Dec. 10, 2002
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky baseball team has released its 2003 schedule, which features 33 of a possible 55 games to be played at the friendly confines of Nick Denes Field including 16 of its first 20 contests. Seventeen games against six teams which made the NCAA Tournament last spring highlight the schedule -- four Sun Belt Conference foes (Florida International, Louisiana-Lafayette, New Mexico State, and South Alabama) and two non-conference (Central Florida and Louisville).
The Hilltoppers open the season on the road against Central Florida the weekend of Feb. 14th for a three-game series before retuning home for 16 of its next 17 games. Western hosts Illinois State for three games beginning Feb. 21 to start a nine-game home stand. After visits to Nick Denes by Wright State and Northern Iowa the following two weekends, the Toppers visit Louisville for a Tuesday afternoon duel with their in-state rival. A single game with Belmont and a three-game series with Michigan State at home serve as final tune-ups for the start of the conference season, which brings the Ragin' Cajuns to Bowling Green the weekend of March. 21.
After a return game with Louisville at Nick Denes, WKU hits the road for its longest road trip of the season -- five games. After visiting Eastern Kentucky, the Toppers head to Miami, Fla. for a three-game set with Florida International the weekend of March 28. A game at Vanderbilt closes out the trip and the first half of the season.
The second half of the season finds the conference schedule in full swing. Arkansas State visits the weekend of April 4th before Western visits 2002 Sun Belt Conference regular season champion South Alabama. Following non-conference contests with Kentucky, Lipscomb and Murray State, WKU hosts Middle Tennessee the weekend of April 25. After a midweek visit by Murray State, the Toppers head to Las Cruces, N.M. for a series with New Mexico State. After a single game on May 2nd, Western will face the Aggies in a scheduled doubleheader on May 3rd. NMSU won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in 2002.
After the trip west, WKU closes out its home schedule with five of its next six at Nick Denes. Vanderbilt begins the final homestand by visiting on May 6. Arkansas-Little Rock closes out Western's home Sun Belt slate the weekend of May 9th with a three-game series. Following a trip to Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky comes to two on May 14th to close out the regular season home schedule. Two days later, the Toppers visit New Orleans for three games to finish the regular season.
The top eight Sun Belt teams will meet in Lafayette, Louisiana for the conference tournament schedule to begin Wednesday, May 21.
2003 Hilltopper Baseball Schedule Date Day Opponent Location Time Feb. 14 Fri. Central Florida Orlando, Fla. 5 p.m. Feb. 15 Sat. Central Florida Orlando, Fla. Noon Feb. 16 Sun. Central Florida Orlando, Fla. Noon Feb. 21 Fri. Illinois State Bowling Green, Ky. 2 p.m. Feb. 22 Sat. Illinois State Bowling Green, Ky. 1 p.m. Feb. 23 Sun. Illinois State Bowling Green, Ky. 1 p.m. Feb. 28 Fri. Wright State Bowling Green, Ky. 2 p.m. Mar. 1 Sat. Wright State Bowling Green, Ky. 1 p.m. Mar. 2 Sun. Wright State Bowling Green, Ky. 1 p.m. Mar. 7 Fri. Northern Iowa Bowling Green, Ky. 3 p.m. Mar. 8 Sat. Northern Iowa Bowling Green, Ky. 1 p.m. Mar. 9 Sun. Northern Iowa Bowling Green, Ky. 1 p.m. Mar. 11 Tues. Louisville Louisville, Ky. 2 p.m. Mar. 12 Wed. Belmont Bowling Green, Ky. 2 p.m. Mar. 15 Sat. Michigan State (DH) Bowling Green, Ky. Noon Mar. 16 Sun. Michigan State Bowling Green, Ky. 1 p.m. Mar. 21 Fri. Louisiana-Lafayette Bowling Green, Ky. * 6 p.m. Mar. 22 Sat. Louisiana-Lafayette Bowling Green, Ky. * 2 p.m. Mar. 23 Sun. Louisiana-Lafayette Bowling Green, Ky. * 1 p.m. Mar. 25 Tues. Louisville Bowling Green, Ky. 4 p.m. Mar. 26 Wed. Eastern Kentucky Richmond, Ky. 1 p.m. Mar. 28 Fri. Florida International Miami, Fla. * 6 p.m. Mar. 29 Sat. Florida International Miami, Fla. * Noon Mar. 30 Sun. Florida International Miami, Fla. * Noon Apr. 1 Tues. Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 7 p.m. Apr. 4 Fri. Arkansas State Bowling Green, Ky. * 6 p.m. Apr. 5 Sat. Arkansas State Bowling Green, Ky. * 2 p.m. Apr. 6 Sun. Arkansas State Bowling Green, Ky. * 1 p.m. Apr. 8 Tues. Austin Peay Clarksville, Tenn. 6:30 p.m. Apr. 9 Wed. Austin Peay Bowling Green, Ky. 6 p.m. Apr. 11 Fri. South Alabama Mobile, Ala. * 6 p.m. Apr. 12 Sat. South Alabama Mobile, Ala. * 1 p.m. Apr. 13 Sun. South Alabama Mobile, Ala. * 1 p.m. Apr. 16 Wed. Kentucky Bowling Green, Ky. 6 p.m. Apr. 18 Fri. Lipscomb Bowling Green, Ky. 6 p.m. Apr. 19 Sat. Lipscomb Bowling Green, Ky. 2 p.m. Apr. 20 Sun. Lipscomb Nashville, Tenn. 1 p.m. Apr. 22 Tues. Murray State Murray, Ky. 3 p.m. Apr. 25 Fri. Middle Tennessee Bowling Green, Ky. * 6 p.m. Apr. 26 Sat. Middle Tennessee Bowling Green, Ky. * 2 p.m. Apr. 27 Sun. Middle Tennessee Bowling Green, Ky. * 1 p.m. Apr. 30 Wed. Murray State Bowling Green, Ky. 6 p.m. May 2 Fri. New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M. * 8 p.m. May 3 Sat. New Mexico State (DH) Las Cruces, N.M. * 2 p.m./8 p.m. May 6 Tues. Vanderbilt Bowling Green, Ky. 6 p.m. May 9 Fri. Arkansas-Little Rock Bowling Green, Ky. * 6 p.m. May 10 Sat. Arkansas-Little Rock Bowling Green, Ky. * 3 p.m. May 11 Sun. Arkansas-Little Rock Bowling Green, Ky. * 1 p.m. May 13 Tues. Kentucky Lexington, Ky. 5 p.m. May 14 Wed. Eastern Kentucky Bowling Green, Ky. 6 p.m. May 16 Fri. New Orleans New Orleans, La. * 6:30 p.m. May 17 Sat. New Orleans New Orleans, La. * 1 p.m. May 18 Sun. New Orleans New Orleans, La. * 1 p.m. May 21-24 Wed.-Sat Sun Belt Conference Tournament Lafayette, La TBD Home Games in Bold All Times Central * Denotes Sun Belt Conference Game
