Lauren Lucas loves her closeup view of Addison Barnard at the plate. She sympathizes with the pitcher, presented with a rare combination of speed and power. As the No. 3 batter in the Wichita State lineup, Lucas enjoys the likelihood that when it is her time to bat, she can either drive in runs or face a pitcher already in a bad place.
"I can't imagine being the pitcher facing her," Lucas said. "Is she going to hit a home run? Is she going to hit a triple? She typically clears the bases, and then I get to start a rally.