Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the length of the series. WKU played four games against BYU. A previous verison of this article referred to it as a “three-game stretch.”
WKU Baseball won two of four games against BYU to open its 2026 season.
Over the stretch, WKU displayed both promise and vulnerability. The Hilltoppers showed offensive explosiveness but had bullpen inconsistencies, particularly in save situations.
Across the series, the Hilltoppers scored 19 runs with six of those coming from home runs. However, the Hilltoppers also left 37 runners on base, hitting just 13-62 when there were runners on base.
Another struggle came in the form of the bullpen. In games one and two the Hilltoppers gave up two runs in both ninth innings, showing a hole was left from both their closers graduating last season. Overall, the bullpen gave up 13 of BYU’s 19 runs.
“You can always leave going, hey, at least we did the two and two thing, but you also look at the first we had that first game too,” Head Coach Marc Rardin said.
Games 1 & 2
The Hilltoppers opened the 2026 season splitting its doubleheader against BYU on Friday.
BYU took the opener 3-2 before WKU responded with a 5-2 win in game two to even the series.
WKU dropped a tight pitcher’s duel in the first game of the season, as neither lineup found much offensive rhythm. The Hilltoppers took a 2-1 lead into the ninth, however senior relief pitcher Dawson Hall, who came into the game during the eighth, could not convert the save opportunity, allowing the Cougars to score two runs.
WKU responded in the second half of the twin bill with a 5-2 win.
The Hilltoppers got off to a hot start in game two, thanks to a two-run home run by junior infielder Lane Arroyos. Graduate pitcher Aaron Robertson had a solid start on the mound, going four innings while keeping BYU to three hits and striking out seven.
Game 3
WKU came back strong on Saturday as they took a 4-2 win.
The teams were back and forth heading into the eighth, standing at a 2-2 deadlock. In the eighth, Senior catcher Camden Ross came up to the plate with two runners and knocked a single through the gap giving WKU a 4-2 lead.
Junior pitcher Zach Lyles showed WKU signs of a sufficient closer, coming in during the top of the eighth and completing the six out save while getting three strikeouts.
Game 4
The long ball was the death of WKU on Monday afternoon as the Hilltoppers pitching staff gave up five home runs.
BYU opened the scoring with an explosive five run second inning The Cougars ran out WKU’s starting pitcher junior Rodney Whaley in just 2.1 innings.
“I mean, I was just going to throw Whaley one inning, and I don’t know, I take him back out in the second inning, and I’m punching myself internally as I’m walking out. There it wasn’t his fault. Like that’s my job,” Rardin said.
WKU were quiet until the fifth where they tied the game up with the help of an RBI double from Arroyos and a three-run homer from senior Daniel Stewart.
However, the Cougars bats stayed hot as they scored six runs in response. Four of those runs came in the fourth inning in the form of a three-run home run by sophomore infielder Ezra McNaughton and a sac fly by senior catcher Parker Goff.
The Hilltoppers mounted one last push in the ninth, scoring one run off a hit by pitch. However, WKU left bases loaded to end the game and give BYU a 12-8 win.
“I’m not criticizing in the dugout, I’m critiquing and coaching, but I also took a ton of the blame, because there’s nobody on our team that’s going to lose more games for Western Kentucky than I,” Rardin said.
WKU Baseball returns to action this weekend in a four-game series against Southeast Missouri State. The series begins on Friday and will close on Sunday.
