I have strawberries growing in pure turface which is calcined clay. If it's high fired it should work fine. I also have strawberries in 2:1 gravel:calcined clay, but they aren't doing as well as the straight calcined clay. But then I am in an arid environment, far more than you are. They are 'to waste' hydroponic cultures, so all the nutrients have to come from the irrigation water. I would say give it a try and if it holds too much water, add some gravel.

i have seen a study that says you should saturate the calcined clay with phosphate before use for better results. They soaked it in water with superphosphate. I haven't done this and haven't noticed a problem, but that doesn't mean a whole lot as my observations have not been rigourous.

Today, I tried putting a small pot (with holes in the bottom) filled with dry kitty litter into a big saucer filled with water to check it's wicking ability. I didn't expect it, but the water was actually sucked all the way up to the surface of the litter.
I think that this might actually be used in self-watering systems.