WKU Baseball welcomes the Belmont Bruins for a midweek matchup on Tuesday at Nick Denes Field.
The Hilltoppers are coming off a sweep by the Liberty Flames last weekend, bringing their record to 16-16 and Conference USA record to 4-8. WKU currently sits ninth in the conference.
Over the weekend, the Hilltoppers were outscored 20-10 and outhit 31-26. WKU left 22 runners on base and hit just .190 with runners on. The series finale on Sunday ended with a 6-5 ninth-inning comeback win for the Flames, outscoring the Hilltoppers 6-0 in the ninth.
Junior infielder Lane Arroyos leads the team with a .341 batting average, 42 hits and 36 RBI. His 15 doubles lead CUSA. Against Liberty, Arroyos struggled, going just 2-11 with two walks and two strikeouts. Two other Hilltoppers hit over .300: senior catcher Camden Ross (.330) and senior infielder Austin Haller (.304).
On the mound, the Hilltoppers hold a 5.12 ERA with 373 strikeouts. Graduate right-hander Gavin Perry leads the team with a 4.87 ERA with 14 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40.2 innings of work.
Belmont comes into Nick Denes Field with a 12-20 record and a 4-5 Missouri Valley Conference record. The Bruins are coming off a series win over Murray State, where, after losing game one, Belmont won the final two. The Bruins needed just seven innings to win game two 12-1.
Senior infielder Charlie Davis leads the team with a .356 average and 47 hits with 24 RBI. Davis went 6-11 with three RBI against Murray State.
On the mound, the Bruins carry a 6.37 ERA with opponents hitting .291 against them. Freshman right-hander McKale Stevenson leads the Bruins with a 2.43 ERA, 11 walks and 34 strikeouts in 33.1 innings pitched.
The two faced off earlier this season on March 18, where the Hilltoppers came out on top 7-2. In the game, WKU outhit Belmont 6-3. The Hilltopper pitching led the way for the win, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out 11 and walking four. The game at First Horizon Park gave WKU a 30-26 all-time record against the Bruins.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
