WKU Baseball will travel to Eastern Kentucky for an in-state midweek matchup at Earle Combs Stadium.
The Hilltoppers come into the game with a 20-20 record and a 7-11 Conference USA record. Last weekend, WKU dropped two of three games at Missouri State. In the series, the Hilltoppers led for at least two innings each game. In game one, the Hilltoppers held a 6-3 lead before giving it up, losing 15-10.
Junior infielder Lane Arroyos leads WKU with a .356 batting average, and his 18 doubles lead CUSA. As a team, the Hilltoppers hit .278, with senior infielder Austin Haller (.313) being the only other Hilltopper batting over .300.
On the mound, the WKU pitching staff carries a 5.52 ERA with 141 walks and 351 strikeouts. Graduate right-hander Gavin Perry leads the team with a 4.75 ERA, totaling 16 walks and 57 strikeouts. In his last outing in game two against Missouri State, Perry went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on six hits.
The Hilltoppers have struggled away from Nick Denes Field, holding a 3-9 record on the road. WKU has failed to win an away game in the Bluegrass state, losing to both Kentucky and Louisville on the road.
EKU comes into the matchup with a 10-30 record and a 4-14 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Colonels are coming off a series sweep at the hands of Central Arkansas, where EKU was outscored 29-12.
In midweek games, the Colonels are 2-8 with their wins coming against Northern Kentucky and Kentucky State, both at Earle Combs Stadium. Overall, EKU is 7-9 at home.
At the plate, EKU hits .255 as a team, with junior outfielder David Alvarez leading the team with a .288 average. Alvarez went 2-12 with 2 RBI against Central Arkansas last weekend. Alvarez went hitless in both games two and three.
The Colonels carry a 7.96 ERA on the mound, with only one pitcher eligible for statistics. Redshirt junior Jacob Price holds a 5.43 ERA with 16 walks and 45 strikeouts. In his last outing on Saturday against Central Arkansas, Price went six innings, giving up six runs on eight hits while walking three batters.
Tuesday’s matchup marks the 134th meeting between WKU and EKU, with the Hilltoppers having a 69-62-2 record. The Colonels have had success at home against WKU, with a 38-28-1 record in Earle Combs Stadium.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+.
