Bingham sets herself up as leader on pitching staff

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Khánh Nguyễn/ The Sunflower

Wichita State junior Caitlin Bingham pitches during the Regional Final game against OU on May 23.

Caitlin Bingham had a goal in mind the minute she stepped on to campus. Her goal was to make herself a leader that can have an impact on others. 

Bingham is the President of the Wichita State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the 2021-2022 year. She is also a fifth year senior for the softball program. Bingham helped play a role in last season’s pitching staff during the regular season and postseason. 

After the graduation of American Athletic Conference Second Team pitcher Bailey Lange, Bingham and Erin McDonald are serving roles as upperclassman pitchers on the pitching staff. 

Bingham said each freshman pitcher on the roster this season has the ability to perform well in the circle. However, getting ready to throw against talented division one hitters is a different ball game. Bingham said  having great hitters to throw at in practice has helped significantly for each of the freshmen. 

“I think that that is a really good way to prepare for that and to kind of give them this sense of you can get anybody out,” Bingham said. “You can get an all American out, you can get anybody out. And I think that it’s the mindset training that we kind of have helped them with most.” 

Bingham said being a fifth year has forced her to think outside the box due to opponents seeing her pitch multiple times last season. 

“We’ve got something new to get you out just as much as you’ve been working to hit us,” Bigham said. “So I think that the experience side of it is how do I evolve and how do I remain calm in the circle and how do I go at a batter but how do I do it in a different way I’ve never done before.” 

 The Shockers collected 103 home runs total as a team last year. However, Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said the offensive dominance that the Shockers had last season overshadowed how well they did in the circle which Bingham was a part of. 

“I think the nice thing for us counterbalancing them(McDonald and Bingham) a little bit is three freshmen in the circle that nobody knows about,” Bredbenner said. “Between the five of them I think that’s an area of improvement in our program and something that we are pretty excited about.”