No. 24 Wichita State won an important softball game on Friday, one which made the next two more important and enticing.
The Shockers lost both to No. 19 UCF on Saturday and Sunday and coach Kristi Bredbenner wants that experience to help Wichita State in this week's American Athletic Conference Championship in Greenville, N.C. The second-seeded Shockers (32-15) open the tournament against No. 7 Memphis (16-37) at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Friday's 11-4 win over UCF lifted the Shockers into a first-place tie and provided an important addition to their NCAA at-large resume. UCF won 3-1 in eight innings on Saturday and 9-5 on Sunday to claim sole possession of the regular-season title.