Kristi Bredbenner - Softball Coach (2024)

Kristi Bredbenner is entering her 13thseason as the Wichita State head softball coach in 2024. To date, Bredbenner has led the Shockers to fiveNCAA Regional Appearances (2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023) including the onlyNCAA Regional Final appearancesin school history (2018, 2021).

Bredbenner led Wichita State to the program’s fourth regular season conference championship in 2023, and the program’s secondin the American Athletic Conference. Bredbenner is responsible for two of the program’s three conference tournament championships in 2016 and 2021.

The 2023 campaign was another one for the record books. Wichita State won 44 games, the second most in school history, defeated three Top 10 teams, including wins over No. 2 Oklahoma State in Wichita and No. 3 Oklahoma State in Stillwater and saw the Shockers reach the Top 20 in all four major polls for the first time in program history. Wichita State's victoriesover the Cowgirls marked the highest ranked wins in school history.

On April 24, 2022, Bredbenner became Wichita State’s all-time winningest coachwhen she recorded her 314th career win.

For the first time in program history Wichita State punched its ticket to consecutive NCAA Regional appearances after earning an at-large bid to the 2022 NCAA Fayetteville Regional. The 2022 Shockers were among the nation's best offensive teams for a second straight season. Wichita State ranked second nationally in home runs, home runs per game, scoring, slugging percentage and on base percentage, while ranking third in batting average.

Bredbenner is also responsible for coaching the only three All-Americans in school history (Addison Barnard,Sydney McKinney and Lauren Lucas). Barnard crushed her way even more into the Wichita State record books, while also adding her name to the NCAA record books. McKinney became the first two-time All-American after another sensational season for the Black & Yellow.

The 2021 campaign will go down as one of the best seasons in school history. Under Bredbenner’s guidance, Wichita State tied the school record with a 13-game win streak during the season; and broke several single season records. Wichita State shattered the single season record for home runs with 103, while also setting new marks in RBI, runs scored, total bases and slugging percentage. McKinney was named the American Player of the Year, becoming the second Shocker to earn that title. Barnard was tabbed the Rookie of the Year and Kaylee Huecker took home Defensive Player of the Year honors. Additionally, the Shockers placed four on the All-Conference First Team (Barnard, McKinney, Madison Perrigan and Neleigh Herring). Bredbenner and her coaching staff also earned American Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

McKinney also became the program's first-ever NFCA All-American in 2021, earning third team honors after ranking third in the nation in hits and posting a school record .439 batting average.

Wichita State won six games vs. ranked opponents in 2021 - another school record -including a win at No. 6 Oklahoma State, the highest ranked win in school history. The Shockers also cracked the Top 25 in all four of the major polls for the first time in school history. Wichita State was ranked as high as No. 23 in the NFCA Coaches Poll.

Under Bredbenner, 49 student-athletes have earned all-conference accoladesand 21NFCA All-Region honors.

During the 2018 season, Wichita State's inaugural season in the American Athletic Conference, Bredbenner led the Shockers to a tied for third position in the regular season, falling in the opening round of the conference tournament to the eventual champions. After scheduling the ninth toughest non-conference slate in the NCAA, the Shockers earned the program's second ever at-large bid in school history to the NCAA Tournament. While at the Fayetteville Regional the Shockers picked up two wins over Oklahoma State in back-to-back days to earn a spot in the Regional Championship for the first time in school history.

During conference play, the Wichita State bats dominated The American by leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBI's, doubles, home runs and total bases.

Individually, six Shocker athletes were named All-Conference, including 2018 AAC Player of the Year Mackenzie Wright, who became the third WSU athlete in history to earn All-Conference honors all four years of their career. Laurie Derrico and Bailey Lange also tabbed first team all-conference honors, while Ryleigh Buck and Paige Luellen were tabbed to the second team.

In her first three seasons, Bredbenner took the Shockers from a 15-40 record in 2012 to a 34-21 record in 2014, culminating in the first Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship in school history earningthe entire Shocker coaching staff the2014 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year award.

Individually, 2014 saw the Shockers send three to the All-MVC First Team (Cacy Williams, Melanie Jaegers and Brittany Fortner) and one to the All-MVC Second Team (Paige Luellen).

Williams was named the 2014 MVC Player of the Year and the 2014 MVC Newcomer of the Year as well, the first time in MVC history that the same student-athlete won both awards during the same season.

In 2013, the program began to take Bredbenner’s vision. The Shockers were 19-33, a four-win improvement from 2012. Wichita State won five more games at home (7) than in 2012 (2) and won three more games in the Valley (10) than in 2012 (7). Wichita State also advanced to the first round of the MVC Tournament for the first time in two seasons, and the 2013 season marked the first MVC Tournament appearance under Bredbenner. Erin Carney was named to the All-MVC First Team as Brianne Bond, Carney, Jaegers, and Megan McCracken were each named MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention.

Wichita State’s offense improved in several categories from 2012 to 2013. The Shockers raised their team batting average from .231 (2012) to .243 (2013), their slugging percentage from .328 (2012) to .369 (2013), walks from 87 (2012) to 112 (2013), and on base percentage from .292 (2012) to .316 (2013).

From a pitching standpoint, the Shockers’ team ERA dropped from 5.37 (2012) to 3.92 (2013). WSU’s total hits allowed dropped from 469 (2012) to 412 (2013), runs allowed from 321 (2012) to 247 (2013), home runs allowed from 64 (2012) to 41 (2013), and batting average against from .322 (2012) to .296 (2013). The Shocker softball pitching staff increased strikeouts from 159 (2012) to 207 (2013), and had 25 outings of three runs or less, including four shutouts.

In Bredbenner’s first season at Wichita State, offset by numerous injuries to key starters and a lack of experience, Wichita State compiled a 15-40 record. Eight underclassmen made at least 27 starts for WSU. Bredbenner coached freshman Sydney Stuever and sophom*ore Rachel Milnark to the All-MVC Second Team. The young players were thrown right into the fire as a difficult early schedule prohibited them from easing into the college game. The Shockers played four of the eight teams that participated in the 2011 Women’s College World Series including two games each against defending champion Arizona State and 2011 WCWS runner-up Oklahoma.

As a player, Bredbenner was a four-time All-MIAA pick, two-time Division II All-American and was named MVP of the conference in 2000. In her four years at Truman she claimed nearly every hitting record, including career and single season records for games played, at bats, hits, doubles, home runs, total bases, RBI’s, walks, batting average, and slugging percentage. Her three home run day against the Hornets on April 7, 2000 is tied for fourth all-time on the Division II single game list.