December 17, 2018 marks 60 days until Opening Day for the 100th Season of WKU Hilltopper Baseball, and over the next 60 days, WKU Athletics will treat fans to unique moments and interesting history from Hilltopper Baseball, all leading up to First Pitch at Nick Denes Field on February 15, 2019.
| DAY 60 (December 17) |
 |
| Not only was Johnny Vance a gunslinger on the gridiron, he was also a big-time backstop for the Hilltoppers in the late 1960's. Vance finished his WKU Football career with a then-program-record 4,046 yards passing and was an All-Ohio Valley Conference honoree in 1969. On the diamond, Vance led the Hilltoppers with three homeruns, three triples and 14 RBI in 1967. He was an All-OVC performer that year, then again as a senior in 1969. |
|
|
| DAY 59 (December 18) |
 |
| Joel Murrie (portrait taken by Gary Hairlson) was the Hilltoppers' skipper for 26 years, compiling a 815-656-4 overall record. During his tenure, WKU won three Ohio Valley titles, two Sun Belt titles and a SBC Tournament championship in 2004. His 800th career win came on March 18, 2005 vs. Akron and he retired following that season with a program-record 815 victories under his belt. On March 8, 2015, his No. 36 became the second number to be retired in program history. |
|
|
| DAY 58 (December 19) |
 |
| Outfielder Kes Carter spent two years on The Hill before becoming the highest draft pick in WKU history. In back-to-back All-Sun Belt Conference seasons in 2010 and 2011, Carter slashed .343/.424/.514 in 111 starts with 14 homeruns, 29 doubles, 93 RBI, 86 runs scored, 22 stolen bases and a 59-to-70 walk-to-strikeout ratio. The Tampa Bay Rays selected him 56th overall in the 2011 MLB Draft as a supplemental first round pick. He currently plays Independent pro ball for the St. Paul Saints. |
|
|
| DAY 57 (December 20) |
 |
| The 1985 WKU Baseball club went 43-20 under the direction of coach Joel Murrie, including a 14-4 record in Sun Belt Conference play to claim the West Division regular-season title. Led by Rob Tomberlin's single-season program-record 27 homeruns and 100 hits, the Hilltoppers totaled a program-record 114 dingers, 1,163 total bases and 345 walks as a team. On the pitching staff, Larry Shikles had a team-high nine wins and Eddie Jent recorded a team-high nine saves. |
|
|
| DAY 56 (December 21) |
 |
| Lefty Mike Spearnock spun for the Hilltoppers from 1983-85, earning back-to-back All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 1983 and 1984. During the 1984 campaign, Spearnock led WKU with 12 starts and 62 strikeouts in a team-high 69 innings pitched. His eight career complete games remain tied for sixth all-time in WKU history. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the California Angels following the 1985 season and threw 102 innings over the next two years in the organization. |
|
|
| DAY 55 (December 22) |
 |
| The 1988 WKU Baseball club went 43-21 under the direction of coach Joel Murrie, including a 14-4 record in Sun Belt Conference play to claim the West Division regular-season title. The Hilltoppers did set a program record with 144 doubles and scored 518 runs, but it was the pitching staff that carried the team. The trio of Steve Bercier, Heath Haynes and Daren Kizziah baffled the opposition all year. Kizziah led WKU with a program-record 11 wins, while Haynes posted a team-best 2.96 ERA. |
|
|
| DAY 54 (December 23) |
 |
| First baseman Bill Weyers came to The Hill from Des Moines Area Community College and made an incredible impact in his two seasons. Weyers led the Hilltoppers with a .378 batting average in 1992, but the following season is when he truly shined. The Kimberly, Wisc., native was named 1993 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, ABCA All-American and All-South Central Region after hitting .422 (81-for-192) with 16 doubles, 59 runs scored and 46 RBI. |
|
|
| DAY 53 (December 24) |
 |
| Addressed directly to his mother and father back home in Media, Pa., coach Jim Pickens awarded Harry Jones full financial aid following the 1968 season with this letter. That year, the outfielder hit .333 (24-for-72) with five doubles, 19 runs scored and 11 walks and was named All-Ohio Valley Conference. Jones went on to earn the honor again in 1969, then once more in 1970. In the letter, Pickens expressed his hope for Jones to "become one of the all time great Western baseball players". |
|
|
| DAY 52 (December 25) |
 |
| Coach Joel Murrie poses with seniors Craig Martin (left) and Brian Day (right), who were named team captains of the 1983 club; the first season for WKU in the Sun Belt Conference. Martin was named to the 1982 All-OVC team in 1982 after going 5-2 with four complete games and a 3.28 ERA in nine starts, striking out 41 batters in 58 innings pitched. Day was the Hilltoppers' primary designated hitter in 1982, batting .340 (48-for-141) with 35 runs scored and 19 RBI as WKU finished 37-10. |
|
|
| DAY 51 (December 26) |
 |
| Righty Matt Ridings (2007-10) is simply the most decorated pitcher in WKU history. His 60 starts, 383 innings pitched, 34 wins and 352 strikeouts each top the all-time charts for the Hilltoppers. He posted a career ERA of 4.16, but put forth a career-best 3.01 mark as a senior in 2010 when he earned Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. That season, he went 9-1 with a 90-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 93 innings and allowed only 77 hits for a .218 batting average against. |
|
|
