first weekend of May. WSU is open next week, although Oklahoma State is scheduled to play Oklahoma in a midweek game on Wednesday, April 15.
The Shockers then have midweek road games at Kansas City on April 22 and at Kansas on April 29, while Oklahoma State also has Wednesday games scheduled in both of those weeks. That means a makeup remains possible, but it would likely require one team — if not both — to squeeze in an extra midweek game before a conference weekend series.
Next up for Wichita State is a three-game series against UTSA at Wilkins Stadium. The Shockers will open with a Friday doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m., then close the series with a 10 a.m. first pitch on Saturday.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 3:47 PM.
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