Wichita State University Women's Softball

Kristi Bredbenner is entering her 14th season as the Wichita State head softball coach in 2025. To date, Bredbenner has led the Shockers to five NCAA Regional Appearances (2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023) including the only NCAA Regional Final appearances in school history (2018, 2021).  Bredbenner led Wichita State to the program’s fourth regular season conference championship in 2023, and the program’s second in 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 victories over the Cowgirls marked the highest ranked wins in school history. On April 24, 2022, Bredbenner became Wichita State’s all-time winningest coach when 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 four All-Americans in school history (Addison Barnard, Sydney McKinney, Lauren Lucas and CC Wong). 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. In her lone season, Wong burst onto the scene, racking up All-American numbers. 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 accolades and 21 NFCA 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 earning the entire Shocker coaching staff the 2014 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 sophomore 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. She previously coached at Emporia State University and joined Wichita State for the 2012 season after leading the Hornets to six straight postseason appearances. When she left Emporia State to join the Shockers, she was Emporia State’s winningest head softball coach and the active NCAA Division II wins leader as a head softball coach. Bredbenner led the Lady Hornets to two national championship appearances in 2006 and 2008, five regular season MIAA titles and five straight MIAA tournament championships. She also led Emporia State to the NCAA Tournament in each of her seasons as their head softball coach. While at Emporia State, Bredbenner was the MIAA Coach of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and her coaching staff was named NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2006 and 2008. Bredbenner also coached some of her student-athletes to Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors, MIAA MVP honors, MIAA Pitcher of the Year honors, All-MIAA First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention honors, MIAA Freshman of the Year honors and MIAA Academic Honor Roll honors. 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. The O’Fallon, Mo., native graduated from Truman in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in business/marketing and received her master’s degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific University. Bredbenner and her wife, Jamie, have three children: Blake, Max and Hayes. HEAD COACHING RESUME: • TRUMAN STATE (2002) 2002: 31-19(.620)     NCJAA Regionals TOTAL: 31-19 (.620) • EMPORIA STATE (2006-11) 2006: 62-7 (.899)     NCAA World Series Runner-up 2007: 50-12 (.807)   NCAA Regional 2008: 48-17 (.739)   NCAA World Series Runner-up 2009: 43-16 (.729)   NCAA Regional 2010: 50-14 (.781)   NCAA Regional 2011: 42-16 (.724)   NCAA Regional TOTAL: 295-82 (.757) • WICHITA STATE (2011-Pres.) 2012: 15-40 (.273) 2013: 19-33 (.365) 2014: 34-21 (.618) 2015: 34-23 (.593) 2016: 36-21 (.632)     NCAA Regional 2017: 32-20 (.518)     Conference Tournament Semifinal 2018: 32-23 (.582)     NCAA Regional Final 2019: 32-24 (.571)     Conference Tournament Semifinals 2020: 11-16 (.407)      N/A Season Canceled Due to COVID-19 2021: 41-13-1 (.755)  NCAA Regional Final 2022: 34-18 (.654)     NCAA Regional 2023: 44-12 (.786)     NCAA Regional 2024: 28-22 (.560)     Conference Tournament Runner-Up 2025: 29-25-1 (.536)     TOTAL: 421-311-2 (.574)

