Arkansas-Little Rock Game Notes
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March 20, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - After winning 14 of its first 20 games, the Western Kentucky University baseball team begins Sun Belt Conference play Friday at 6 p.m. (CST), in the first of a three-game series at Arkansas Little-Rock. The Hilltoppers (14-6) and Trojans (13-12) will battle again Saturday at 2 p.m., before concluding the series Sunday in a 1 p.m. start at Curran Conway Park. The contest is the Toppers' first road game in just over a month (Feb. 16 at San Diego State), ending a 14-game homestand in which Western went 11-3.
Last week, WKU claimed four victories in five games, including a 3-2 win over Eastern Kentucky Tuesday (March 12), followed by a 9-5 triumph over Valparaiso Wednesday. Over the weekend, the Hilltoppers hosted Bowling Green State in a three-game series, winning two, including head coach Joel Murrie's 700th career victory in a 6-2 triumph Saturday. Tanner Townsend (Sr., London, Ky.) led the Toppers, batting .500 with two home runs and six RBI in the five games.
The Trojans enter the series having lost their last eight games, all away from home, including a 4-6 setback Tuesday (March 19) at Louisiana-Monroe. Last weekend at the Irish Classic in San Antonio, Texas, UALR dropped a 5-7 decision to Notre Dame in between a pair of losses to Creighton, 0-7, 4-6.
Western finished fourth in league play a year ago, posting a 14-13 record, while the Trojans finished seventh with a 12-15 mark. The 2002 Hilltoppers feature two players who garnered league honors last season, including 2001 first-team all-SBC catcher Ryan Cattell (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.). Cattell earned SBC Player-of-the-Week honors on April 2, while hurler Ryan Bicondoa (Sr., Lovelock, Nev.) was named SBC Pitcher-of-the-Week on March 20 after pitching a complete-game shutout of 2000 College World Series participant Louisiana-Lafayette.
The Hilltoppers took two of three from the Trojans last season, claiming the series win after a pair of 9-3 and 7-4 victories in the first two games. UALR bounced back in game three, jumping out to a 15-0 lead before winning 15-3.
WKU leads the all-time series 25-16-0.
