Wichita State softball coach Kristi Bredbenner will get the chance to find out a little more about her team this weekend.

The Shockers begin their fall schedule this weekend with a game against Pittsburg State on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium. WSU will then host Johnson County Community College at 6 p.m.

The two games this weekend kick off an eight-game schedule this fall. Highlighting the exhibition slate are two games in Stillwater, Okla., against Tulsa and Oklahoma State, which won’t be played until Oct. 13.

“I think the biggest thing we’re looking for is creating a fundamental base,” Bredbenner said. “We’re looking to see where everyone is at, what people need to work on and giving everybody an opportunity to prove what they can do, how hard they worked over the summer.”

The Shockers ended last season missing the Missouri Valley Conference tournament after getting swept in a three-game series at Drake.

“We’re a lot more solid. I feel like we came into this season a little bit hungrier and without missing a beat from where we ended last year,” Bredbenner said.

Layne Greenlee is among the players who desire a better ending to this season. The sophomore second baseman was hampered for much of last year with a broken hand and a minor concussion.

“On an individual level I want to stay healthier than last year. I had a lot of ups and downs, but this year we plan to work better as a team,” Greenlee said.

The team has conducted individual practices for five weeks, but yesterday was only its seventh team practice.

The fall season isn’t just important for conditioning, it also allows Bredbenner and her coaching staff to figure out how to put their players in the best position for them to play well.

“It’s to figure out what we need to hone in on in individual workouts once the fall season is over,” she said. “And it gives our team that experience that they need so that they’re not completely overwhelmed and shell-shocked when we walk into Louisiana-Monroe next season in our first tournament.”

Aside from improving basic softball skills in the fall season, the team is also focused on improving its chemistry.

“Now we know what to expect from the returnees and preparing ourselves for season time and getting our basics back,” senior Hayley Temple said.

Freshman third baseman Paige Mason has stood out to her teammates, particularly Temple.

“I like the way she throws and the way she fields. I think she looks good at third base,” Temple said

Mason will make her college debut this weekend, but described her feeling as more anticipation than nervousness.

“At first I thought I was going to be nervous when that first team practice came, but I felt really comfortable. I’m more excited, honestly,” she said. “I just want to get a feel for what college ball is going to be like. It’s a lot faster than what I’m used to.”