Elizabeth Economon is entering her eighth season on staff as the hitting coach and fourth as associate head coach for the Shocker softball program. Under Economon’s guidance, the Shockers have consistently fielded one of the best hitting programs, not only in the American Athletic Conference, but in the country. After overseeing a 2021 team that set new single season records for home runs, slugging percentage, total bases, runs and RBI, Wichita State exceeded those numbers in 2022 and 2023. In 2021, Wichita State ranked in the top 15 nationally in home runs, home runs per game, slugging percentage, on base percentage, scoring and walks. In 2022, the Shockers' explosive offensive checked in at No. 2 nationally in home runs, home runs per game, slugging percentage, scoring and on base percentage. Their .348 team batting average was third-best in the nation. Economon has helped Wichita State to back-to-back-to-back American Athletic Conference Player of the Year selections in Sydney McKinney (2021), Addison Barnard (2022) and McKinney again in 2023. McKinney became the first three-time All-American in school history after another record-breaking campaign in 2022 and 2023. McKinney finished the season No. 1 nationally in hits (97) and batting average (.522), becoming the first Shocker to lead the country in either of those areas. She ran it back for an encore in 2023, becoming the first player in Division I history to lead the nation in hits and batting average in consecutive seasons. McKinney racked up 103 hits and a .520 batting average in 2023. Economon was recognized as the 2022 Assistant Coach of the Year by ExtraInning Softball. In Economon’s first season with the program as the hitting coach, the Shocker squad dominated every batting category during American Athletic Conference play by leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage, RBI’s, doubles, home runs and total bases. She helped coach 2018 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Mackenzie Wright who individually led The American in batting average during league play. Economon helped lead the Shockers to their second NCAA Regional appearance and to the first Regional Championship game in school history. Under her coaching the 2018 Shocker squad hit 59 home runs, the most in a single season in softball history. After serving as the Head Coach for the Pittsburg State softball program from 2012-17, Economon led the Gorillas to a 42-19 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Central Regional in her final year. It was the first National Tournament appearance for the Gorillas since 1995. She led the Gorillas to a 204-131 overall record in her six-year tenure and under her leadership the Gorillas won more than 28 games each season. Four players earned All-America honors while 37 earned all-conference honors and 12 were named all-region during her tenure. Economon began her coaching career as an assistant coach for Truman, her alma mater in Kirksville, Mo., from 2005-06. From there she spend time at New Mexico in 2006 and served as the volunteer assistant coach for the Lobos under Ty Singleton. Following her time as a volunteer assistant, Economon took on head coaching duties at V. Sue Cleveland High School, a 5A school with over 1,500 students in Rio Rancho, N.M. In addition to her duties as head coach and physical education teacher, Economon established a club team out of Rio Rancho. A native of St. Louis, Economon got a chance to return to the Midwest in 2010 when she was hired as an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Economon specialized in hitting and defensive instruction on the field and was primarily responsible for practice planning, monitoring student-athletes academic progress and coordinating the Redhawks camps. She also taught classes in the exercise science department. Economon played for Truman from 2001-04 and earned All-America honors at shortstop three seasons and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2002 and 2003. Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree in 2004 in exercise science from Truman and earned a master’s degree in 2007 in HHPR from Emporia State. She and her wife Chelsea have two boys: Aidan and Asher.

Courtney Oliver-Elkins was named the pitching coach for the Wichita State softball program in June of 2023.   Oliver-Elkins is a familiar name throughout the American Athletic Conference, having spent the last two seasons as an associate head coach (2021-23) at Houston, and the six seasons (2016-21) prior as the head coach at East Carolina. While at Houston, Oliver-Elkins worked primarily with the pitching staff and Kenna Wilkey, who led the Cougars with a 2.61 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 2023. In six seasons as the head coach at ECU, Oliver-Elkins compiled a career record of 125-166. At ECU, the 2018 season saw Oliver-Elkins bring in the nation’s No. 22 ranked recruiting class, which immediately paid dividends, as the Pirates squared up against the 29th-toughest schedule nationally. That same year, ECU took the season series from USF, handing the eventual American Athletic Conference champion Bulls their only series loss in conference play.   Oliver-Elkins wasted no time making her presence felt at ECU, guiding the Pirates to a seven-win improvement from the previous season in her first year. She then followed that campaign developing one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2017, setting a program and then-conference record 64 home runs, while topping the league in slugging percentage as well.   While in Greensville, N.C., Oliver-Elkins also took the ECU Softball program to new heights in the classroom. In all six years of her tenure, the Pirates achieved a team GPA of 3.0 or higher, which included perfect APR scores from 2015-17. More than 25 student-athletes surpassed the 3.5 GPA mark under Oliver.   Prior to her time at ECU, Oliver-Elkins served as an assistant coach at NC State from 2013-15, where she helped bolster the Wolfpack to three NCAA Regional appearances and a Super Regional berth in 2015. NC State finished the 2015 season with its first ever top-25 finish, concluding the year at No. 19 in the polls.   In her three years with the Wolfpack, Oliver-Elkins brought Emily Weiman and Renada Davis to national prominence, as each were selected to the 2015 NFCA All-Southeast Region team and later drafted to the National Pro Fastpitch. With Oliver-Elkins’ guidance, Weiman was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year in 2013. Before arriving in Raleigh, N.C., Oliver-Elkins served as an assistant at her alma mater, Hofstra, having guided the Pride all the way to the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional in 2012, where she was part of the coaching staff that was later named the NFCA Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Her tenure with the Pride also saw her work with Olivia Galati, who earned back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year honors from 2011-12. Galati garnered an NFCA First Team All-America accolade in 2012 as well.   Oliver-Elkins returned to her alma mater after spending a season at Boston University, where she coached the conference Player and Pitcher of the Year and April Setterlund, who earned an NFCA First Team All-America accolade.   During her playing career, Oliver-Elkins was one of the most decorated players in Hofstra history, making four NCAA Regional appearances and winning four conference championships. By the time she completed her career, Oliver-Elkins owned a pair of First-Team All-CAA honors and was part of the winningest class in school history.

Tyra Berger begins her second season as the director of operations for the Wichita State softball team. Berger transitioned to the director of operations after spending seven years in the business office at Wichita State as an accountant and the director of finance. Prior to Wichita State, she spent 12 years at James Madison University and five years at the University of Arkansas. Berger and her husband, Barry, have two children: Lane and Jordan.