WKU Baseball will host the Louisville Cardinals for an in-state clash at Nick Denes Field on Tuesday.
The Hilltoppers come into the matchup 13-11 and 3-3 in Conference USA after getting swept by Jacksonville State in a three-game series last week. WKU was held to five runs on 15 hits while giving up 26 runs on 35 hits.
Junior infielder Lane Arroyos leads the Hilltoppers with a .356 batting average and 27 RBI. Arroyos on-base streak ended at 23 after failing to reach base in game three against Jax State. Arroyos went 2-11 against Jax State while striking out three times.
Senior Camden Ross is the only other Hilltopper batting over .300. Ross carries a .316 average, 16 RBI, 20 walks, and a team-high 7 hit by pitches. Ross went 0-10 with two walks against Jax State.
On the mound, the Hilltoppers hold a 5.29 ERA with 213 strikeouts and 81 walks in 212 innings. Graduate right-hander Aaron Robertson leads the team with a 3.91 ERA. In his game two start against Jax State, Robertson pitched four innings after giving up five runs on six hits.
In their last midweek matchup, the Hilltoppers used 10 pitchers against Belmont. In midweek matchups, WKU has used 8.6 pitchers on average as Head Coach Marc Rardin goes deeper into his bullpen. Redshirt-freshman left-hander Roman Petricca and junior right-hander Bryson Vawter made their season debuts in the game against Belmont.
Louisville comes into the game with a 16-8 record after losing a series 2-1 to No. 9 North Carolina. The Cardinals were run ruled 11-1 in eight innings in game one, took game two 2-0 and closed the series with a 7-6 loss.
The Cardinals bat .354 as a team with seven players batting over .300. Sophomore Griffin Crain leads the team with a .426 average paired with 29 RBI and 14 walks. Against UNC, Crain went 0-8 with one walk and three strikeouts.
Sophomore Tague Davis hits .404 with 13 home runs, the sixth most in Division 1 College Baseball. Davis 4-11 with four RBI and one home run in game three against UNC.
The Tuesday game will mark the 147th meeting between the two Kentucky schools, with the Cardinals leading the head-to-head 76-70. Louisville won the last meeting last season on April 15, 5-2.
However, WKU won the last matchup at Nick Denes Field with a 3-2 ten-inning victory. Overall, the Hilltoppers are 35-29 against Louisville in Bowling Green.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
