WICHITA, Kan. – No. 20 Wichita State will make its third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and will open the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Stillwater vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Wichita State (43-10) will face Nebraska on Friday, May 19 at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPNU. Oklahoma State is the No. 6 national seed and opens against UMBC on Friday at 3:00 p.m. CT.

Wichita State is a combined 4-0 against Nebraska and Oklahoma State this season. The Shockers are 25-38 all-time vs. the Huskers after taking both meetings during the regular season. Wichita State is 16-86 all-time vs. Oklahoma State but has never faced UMBC.

Nebraska went 34-20 during the regular season with a 13-10 mark in Big Ten play.

This will be the second NCAA Regional appearance in Stillwater for Wichita State with the first time coming in 1989.

The Shockers are making their seventh NCAA Regional appearance in school history and third straight. Five of the six NCAA appearances have come during the Kristi Bredbenner era.

Regular season champions of the American Athletic Conference, Wichita State’s 43 wins are the second most in school history. The Shockers posted a 16-2 record in American play. Wichita State is led by All-American candidate and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 finalist Sydney McKinney. McKinney leads the nation in batting average (.519) and hits (97).

Friday’s winners will square off in the first of three games Saturday, while Friday’s losing teams will face off in an elimination game for game two of Saturday’s tripleheader. The loser of Saturday’s first game will take on the winner of the day’s second game in an elimination game later Saturday night. The winner of Saturday’s final game will take on the winner of the day’s first game on Sunday with an if-necessary rematch scheduled for later on Sunday.

The winner of this weekend’s regional will advance to the NCAA Super Regional round against the winner of the Fayetteville Regional, hosted by Arkansas. The goal is to reach the 2023 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Wichita State is joined in the NCAA field by fellow American Athletic Conference member, UCF.