WKU Baseball welcomes the Kennesaw State Owls for a three-game Conference USA series this weekend at Nick Denes Field.
The Hilltoppers are 22-20 after two midweek wins against Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay. WKU sits 7-11 in CUSA play after losing two of three games last weekend at Missouri State.
During the midweek, WKU totaled 19 runs and allowed three, all against Austin Peay. They racked up 25 hits and nine walks between both games. Junior infielder Lane Arroyos led WKU through the two games. Arroyos went 5-7 with two RBI, two walks and two runs. Arroyos leads CUSA with a .399 batting average, 65 hits and 18 doubles.
On the mound during the week, the Hilltoppers used ten arms, with a standout performance from junior right-hander Jacob O’Day against Austin Peay. O’Day pitched two innings of hitless ball and collected five strikeouts.
In their series against Missouri State, 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. Game two followed a similar pattern, with WKU leading 6-4 heading into the ninth before losing 8-6 in 12 innings. The Hilltoppers salvaged game three with a strong presence at the plate, totaling five runs in the sixth frame to clinch a 9-5 win.
Graduate left-hander Aaron Robertson will start on the mound for game one. Robertson holds a 4.30 ERA with 30 strikeouts and eight walks in 37.2 innings of work. In his last outing in game one against Missouri State, Robertson went four innings, giving up three runs on eight hits while issuing two walks and two strikeouts.
Graduate right-hander Gavin Perry will take the mound for game two. Perry is the only stat- eligible pitcher for the Hilltoppers, posting a 4.75 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 16 walks. Perry went 5.1 innings in game two against Missouri State, where he gave up four runs on six hits while collecting five strikeouts.
Kennesaw State comes into the weekend with an 18-19 overall record and a 7-11 CUSA record. The Owls are coming off a 3-2 win over West Georgia on Tuesday. KSU totaled nine hits, but left 12 runners on base, hitting 5-19 with runners on. Last weekend, the Owls dropped two of three games against Louisiana Tech. KSU was outscored 15-12.
At the plate, the Owls carry a .268 team average, the eighth highest in CUSA. Junior outfielder Cooper Williams leads the team with a .333 average. Williams went 3-18 against LA Tech with two RBI and five strikeouts. The Owls have one other hitter batting over .300, senior outfielder Jackson Chirello (.301).
On the mound, KSU holds a 6.22 team ERA, the eighth lowest in CUSA. The Owls are led by junior right-hander Daniel Powell, a strong bullpen arm. Powell leads CUSA with five saves and is second in earned runs (13). Powell holds a 2.93 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 19 walks in 40 innings.
The Owls have not announced their starters on the mound.
The two teams have met four previous times, with the series tied 2-2. All games were played last season, with the regular-season series at Kennesaw State. The Owls took the series, winning two of three games over WKU. KSU outscored the Hilltoppers 18-14 in the series. The two teams then met in the CUSA Tournament semi-final. The Hilltoppers would dominate the game, winning 10-2 to advance to the final.
This weekend series marks a pivotal one for both teams, as they sit with identical 7-11 CUSA records, with WKU standing seventh and KSU right below them. The first pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m. Saturday’s game will begin at 4 p.m., and the series will close on Sunday at 1 p.m.
