The Hilltoppers have steadily improved during each of the past two seasons under head coach Matt Myers and have developed a reputation for taking down national powers but WKU aims to take the next step as a program in 2015 by advancing to an NCAA Regional. Myers and his Tops have taken out six Top 25 teams since the start of his tenure in 2012 but haven't been able to string together late season wins to propel themselves back to regional action, where they made postseason noise during the 2008-09 seasons.
Myers returns six of his top nine hitters from last year's potent Hilltopper offense and has the bullpen depth to take the Tops to the next level during their inaugural season in Conference USA. A challenging schedule featuring seven 2014 NCAA Regional opponents and four preseason Top 20 programs lies in front of WKU but with 11 position players and 10 pitchers returning from 2014's 29-win squad, the Hilltoppers are primed for success as they journey into their new league.
WKUSports.com will breakdown the pitching staff, infield and outfield this week before the Hilltoppers enter their first game week of the season - starting with the pitching staff. Infield and outfield breakdowns will be posted later this week.
PITCHING STAFF
There will be plenty of proving ground to cover for the Hilltopper pitching staff in 2015 as it is tasked with filling the shoes of two of the best pitchers in WKU history in Justin Hageman and Ian Tompkins. Both were First Team All-SBC pitchers in 2014 as Hageman went 6-2 with a 2.63 ERA as the ace while Tompkins shattered the school record for single-season saves with 14. Hageman finished his career ranked sixth all-time with 243 strikeouts while Tompkins struck out 161 in 117.0 relief innings. Take away those two pieces along with No. 3 starter Jake Thompson and reliable reliever Austin Clay -- there are some big roles to fill for the 2015 staff.
But Myers and pitching coach Blake Allen are confident that the pieces are in place. Junior RHP Josh Bartley returns after a strong sophomore campaign where he developed from a midweek starter to the Saturday option halfway through the season. He went head-to-head with Vanderbilt's Walker Buehler, a 2015 Preseason First Team All-American, and emerged victorious against the eventual College World Series Champions in Nashville last February and also took down 2013 NCAA Regional qualifier Illinois. Bartley will compete for a spot in the weekend rotation again in 2015 with sophomores Sam Higgs (RHP) and Ryan Thurston (LHP) along with newcomer southpaws John Harman and Austin King.
No WKU pitcher was hotter than Thurston at the end of 2014 as the lefty only allowed three runs over his final 28.2 innings, which included four starts against Lipscomb, at No. 18 Indiana, at No. 12 Louisville and at Austin Peay. He took a no-hitter into the ninth inning at No. 18 Indiana and finished 2014 with the lowest ERA on the team at 2.16. Higgs was WKU's second-most called up relief ace as a rookie but has the arm stamina to compete for a starting role in 2015. He started two midweek contests and appeared in relief 23 times last year in route to five wins and a save.
Harman (Darton State) and King (Seward County CC) were dominant lefties at their respective junior colleges and bring starting caliber talent to the mound. Harman registered quality starts in 11 of his 15 starts in 2014 and sported an ERA of 2.33 in 104.1 innings of work. King started 12 games for Seward County as a sophomore and displayed amazing control in striking out 78 batters compared to just four walks in 77.0 innings. King shined during the annual Fall World Series at The Nick in October when he struck out eight and retired the final 13 batters in lifting the Red Team to a series-clinching victory.
The back end of WKU's bullpen was a strength in 2014 with Tompkins shutting the door in 14-of-15 save opportunities but the Tops will have to find a replacement for that production this year. Sophomore Ben Morrison had a strong summer in the Prospect League with the Terre Haute Rex and showed 91-93 velocity in the fall. Morrison and senior Brennan Pearson are two of WKU's top swing-and-miss arms and should have major roles at the back end of the bullpen.
Lefty Anderson Miller, who was initially recruited as a two-way player but has only made one pitching appearance in his WKU career, is expected to take on bullpen role as a junior and displayed good velocity during the fall after injuring his throwing shoulder in 2013. Seniors Brandon Allen and Tate Glasscock are also proven veterans who can fill a variety of roles in the bullpen. Redshirt sophomore Jackson Sowell should be back after missing most of 2014 with an elbow injury and sophomore Cody Coll also returns.
Kevin Elder was a major piece to Iowa Western's NJCAA National Championship team last year and will compete for innings as will four true freshmen. WKU has had an ERA of 4.35 or lower in four of the past five seasons and takes their traditionally strong staff to Conference USA, which has been a dominant pitching league over the years.
How to follow the Tops: Go behind the scenes and get all your need-to-know information on WKU Baseball by following the program on Twitter and Instagram at @WKUBaseball.
