Bowling Green, Ky. - The Lady Toppers (23-22, 4-11 SBC) will play a mid-week Sun Belt Conference game against Middle Tennessee (14-27, 5-13 SBC) Wednesday evening in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., at Blue Raider Field in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Lady Toppers will complete the series against MTSU May 7, in a doubleheader at the WKU Softball Complex for the final games of the regular season.
The Lady Toppers will return home for a weekend Sun Belt Conference series Friday when WKU takes on Louisiana-Monroe at the WKU Softball Complex at 5 and 7 p.m., and close-out the series Saturday at 12 p.m.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Wednesday's game will be the 31st road game for the Lady Toppers this season. Familiar with road games, WKU has a record of 4-14 at away games and 11-1 in neutral site games, for an overall record of 15-15 on the road this season. Historically, the Lady Toppers have an overall road record of 191-195 in 11 seasons. Under head coach Tyra Perry the Lady Toppers are 64-58 on the road and 17-20 on the road in April. During the month of April WKU has gone 58-62 on the road. Last season, the Lady Toppers finished with a road record of 17-16.
LAST OUTING: The Lady Toppers went 1-2 over the weekend in a series against FIU on the road. Saturday they opened with a loss before they recorded a 5-4 comeback win in the top of the seventh inning. On the day the Lady Toppers tallied six runs off eight hits leaving 12 runners stranded. WKU had one double, one triple and one home run for six RBI in two games. Sophomore Karavin Dew tallied three hits with one triple and one home run for two runs and three RBI. The triple by Dew is her fifth of the season, tying WKU's single-season record for triples. The home run is her third of the season. Freshman Megan Johnson had one double for two RBI on the day. Sophomore Mallorie Sulaski pitched 6.1 innings of game two allowing four runs off four hits while striking out two, she improves her record to 10-7 on the season. Sunday afternoon the Lady Toppers dropped the final game of the series in six inning. WKU tallied two runs off six hits leaving six runners stranded, walking nine FIU batters. WKU was out-hit by FIU 8-6. Freshman Kelsie Mattox hit a lead-off home run for one run and one RBI, her seventh of the season, now leading the Lady Toppers in home runs.
SCOUTING MTSU: The Blue Raiders return seven starters to their 2011 squad. The team returns two pitchers and 13 letterwinners while welcoming six newcomers to the team. Middle Tennessee finished their 2010 season with an overall record of 22-32 going 7-17 in the Sun Belt Conference for eighth place. This season the Blue Raiders have recorded an overall record of 14-27 with a SBC record of 5-13. MTSU are 10-5 at the Blue Raider field this season and 5-4 against SBC opponents at home. As a team Middle Tennessee is posting a .251 batting average overall and .245 batting average against conference opponents. MTSU is being out-hit by opponents 366-261 and 155-11 by SBC opponents. Leading the Blue Raiders in hitting is senior Corrie Abel with a .373 batting average with 17 runs off 47 hits with 13 doubles and four home runs for 25 RBI on the season. Against SBC opponents Abel has 19 hits with six doubles and eight RBI. MTSU's pitching staff has a 5.39 ERA overall and a 5.16 ERA against conference opponents. Leading the Blue Raiders in pitching is freshman Jordy Fisherback with a 4.43 ERA in 104.1 innings striking out 71 batters with an opponent batting average of .304.
WKU-MTSU REWIND: The Lady Toppers have faced the Blue Raiders 40 times in program history with an overall record of 19-21. WKU is 6-8 at Blue Raider field and 11-11 at the WKU Softball Complex against MTSU. The two teams have met four times in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, with a 2-2 record in the tournament against MTSU. Last season the Lady Toppers dropped two games to the Blue Raiders on the road.
SUN BELT ACTION: Wednesday's contest is the 16th Sun Belt Conference game for the Lady Toppers this season and the 10th on the road. WKU is 4-11 in SBC action this season and are 31-42 under head coach Tyra Perry in SBC play. Under head coach Tyra Perry the Lady Toppers are 16-28 in SBC away games.
LEADERS OF THE PACK: Sophomore catcher, Karavin Dew, is tied for first in the Sun Belt Conference in triples with five on the season. Dew also shares the lead on WKU's all-time season triples record. Dew leads the team in hitting this season with a .360 batting average with 15 runs off 31 hits for 12 RBI. Junior Laura Smith is second with a .322 batting average with 14 runs off 28 hits, with 15 RBI. Freshman short stop Amanda Thomas is third with a has a .316 batting average, she leads the team in hits with 42 and doubles with nine and second in home runs with six. Sophomore Katrina Metoyer is fourth with a .315 batting average with 20 runs off 39 hits and 16 RBI. Freshman second base Kelsie Mattox has a .310 batting average leading the team in runs with 27, RBI with 26 and home runs with seven. Mattox tallied a grand slam at the WKU Softball Complex in the 7-2 victory over SIUE March 8. Sophomore Mallorie Sulaski leads pitchers with a 2.22 ERA pitching 113.2 innings, striking out 55 batters. Sulaski is 9-7 in the circle on the season while posting a .252 batting average.
WAGNER RECOGNITION:Lady Topper sophomore Kim Wagner was named 2011 Buzz Classic Most Valuable Player. Wagner finished the tournament starting in all three games for the Lady Toppers pitching in two. She went five-for-nine at the plate with four runs and five RBI's for a .556 batting average. Wagner tallied three home runs over the weekend, with a career-high two home runs in the opening game against Rhode Island.
SUN BELT CONFERENCE PRESEASON HONORS: The Sun Belt Conference handed out their preseason honors, voted on by the league's nine head coaches. Sophomore utility player Mallorie Sulaski earned the honor of being named to the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Team. It is the first preseason honor for Sulaski who finished the 2010 season leading the Lady Toppers with a .340 batting average, hitting three home runs, three triples and four doubles, with a .519 slugging percentage. As a team WKU was picked to finish eighth in the league with 20 points ahead of Middle Tennessee with 16 points. Louisiana-Lafayette, 2010 league champions, were picked to earn the honor again with 80 points and eight first place votes.
LIVE STATS: To follow the Lady Toppers go to www.WKUsports.com and click on the live stats link on the schedule page.
WEBSTREAMING: Two more Lady Topper Sun Belt Conference home games will be webstreamed this season. The games include; Louisiana-Monroe on April 23 and Middle Tennessee on May 7. Play-by-play will be provided by Jeremy Brown and color commentary provided by Jake Ryle. Fans can sign up for webstreaming content by going to www.WKUsports.com.
