Wichita State breaks ground on ‘monumental’ softball-only indoor practice facility

When Wichita State announced plans of a nearly $20 million renovation of Wilkins Stadium last year, softball coach Kristi Bredbenner was cautiously optimistic.

The ambitious plan, which would give the Shockers a top-notch softball complex, sounded tremendous, but it was just that — a plan. Bredbenner knew how much work was required in order to bring the plan to fruition.

Less than two years later, that plan is becoming a reality.

Thanks to sizable donations from long-time WSU supporters in Linda Parke, Jeanie and Ricky Brotherton and John and Gail Wadsworth, WSU secured enough funding to begin construction on a $9.65 million phase that will begin with a 13,250-square-foot indoor practice facility. After holding a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony over the weekend, construction began on Monday and is expected to be completed in March when the Shockers are in the midst of their 2025 season.

“It’s monumental for our program,” Bredbenner said. “It’s historic to see Wichita State invest so much money into a plan for a women’s sport. Softball has really gained a lot of attention and a lot of excitement across the country, but definitely in Wichita with the Shockers. This really shows there is a commitment to this sport and to these young women.”

WSU’s investment in softball likely doesn’t happen without Bredbenner, the program’s all-time winningest coach with four regular-season conference titles, two conference tournament championships and five NCAA regional appearances to her name. Or the players who helped establish the Shockers as a mid-major power, like Cacy Williams, Mackenzie Wright, Madison Perrigan, Neleigh Herring, Sydney McKinney and Addison Barnard.

Their success also played a role in bringing in AUX Pro Softball season to Wilkins Stadium this past summer, marking the first professional women’s sports league to ever play a full season in Wichita.

“We’re just really thankful for the athletes who have played before because they’re the reason why we’re getting this cool stuff,” Bredbenner said. “They’re the ones who put Wichita State softball on the map.”

The investment is also a signal in WSU’s determination to break through in a sport dominated by the power conferences. The softball team was previously sharing an indoor practice facility with the baseball team, as the new facility will make WSU one of only a handful of mid-major programs with a softball-only indoor facility.

Bredbenner already proved it was possible for the Shockers to compete against the best from the Big 12 with typical mid-major resources. Armed with a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility, the coach confidently says it can be a “game-changer” in recruiting.

“When you go to Oklahoma State, Nebraska or KU, the teams we’re trying to compete and beat every year, they’ve all got really nice indoor facilities,” Bredbenner said. “This facility is going to be a true difference-maker for us and it’s going to help us immensely in recruiting. That’s been a huge thing for us with our 2026 recruits because they’re the ones who are going to be a big part of this.

“At the end of the day, it’s a really big deal for our young women to have a space just for them that they can call their own. They can go work on their pitching, hitting, fielding, baserunning, whatever, the options are endless.”

The indoor practice facility is the first part of phase one in a four-phase renovation plan projected to cost $19.85 million , although Bredbenner believes that total figure will be closer to $25 million by the end of the project.

The first phase serves the student-athletes, while the final three phases are essentially a face-lift to Wilkins Stadium, built in 1997. Improvements will be made to the entrance, press box, ticket office, seating, scoreboard, outfield area and event pavilion. WSU also installed a new turf field before last season.

The bid contract was won by Crossland Construction, which began demolition of the pickleball and basketball courts along the west side of Wilkins Stadium on Monday to make room for the new indoor facility. Tessere was hired as the architect.

Following the completion of the indoor facility in March, WSU is hopeful it will begin on the second part of phase one: a team operations facility, connected to the indoor practice facility, that will be a 12,000-square-foot space dedicated to the day-to-day development of the softball team. The facility will feature locker rooms, offices, a training room, classrooms, nutrition support, a laundry room and other player development spaces.

According to WSU athletic director Kevin Saal, the athletic department is $3 million away in fundraising to complete the operations facility named after the Wadsworth family . All funding will be raised through private gifts, according to the project plan approved by the Kansas Board of Regents.

“Every little bit can make a big difference to us,” Bredbenner said. “We’ve got a few people who have shown some interest in contributing to that second part of phase one, but we’ve got to get out there and keep putting a good product on the field and being good ambassadors in the community and hopefully catch the eye of someone who wants to invest more in women’s sports.”