WKU Baseball welcomes the University of Kentucky to Nick Denes Field on Tuesday, April 29.
The Hilltoppers are looking to bounce back from being swept by FIU. The sweep dropped WKU’s record to 34-10, fourth in Conference USA at 11-7. WKU enters the game with a 25-1 record at Nick Denes Field, the best home record in the country.
In the FIU series, WKU was outscored 16-10, and Hilltopper starting pitchers allowed 13 of those runs.
Despite the sweep, the Hilltoppers still hold a 3.02 ERA, the lowest in Division I college baseball, holding opponents to the lowest batting average in CUSA (.223). WKU has also racked up 392 strikeouts and a conference-low 129 walks. Junior Jack Bennett holds a 2.05 ERA, the second in CUSA and has tallied 41 strikeouts and 13 walks.
Even after their rough weekend, Hilltopper bats hold a .307 average, the second highest in CUSA, and lead the conference in hits (450) and stolen bases (100). Junior Ryan Wideman leads CUSA in batting average (.418), hits (76), doubles (18), triples (5) and stolen bases (35).
UK enters Tuesday’s matchup at 25-16 and 10-6 on the road. The Wildcats are coming off their second consecutive conference win against South Carolina. UK won two of three games and outscored South Carolina 22-13. Before the South Carolina series, the Wildcats took two of three games against formerly No. 2 (now ranked 12) Tennessee.
The Wildcats hold a 4.14 ERA, the fourth-lowest in the SEC, holding opponents to a .230 batting average. The Wildcats have only given up 167 walks while recording 383 strikeouts. Sophomore Ben Cleaver carries a 3.02 ERA, with 68 strikeouts and 21 walks.
At the plate, UK hits .274 as a team, the fourth lowest in the SEC, with 365 hits. The Wildcats’ hitting leader, senior Cole Hage, holds a .326 average with 46 hits, 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.
The two teams most recently faced on Feb 27, 2024 at UK where WKU got shutout 5-0. The teams split their previous 24 meetings since 1999 with 12 wins each.
Tuesday’s in-state matchup marks WKU Baseball’s final opportunity to make a statement on the national stage before the start of the Conference USA Tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Sports Reporter David Quintanilla can be reached at [email protected].
