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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Following a three-game sweep to begin the 2019 season, WKU Baseball hits the road early on Tuesday, Feb. 19, as the Hilltoppers travel to Lipscomb for an 11 a.m. first pitch at Ken Dugan Field. It will be a pair of freshman righties facing off, with Hunter Crosby of WKU opposed by Tyler Guilfoil. The Dickson, Tenn., native Crosby will make his collegiate debut an hour east of his hometown.
SERIES HISTORY
- It will be the 82nd all-time meeting for WKU and Lipscomb, who did not play last season for the first time since 2010; the Hilltoppers lead by a slim margin of 42-38-1.
- The series dates back to 1934, with WKU taking the first 10 games before the Bisons recorded their first win in 1953.
- Lipscomb boasts a 22-19 record in Nashville, while the Hilltoppers hold a 23-16-1 advantage in Bowling Green.
- The teams did not play from 1989-2001. From 2002 to present, WKU holds a 14-9 series advantage over the Bisons.
WKU PREVIEW
- WKU vs. NKU weekend series recaps: FRIDAY (W, 9-6) | SATURDAY (W, 5-4 [10])Â | SUNDAY (W, 19-2)
- The Hilltoppers outscored visiting NKU 33-12 in their opening series, including a 19-2 victory to clinch the sweep on Sunday afternoon. It was the first opening-series sweep for WKU since defeated Bowling Green three times to open the 2011 season. That year, the Hilltoppers started out 5-0 with wins over Lipscomb and Kansas State that followed.
- Over the weekend, the WKU offense had nine players with multiple hits, nine with multiple runs scored, eight with multiple runs batted in, eight with multiple walks and eight with extra-base hits. Eight different Hilltoppers have at least five plate appearances and boast a batting average .333 or higher and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .817 or higher.
- On the pitching side, the Hilltopper staff held the Norse to a .234 batting average against with only six extra-base hits. The combination of Friday starter Troy Newell, Saturday reliever Kenny LaPierre and Sunday reliever Dalton Shoemake went 14 innings with 16 strikeouts, while allowing only one run on six hits and four walks. In all, 12 of the 20 possible pitchers on the WKU roster made an appearance.
LIPSCOMB PREVIEW
- Lipscomb vs. Valparaiso weekend series recaps: FRIDAY (W, 6-0) | SATURDAY (L, 6-8) | SUNDAY (CANCELED)
- The Bisons split their first two games on opening weekend against the visiting Crusaders before the series finale was canceled a few innings into the contest on Sunday due to inclement weather.Â
- Catcher Chris Bashlor and first baseman David Graves led the Lipscomb offense in the team's first two games. The duo accounted for seven of the Bisons' nine runs batted in and three of the offense's four extra-base hits from the middle of the lineup.
- Pitchers Chris Kachmar and Alex Dorso combined for the shutout with nine strikeouts in Game 1 of the series, with the starter Kachmar going six frames before Dorso went the final three for the save in a 6-0 victory. After falling behind 8-1 in Game 2, Lipscomb fought back to make it an 8-6 game before falling short by that score.
- The Bisons are led by 13th-season head coach Jeff Forehand, who has piled up a 329-362Â record with the program. He is assisted by coaches Brad Coon and James Odgen, who serves as the team's pitching coach.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers return home for a four-game series vs. Eastern Illinois from Feb. 22-24, which includes a scheduled doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. Flexible season ticket packages are now available for purchase, including 30 tickets for $50 that can be used at any of the 29 home games throughout the 2019 campaign. Fans can purchase tickets HERE, by calling 1-800-5-BIGRED or in person at the WKU Ticket Office during business hours.
