WKU Baseball will travel to Nashville on Tuesday to face No. 23 Vanderbilt.
The Hilltoppers are coming off their first Conference USA series sweep against Sam Houston State University. The sweep improved WKU to a 25-3 record, a 23-0 home record and a CUSA record of 4-2.
The Hilltoppers sit at 4-3 on the road. On its most recent trip, WKU opened with a convincing 14-8 win at Eastern Kentucky University before dropping two of three at Kennesaw State University. Still, the team showed flashes of resilience away from home, capping the road stretch with a dominant 13-3 win at the University of Evansville.
WKU pitching has been key to its success this season. The staff currently holds the second-best ERA in college baseball with a 2.80. In the SHSU series, the Hilltoppers held the Bearkats to 15 hits and one run over three games.
At the plate, WKU has backed up its pitching with consistent run production. The Hilltoppers are batting .331 as a team. Junior Ryan Wideman leads the team with a .457 average, six home runs, 36 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.
Vanderbilt comes into the game with a 20-8 record and an 18-3 home record, with all three losses happening this past week against No. 2 ranked Arkansas. The Commodores were outscored 22-7 in the series.
The Commodores hold a 3.65 ERA, the 12th-best ERA in college baseball, limiting opponents to a .196 batting average and tallying up 324 strikeouts. Despite being roughed up by Arkansas over the weekend, Vanderbilt’s rotation and bullpen have been reliable all season, especially at home where they’ve allowed more than five runs just four times.
Tuesday’s showdown offers WKU a chance to make a national statement. With momentum on their side and one of the top pitching staffs in the country, the Hilltoppers will look to keep rolling against one of the SEC’s most established programs.
The first pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. at Hawkins Field.
Sports Reporter David Quintanilla can be reached davidquintanilla0610@gmail.com.
