In February 2014, Caitlin Bingham decided to play softball at a place with no conference titles and two NCAA regional appearances, most recently in 2005, on its resume.
More than eight years later, Bingham is a senior pitcher at Wichita State as the Shockers prepare to make their fourth NCAA appearance in that span, three with Bingham on the roster. On Sunday, the Shockers earned a regional spot in back-to-back seasons for the first time. They play Oregon (31-17) on Friday in the Fayetteville Regional (7:30 p.m. ESPN+).
When Bingham recalls her recruiting visit as a freshman in high school, she thinks about the way coach Kristi Bredbenner described building the team.