WKU Game Notes (PDF)
Game 29 Info: Video | Audio | Stats
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Baseball will head west to Calloway County to face Murray State on Tuesday, April 3, with first pitch at 6 p.m. This will be the lone matchup between the Hilltoppers and Racers on the diamond in 2018, after WKU swept Murray State in a home-and-home last season.
Series History
The Hilltoppers boast a slim 66-65-1 all-time advantage over the Racers, but have won 19-of-21 games dating back to the 1980 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament that took place in Bowling Green.
Last season, WKU swept Murray State in a home-and-home by scores of 10-9 at Nick Denes Field on April 4 and 8-5 at Reagan Field on April 18.
On April 4, the Hilltoppers took a 6-0 lead after a six-run bottom of the second, which was capped by a two-run homerun by Thomas Peter. But by the top of the eighth, the Racers had come all the way back to take a 9-8 advantage.
Pinch-hitter Chris Rogers hit his lone career WKU homerun to tie the game in the eighth to tie the game, then a sacrifice fly by Tyler Robertson scored Colie Currie in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off, 10-9 victory.
It was a different story on April 18, as the clubs went deep into the game still scoreless. WKU starter Jeff Ciocco allowed only one hit through the first five innings, but Murray State put up a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth on the freshman and a pair of Hilltopper relievers.
But back came WKU in the very next frame, putting up six runs in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. Again, it was Peter with the big hit, which this time was a three-run double with the bases loaded.
The Hilltoppers added one run in the eighth and another in the ninth before the game was called in the top of the ninth with the score at 8-5 due to rainy conditions in Murray.
Midweek Preview
Oddly enough, both teams stand at 14-14 after 28 games. The midweek contest will feature half of the 14-14 teams in the nation (also Maryland and Nebraska) pinned against each other.
The Racers were most recently swept in the three-game series at Jacksonville State, losing 5-3, 21-3 and 13-4 to the Gamecocks. But just the week before, Murray State swept Eastern Illinois in a three-game series at home; those scores were 7-4, 13-7 and 5-0.
Returners Davis Sims and Brandon Gutzler are among the most productive bats in the Murray State lineup.
The third baseman Sims leads the country with 16 doubles, while also slashing a team-best .391/.460/.636 while starting all 28 games. Gutzler led the Racers with a .353/.426/.626 slash line in 2017, but has missed eight games already this season. Still, the right fielder is putting up numbers of .354/.447/.570 so far in 2018.
The Racers rank fourth in the nation with 175 total walks, contributing to their .402 on-base percentage (15th in the country) despite a .275 team batting average.
WKU's starting pitcher remains TBA at this time, while Murray State has announced righty Braydon Cook.
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