SCHEDULE
• First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m. CT, Saturday’s contest will begin at 4 p.m. CT, and Sunday’s series finale will start at 12 p.m. CT.
LAST TIME OUT
• WKU was scheduled to visit No. 7 Vanderbilt last Tuesday, but it was canceled due to inclement weather in the Nashville area. There are no plans for a rescheduled date at this time.
• Prior to that, WKU swept Jax State for its first Conference USA series win of the season.
• Game one saw the Hilltoppers claim a 4-2 win on the back of some outstanding work out of the bullpen from the pitching staff. Starter Jack Bennett earned his third winning decision of the season by striking out six batters in 5.0 innings of work while allowing two runs on three hits. Three relievers saw action for the final 4.0 frames and did not allow a run on four hits. Mason Burns earned his fifth save of the season, tossing a scoreless ninth inning to clinch the win.
• Game two was very similar to game one as the bullpen dominated once again. Lucas Litteral received the win in relief as Burns wrapped things up once again to tally his sixth save in the 5-4, series-clinching victory.
• The bats woke up in game three as the Tops scored 11 runs on 17 hits for an 11-6 win. Six Hilltoppers had multi-hit performances with junior Brady Browning leading the way with a 4-for-5 outing with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored.
TOUGH STRETCH AHEAD
• The upcoming schedule presents an excellent opportunity for the Hilltoppers as they face No. 8 Dallas Baptist in a three-game series before hosting Louisville next Tuesday at Nick Denes Field.
• The Hilltoppers have not hosted a top-10 team for a three-game series since at least 2005 and have only hosted three, three-game series against top-25 opponents since then.
• In 2005, WKU took two of three against No. 19 Louisiana-Lafayette at home, marking the only series win the Tops own at home against a top-25 team.
RARDIN IN CUSA PLAY
• After a 2-10 start to league play in 2023, head coach Marc Rardin and the Tops rattled off five consecutive CUSA series wins, including series sweeps over Florida Atlantic, 2023 CUSA Tournament Champion, Charlotte, and Rice.
• WKU earned fourth place after the conclusion of the regular season, tied for its highest rank heading into the CUSA Tournament.
• Rardin led the Tops to 18 total CUSA wins, including two victories in the CUSA Tournament, the most WKU has had since joining the conference in 2015.
• So far in 2024, the Hilltoppers own a 4-2 mark in league play after sweeping Jax State last weekend and are looking ahead to a big challenge this weekend against No. 8 Dallas Baptist.
THE SACRIFICE PLAY
• WKU leads the nation in sacrifice bunts with 37 this season thus far.
• In two years with Marc Rardin at the helm, WKU ranks second in the country with 93 sacrifice bunts, only trailing Wofford that has tallied 114 since the beginning of the 2023 season.
• Juniors Zayd Brannigan and Joey Baran rank top 50 in the nation in individual sacrifice bunts. Brannigan sits at seventh with seven while Baran is tied for 31st with five.
SERIES HISTORY
• WKU and Dallas Baptist have met just five times in program history with the Patriots owning a 4-1 series lead.
• The Hilltoppers upset the Patriots 11-7 in game one of a three-game series in Dallas, Texas last season.
• Dallas Baptist rattled off two straight to win the series last year before claiming two wins over WKU in the Conference USA Tournament.
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
• WKU is 19-10 (4-2 CUSA) after sweeping Jax State last weekend.
• The Hilltoppers have three players hitting over .300, led by junior Brady Browning (.344) with junior Ethan Lizama (.343), and junior Blake Cavill (.324) not far behind.
• On the mound, WKU holds a 4.61 team ERA with 259 strikeouts in 250.0 innings.
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
• No. 7 Dallas Baptist is 24-4 (5-1 CUSA) after defeating Tarleton State in extra innings last Tuesday.
• The Patriots are led by Ethan Mann at the plate, hitting .385.
• The Dallas Baptist pitching staff has produced a 3.70 team ERA and has recorded 290 strikeouts in 248.0 frames..