Wichita State softball sets NCAA regional as goal

Wichita State won its first Missouri Valley Conference softball title last season, yet the Shockers felt unfulfilled. So much accomplished, yet so much more to work toward.

That is what happens when a breakout season ends short of the NCAA regionals. An upset in the MVC Tournament ended WSU’s season short of the prize.

That’s a huge goal for us,” WSU first baseman Cacy Williams said. “Our motto is, ‘Defend and conquer.’ We want to conquer the tournament and make it to a regional.”

That step is the natural one for a program that went 34-21 last season, 21-6 in the MVC. Coaches voted WSU the MVC’s preseason favorite with seven of the 10 first-place votes, largely because of returning offensive punch. Last season, WSU led the MVC with a .314 batting average, 56 home runs and 82 doubles and 314 runs. The Shockers return three starting infielders, including Williams, who won MVC Player of the Year honors, and All-MVC catcher Melanie Jaegers (.305, three home runs).

Second baseman Liz Broyles (.313, six home runs) and shortstop Kelli Spring (.295, 13 stolen bases) return. Freshman Mackenzie Wright could start at shortstop or third this weekend because Spring is recovering from a concussion. Left fielder Brittany Fortner (.358, eight home runs) and center fielder Ashley Johnson (.298, nine stolen bases) are back.

Right fielder Paige Luellen (.354, eight home runs), out for the season with a knee injury, earned second-team All-MVC honors last season.

Bredbenner is confident her pitching staff will offer more options and more versatility than last season. Kaitlyn Malone (16-7, 4.33 ERA) and Jenni Brooks (6-2, 5.28) join transfer Ashlynne Neil and freshman Kelsey Sterneker in the circle.

“The kids that did the big changeover last year to put us in that first-place slot are hungry and being great leaders,” coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “The hard work that they put in, the extra cuts that you take, groundballs, flyballs, is paying off for a lot of people.”

WSU opens the season on Friday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Baylor in the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas. Last season’s success means the Shockers are now a big game on most team’s schedule, especially when conference play begins in March.

“We want to be a program that’s considered at the top of the Missouri Valley every year,” Bredbenner said. “They want to be a program that’s developing a tradition, not just a one-year wonder.”

The presence of Williams, a junior from Platte City, Mo., will go a long way to repeating last season’s success. She hit .424 with an .812 slugging percentage and a school-record 16 home runs. She earned All-Midwest Region honors and starts this season on a watch list for a national Player of the Year honor.

“Last she emerged as a leader because of how much success she had,” Bredbenner said. “This year, she’s a leader from the beginning. Everybody is going to look to her.”

Williams transferred to WSU last season from Emporia State and surprised many. She starts this season as the featured hitter in scouting reports.

“I’m definitely going to have to to be a lot more patient,” she said. “The mental game is what I’ve been working on. You have to see the pitches and mentally I have to be engaged at all times.”

Williams may play in the outfield while Fortner, an All-MVC pick, recovers from an injury that will keep her from throwing until MVC play starts. Bredbenner can also try Layne Greenlee, who started five games in center, and senior Erin Carney, who missed last season with a knee injury, in the outfield. Carney earned All-MVC honors as a utility player in 2013, hitting a team-leading .290 with eight stolen bases.

“I like the drive that everybody has,” Carney said. “It is very hard to try and come in and hit extra when there are nine people wanting to do the same thing. In a way, there’s almost too many people, which is not a bad thing. The younger kids, they really want to be here and they really want to win.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2015 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Wichita State softball sets NCAA regional as goal."