Shocker softball finds unexpected hero in winning streak, championship hunt
Aeryn Shuman had just delivered the biggest swing of her college softball career, the kind that can alter a championship race.
But as the Wichita State sophomore catcher rounded the bases in Denton, Texas after crushing a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning of this past Saturday’s pivotal win at North Texas, her favorite part was not the sound off the bat or the roar from the dugout.
It was the sight waiting for her at home plate.
Her teammates were smiling. They were screaming. They were jumping around, ready to mob a player who had spent most of the season waiting for a moment exactly like this.
“It’s a lot of fun to see my teammates smile like that,” Shuman said.
Thanks to Shuman, Wichita State (32-15, 18-6 American) is still riding a 12-game winning streak and level with South Florida for first place in the conference with three games remaining. The headliners remain obvious. Ausha Moore hit her 20th home run of the season over the weekend, becoming just the third Shocker in program history to reach that mark in a single season, joining Addison Barnard and Madison Perrigan. Freshman Kinzey Woody has continued to shred conference pitching, batting .474 with 11 home runs, 32 RBIs, 19 runs and a .565 on-base percentage in American play. And WSU continues to receive standout efforts in the circle from Ryley Nihart, Jade Sanders and Ava Sliger.
But the player who helped keep WSU’s championship hopes alive may have been the sophomore transfer who barely played for two months.
Shuman arrived at WSU from Central Arkansas, where she played sparingly as a freshman. For much of her first season with the Shockers, she remained buried on the depth chart, working behind the scenes while waiting for a chance.
That chance finally came on April 11, when WSU inserted Shuman into the lineup for a doubleheader against UTSA.
She has started the last nine games during WSU’s winning streak. In those nine starts, Shuman is batting .400 with four home runs, 11 RBIs and eight runs.
“You never know when you’re going to get the chance to be an impact player, so you’ve got to be ready for it,” WSU coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “She’s worked hard to be ready for it.”
The payoff came at the perfect time.
In Friday’s 9-2 win over North Texas, Shuman homered to help WSU open the road series with a statement. Then came Game 2, the one that could have shifted the conference race in the wrong direction.
WSU trailed 4-2 entering the sixth inning when Bredbenner pulled her team down the line and delivered a fiery reminder.
“Six outs against us?” Bredbenner shouted. “That’s a deadly combination.”
The Shockers responded. Jodie Epperson drove in a run to cut the deficit and Shuman stepped into the box with two runners on. She did not need to work deep into the count. She did not overthink the moment.
She saw the first pitch she wanted and jumped on it, sending a go-ahead three-run homer over the fence to give WSU a 6-4 lead it would not surrender.
Before the weekend, Shuman had two home runs in 56 career at-bats. In Denton, she hit three in a span of seven at-bats.
“It was so much fun,” Shuman said. “I love helping my team in any way that I can in any role that I play. I’m happy all of the hard work is paying off and I’m happy that we’re winning.”
For Bredbenner, the breakout has been rewarding because it did not happen by accident. Shuman continued working with hitting coach Elizabeth Economon even when there was no immediate path into the lineup. She also improved behind the plate, especially with her receiving and framing, giving WSU pitchers a better chance to steal extra strikes over the course of a game.
That mattered just as much as the power.
Shuman’s offensive surge has given the Shockers something every dangerous lineup needs late in the season: production from the bottom of the order. With Moore supplying historic power and Woody turning into one of the league’s most dangerous bats, Shuman’s emergence has stretched WSU’s lineup into a much tougher assignment.
“Softball is a journey,” Bredbenner said. “It’s a long season. You hope you have players in your program who are going to continue to work when they’re not in the lineup. So it’s really awesome to see somebody who wasn’t in our lineup for a long time, get a chance and then flourish. There’s no better feeling as a coach.”
For Shuman, waiting was not always easy. But she treated practice like her games. She tried to win every scrimmage rep, every bullpen session, every swing she could get.
When the opportunity finally arrived, she was not surprised by the work required. She had already been doing it.
“It’s tough, but when you’re working together as a team, it makes it a whole lot better,” Shuman said. “Winning as a team is a win for me.”
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