WKU Baseball will travel to Florida International University for a three-game Conference USA series April 25-27.
The Hilltoppers are coming off a midweek eight-inning 14-4 win over Evansville. The win improved their record to 34-7 and 25-1 at home. In the game, WKU combined nine hits and 11 walks, keeping Evansville to four hits and four walks.
The midweek game highlighted what the offense has produced all season. The Hilltoppers hold a .314 team batting average, ranking 19th in Division I. WKU also leads CUSA in hits (430), doubles (93) and stolen bases (93). Senior Kyle Hayes has had an impressive stretch of games. In the last four games, Hayes went 9-for-12 with four home runs, 11 RBIs and seven runs.
The success of the Hilltoppers can also be attributed to their dominant pitching staff. WKU currently holds a 2.85 ERA, the best in the nation, and has held opponents to a .220 batting average, the lowest in CUSA.
Sophomore Drew Whalen leads the team with a 1.86 ERA, the sixth-best in the nation. In game three against MTSU, Whalen went seven innings, keeping MTSU to five hits, one walk, one run and striking out nine.
Junior Jack Bennett has also been dominant for WKU. Bennett currently holds a 1.87 ERA, the eighth-best in college baseball. Bennett pitched game one against MTSU, going only two innings, after allowing two hits, three runs and one walk.
Seniors Cal Higgins and Lucas Hartman have been steady out of the bullpen, and both were named to the National College Baseball Writers Association Midseason Stopper of the Year. Higgins carries a 1.50 ERA through 24 innings with 30 strikeouts and only five walks. Hartman has tossed 32.2 innings, holding a 1.67 ERA and racking up 39 strikeouts and only ten walks.
FIU comes into the weekend with a 23-18 record and sits seventh in CUSA with a 6-8 record. The Panthers are coming off two midweek games. On Tuesday, FIU took a 15-8 loss against Florida Gulf Coast. On Wednesday, FIU won 5-4 against Miami.
The Panthers got swept in their last CUSA series at Kennesaw State. FIU was outscored 29-7 in the series. The Panthers were held to 18 hits and struck out 27 times. On the mound, the Panthers gave up 24 hits and 25 walks.
Offensively, FIU holds a .282 team batting average, ranked fifth in CUSA. The Panthers have combined for 385 hits, fifth in CUSA, and 296 runs, third in CUSA. Redshirt senior Kishon Frett leads CUSA in home runs with 16.
On the mound, FIU holds a 5.87 ERA, fourth in CUSA. The Panthers have combined for 408 strikeouts, the most in CUSA, but also lead CUSA in walks allowed (217).
The series will start on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and continue on Saturday starting at 4:00 p.m. The series will close on Sunday for a starting pitch at 11:00 a.m.
Sports Reporter David Quintanilla can be reached at [email protected].
