University of Oklahoma Athletics

NCAA Softball Regional Media Day: Wichita State

Wichita State Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner

Opening Statement:
“We’re here because we won the Missouri Valley Conference. That said, I think as a group we are very excited to be here. It’s been a long time coming with the teams we’ve had the past few years, but this year we were really able to have a great season. We’re going to rely on our senior leadership to guide us through tomorrow, and we know we’re coming in with nothing to lose. Obviously we got a tough draw in the first round, but tomorrow is all about playing hard and playing to the best of our ability.”

On how she helped prepare her team for the playoff atmosphere:
“The big thing for us was just to prepare as best as we can for Paige Parker. Yesterday we had an 8 p.m. practice, similar to our game time tomorrow night, and just tried to simulate what it’s going to be like. We know it’s going to be a rowdy environment, so it’s important for us to know that our communication is going to be loud and clear enough. But last night may have been the best practice I’ve had in five years here, so I hope we take that same mentality into tomorrow night. If we play nervous we’re going to struggle. Pointing out that we have nothing to lose but are good enough to beat anyone on our best day has been has been how we’ve prepared.” 

On if she looked back at film from the previous meeting with OU this season:
“For us we played it smart and didn’t throw our two aces. We played a great game against them last year when we had a grand slam hit against us with two outs in seventh inning. But I thought we played really well in that game. This year, the game got away pretty early, but we decided to not let them see what we have in case we saw them later on in the year and here we are. As far as prep goes, it ultimately comes down to being able to execute, swing at good pitches and play some good defense.”

On what makes Oklahoma pitcher Paige Parker so dangerous:
“A couple things make her dangerous. For example, this season our team hasn’t seen a lot of left-handed pitchers. That’s going to be a challenge for us. But more than that, she mixes speeds really well and has great control of her pitches. We’re going to have to be very selective in what we swing at. When we get behind, that’s when she gets in charge.”

On what she does to ensure the Wichita State program grows this weekend:
“Bottom line is we have to be able to convince our girls that they can compete and win. If we play hard and to the best of our ability we’ll not only best represent Wichita State, but the entire state of Kansas well.”

Wichita State Pitcher Jenni Brooks

On how much the non-conference schedule helps in preparation for OU:
“I think it helps a lot. Already seeing Oklahoma once already helped us prepare and have a better mindset going into this game. Playing schools like Nebraska and Texas A&M have really helped us prepare for great pitching and big hitters like Oklahoma.”

Wichita State Infielder Cacy Williams

On the difference between this year and last year for her:
“I would say I was able to take a step back and just enjoy everything more this season. Last year I pressed a little, and I think our team did the same. We had a lot of goals in mind and just fell short. This year we’re more loose and are just enjoying things more.”

On how she changed her mindset this year:
“Working in the offseason and building our team chemistry. As a group we didn’t really come together last season, and this year everything really came together.”