April 3, 2014
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -WKU Baseball (16-14, 4-5 SBC) looks to continue its successful week at Nick Denes Field this weekend as it hosts Sun Belt Conference rival Arkansas State (16-13, 7-2 SBC) in a pivotal three-game series. Friday's first pitch time is slated for 6 p.m. (CT).
The Hilltoppers are coming off back-to-back midweek wins against Austin Peay and Lipscomb earlier this week and aim to carry that momentum into a pivotal league series against the Red Wolves. Arkansas State is off to a fast start in conference play with a 7-2 record while WKU sits three spots behind in the standings at 4-5. Friday's and Sunday's game will have a live video broadcast available on WKUSports.tv while all three games can be heard on the website or on ESPN 1450 AM in Bowling Green.
WKU and Arkansas State have been virtually deadlocked in the all-time series, with the Hilltoppers holding a slight 35-34 edge dating back to the series beginning in 1993. The Red Wolves have taken five of the past seven meetings from WKU but haven't been to Bowling Green since 2011. The Hilltoppers have won five of their past six against Arkansas State at Nick Denes Field, but the Red Wolves have visited just twice since 2008.
The senior rotation of Justin Hageman (2-1, 2.41 ERA), Austin Clay (3-2, 5.21 ERA) and Jake Thompson (2-2, 4.42 ERA) remains the same for WKU this weekend. Arkansas State has won each of its three league series in 2014 and will stick with its rotation of right-hander David Owen (4-0, 3.22 ERA), lefty Chandler Hawkins (2-3, 4.84 ERA) and Bradley Wallace (2-3, 5.17 ERA).
Hageman enters the weekend with the third best ERA in the Sun Belt after back-to-back quality starts against league rivals Texas State and Louisiana-Lafayette. He'll duel with Arkansas State's Owen Friday night, a right-hander that currently ranks eighth in ERA at 3.22. Owen has surrendered only 15 runs in seven starts this season while Hageman has allowed 17 in six starts.
Offensively, WKU is being paced by the bats of junior catcher Ryan Messex and sophomore outfielder Anderson Miller. Messex ranks second in the Sun Belt with a .382 batting average while Miller has 27 hits, 18 runs scored and 13 RBI in his last 20 games. Miller sparked WKU's win over Lipscomb Wednesday night with a career-high three hits and scored the game's winning run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning.
Stuart Levy and Matt Burgess are Arkansas State's only hitters over .300 at this point in the season, but the pair have combined for 63 hits, 41 RBI and 19 extra base hits. Collectively, the Red Wolves are hitting .276 compared to WKU's .283 mark.
Saturday's game will begin at 3 p.m. and will be followed by the 5th Annual St. Baldrick's head shaving event. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. The Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. Participants, which will include several WKU players, will shave their heads in solidarity with kids with cancer and raise money for life-saving children's cancer research.
Sunday's finale starts at 1 p.m. and it will be another Sunday Fun Day at The Nick as children ages 12 and under receive free admission along with a chance to run the bases following the game. Fans are also encouraged to support the BGWC Humane Society in the annual Bark at the Park game by bringing in one of the following items to receive a complimentary ticket to the game: Clay Cat Litter, Clorox Wipes, Bleach or Liquid Washing Machine Detergent. Dog owners are also invited to bring their canine to Nick Denes Field.
For tickets and more information on WKU Baseball, call 1-800-5 BIGRED or visit WKUSports.com.
