Aug. 5, 2013
In the nine weeks leading up to the kickoff of the 2013-14 WKU Athletics calendar, WKUSports.com will highlight some of the most memorable WKU moments from the 2012-13 academic year that saw the program ring in five conference championships, advance eight teams to the NCAA postseason and produce 10 All-Americans. "A Year To Remember" will recapture WKU's 2012-13 success in chronological order and will be released every Monday afternoon between June 24 and Aug. 19.
The WKU baseball team has developed a knack for knocking off nationally-ranked ranked teams since 2008, winning four games over ranked foes. But in 2013, the Hilltoppers took the upsets to a whole new level, tying a program record for the most wins over nationally -ranked teams in a season with three.
What's sweeter than defeating three nationally-ranked teams in one spring? Defeating nationally-ranked in-state rivals Kentucky (twice) and Louisville.
The first of WKU's signature wins came on the road in Lexington, where the Hilltoppers used senior Ryan Huck's red hot bat to take down the No.8 Wildcats, 6-3. Huck finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with four RBI and a home run.
"The opportunity to play a really good opponent that we have a lot of respect for and to come in here and win on the road is big," WKU head coach Matt Myers said after the game. "That was big to win on the road and it's always a plus anytime you can win a head-to-head against an in-state rival and a good team like Kentucky."
When the No.8 Louisville Cardinals strolled into Bowling Green Ballpark on April 9, the Hilltoppers had an opportunity to pick up their second win over a Top 10 opponent. In the previous 92 years of WKU Baseball, no Hilltopper team had ever defeated two Top 10 teams in one season.
The 2013 Hilltoppers achieved the feat in season No.93, knocking off the Cardianls 6-5 courtesy a walk-off single from junior Regan Flaherty in the bottom of the ninth inning. Freshman reliever Josh Bartley picked up the win, just as he did against Kentucky.
The simple nine-inning, walk-off dramatics against Louisville were just an appetizer for WKU's next game at Bowling Green Ballpark. Kentucky, ranked 24th during the April 23 meeting, came in looking to extract revenge from WKU and wound up falling short due to a walk-off blast from freshman Trevor Lowe in the 18th inning.
WKU's 3-2 win over Kentucky in 18 innings was the second longest game in college baseball during the 2013 season as 553 pitches were thrown by 13 total pitches, with 122 total at-bats and 32 combined strikeouts. The Hilltoppers third win over a ranked team tied a program record initially set in 2005.
The Hilltoppers trend of playing the best against top competition did not stop with in-state competition as WKU picked up six wins against teams that finished the regular season ranked Top 50 in the RPI and defeated six different NCAA Regional qualifiers a total of nine times.
