HAS HAD A HAND IN 19 DOUBLE PLAYS.
HILLTOPPERS UNLOAD THIRTEEN HOME RUNS IN THREE GAMES AT NMSU; WKU WILL BE A TOP THREE SEED IN CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT
Marc Rardin, Western Kentucky University’s third-year head baseball coach, has reason to be optimistic about postseason play.
But first, the Hilltoppers have to close regular-season play with a three-game series in Conference USA play. Western Kentucky (41-10, 17-7 in C-USA) plays host to Jacksonville State (31-21, 13-11) in a three-game series starting Thursday evening at WKU’s Nick Denes Field.
WKU takes a seven-game winning streak into the series, after an offensive oslaught led the Hilltoppers to an impressive three-game sweep of New Mexico State over the weekend in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
WKU crushed the Aggies in the first two games of the series, opening the series with an 11-3 victory on Friday night at Askew Field. On Saturday, the Hilltoppers collected five home runs in a 19-3 rout of NMSU, giving Rardin’s squad a chance to complete a three-game sweep for the second consecutive weekend.
No problem.
HAS COMPILED AN OVERALL RECORD
OF 110-58 IN THREE SEASONS.
SHOWN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT
IN THEIR INFIELD DEFENSE.
RETURN TO NICK DENES FIELD
TO FACE JAX STATE ON THURSDAY.
A BASES-LOADED DOUBLE IN THE SIXTH.
The Tops broke a 2-2 tie with six runs in the top of the sixth inning. WKU first baseman Kyle Hayes unloaded a two-run run, and backup infielder Dalton Fiveash delivered a bases-loaded double to clear the bases, putting the Hilltoppers in control.
Fiveash, a former standout at Franklin-Simpson High School, is in his first season with the Hilltoppers after two years at Wabash Valley Community College in Mount Carmel, Illinois.
“Obviously, today was a battle,” WKU coach Marc Rardin told team sports publicist Jack Todd in a postgame interview. “You’ve got to grind out these games, too.”
Rardin said the Hilltoppers’ players found Askew Field to their liking during batting practice before Game One on Friday night.
They unloaded 13 home runs in the three-game series, bringing their season total to 57. Senior outfielder Ethan Lizama leads the Tops with 11 home runs on the season, followed by Kyle Hayes (nine) and Ryan Wideman (eight). Wideman is contending for All-America honors with a .417 batting average, a team-high 63 RBI and 35 stolen bases.
THIS SEASON AT NICK DENES FIELD.
IS BATTING .316 WITH 28 RBI.
AND ETHAN LIZAMA HAVE PROVIDED
STEADY OFFENSIVE PUNCH.
“My position players like playing here,” Rardin said after Sunday’s game. “It’s 345 (feet) down the line, and it’s a bigger park, but the ball flies out of here … Most of them, we barreled on the ball.
“We had some good approaches at the plate.”
Taylor Penn, the Hilltoppers’ 6-foot-5 freshman right-hander, got his first start in Conference USA play on Sunday. He worked three innings before yielding to reliever Gavin Perry. WKU’s Treyson Peters, Cal Higgins and Patrick Morris all saw action out of the bullpen, too, as the Hilltoppers completed the three-game sweep in impressive fashion.
WKU’s 41 regular-season victories match the school record set by the Hilltopper squads in 1985 and ’88.
AN IMPRESSIVE 3.12 TEAM ERA.
TEAM ON THE BASE PATHS.
“We’ve got goals, we’ve got to work toward getting (an NCAA Tournament) regional berth,” Rardin said.
The Hilltoppers are aiming for the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 2009, when they were the runner-up at Ole Miss in the four-team regional. After the Jax State series, WKU will travel to Lynchburg, Virginia, for the Conference USA Tournament starting May 21 at Liberty University.
After the sweep at NMSU, the Tops are guaranteed to be one of the top three seeds in the C-USA Tournament.
“We’ve got to force the issue, and keep winning games,” Rardin said.
EDITOR’s NOTE: I’ll be out of town for a family wedding for the next week and will resume coverage of WKU and KHSAA baseball and softball on May 19. Thanks for reading!
IN A THREE-GAME SERIES THIS WEEKEND.
GIVES ME WHEN IT’s TIME
TO GO TO THE DOG SITTER’s …