Red and White Set for 2018 Home Opener with Hilltopper Classic on Slate

Livestats | Tournament Central | WKU Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Tied for the second-best 10-game start in program history with a 7-3 record, the Hilltoppers are set to make their 2018 home debut this weekend as Green Bay, Toledo and Indiana State are headed to The Hill. Green Bay, Toledo and Indiana State are heading to Bowling Green to compete in the outing. Any schedule changes will be communicated through the WKU Softball Twitter, Facebook and web platforms.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday – 9 a.m. CT – Indiana State vs. Green Bay
               11 a.m. CT – Indiana State vs. Toledo
               1 p.m. CT – WKU vs. Green Bay
               3 p.m. CT – WKU vs. Toledo
Saturday – 10 a.m. CT – Green Bay vs. Toledo
               12:30 p.m. CT – WKU vs. Indiana State
               3 p.m. CT – 1 vs. 4
               5:30 p.m. CT – 2 vs. 3
Sunday – 11 a.m. CT – Consolation
               1:30 p.m. CT – Championship

TICKETS & PARKING
Day passes are available to adults for $10 per day and youth (12 & below) passes can be purchased for $5 each. Flexible season ticket packages are available for $25 for 28 vouchers and can be used for both the Hilltopper Classic and Hilltopper Spring Fling. Spectator parking will be available in the Creason lot (not PS3).

First up on the weekend, WKU is slated to take on Green Bay (1-4) before closing Friday play against Toledo (3-2). The Green Bay Phoenix picked up their lone win in a 7-6 decision over UMKC on opening weekend. UWGB has been outscored 47-21 while hitting at a .264 clip on the season. WKU and the Phoenix have met once prior when Green Bay took a 6-5 decision on The Hill in 2014.

In the all-time series against Toledo, WKU Softball owns a 2-0 advantage after winning both sides of a 2004 doubleheader in Louisville. After winning their first three games, the Rockets dropped the next two for their current 3-2 record. Toledo has plated nine runs on the year while its pitching staff has posted a stifling 1.24 ERA.

Indiana State marks the third team the Hilltopper squad will face this weekend. The Sycamores (5-1) opened their season last weekend at the Chattanooga Challenge but never crossed paths with the Red and White. ISU's lone loss was in its opener on Friday, Feb. 16 against Sacred Heart, a 4-0 decision. Indiana State owns a collective batting average of .238 with 34 runs scored while its pitching staff is allowing a 2.33 ERA.

After the first two weekends of play, WKU Softball has made its mark in several offensive stat categories. As a team, the Hilltoppers lead the nation in doubles per game with 2.40 while ranking in the top-10 in scoring (8.30 runs/game) and slugging percentage (.592). WKU ranks 12th in both batting average (.359) and on-base percentage (.444) in addition to coming in at 14th in triples per game (.50) and 17th in stolen bases per game (2.30). Individually, Shelby Nunn ranks sixth in victories with 5 already while Maddie Bowlds is one of just 78 players across the nation with four or more hits in a game. Kelsey Aikey owns one of the 21 no-hitters recorded this year and the only extra-inning no-hitter.

Head coach Amy Tudor's 2018 squad remains one of the youngest teams in the nation with four freshmen, six sophomores and a redshirt-sophomore on the roster. WKU sports a squad that figures to be 73 percent underclassmen, up from last season's 69-percent mark. The four upperclassmen of Brittany Vaughn, Rebekah Engelhardt, Jordan Vorbrink and Kelsey McGuffin are set to lead the Red and White.

Following this weekend's Hilltopper Classic, WKU Softball will remain in Bowling Green for another weekend outing with the Hilltopper Spring Fling on the slate for March 2-4. Austin Peay, Dayton and Evansville are scheduled to visit The Hill.

How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook /WKUSoftball.

Red and White Set for 2018 Home Opener with Hilltopper Classic on Slate

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kelsey Aikey

Maddie Bowlds

Rebekah Engelhardt

Kelsey McGuffin

Shelby Nunn

Brittany Vaughn

Jordan Vorbrink