BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Softball welcomes Middle Tennessee to The Hill this weekend for a three-game series to opening Conference USA Play. Action will open Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT followed by games on Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). The Hilltoppers enter the weekend on a seven-game win streak and are 17-4 overall while the Blue Raiders sit at 13-10 while claiming their last six decisions.
FOLLOWING INFORMATION
Friday – 3 p.m. CT – vs. Middle Tennessee | Livestats | No Stream
Saturday – 2 p.m. CT – vs. Middle Tennessee | Livestats | No Stream
Sunday – 1 p.m. CT – vs. Middle Tennessee | Livestats | No Stream
Any scheduling changes will be communicated through WKUSports.com and the WKU Softball social media platforms.
SCOUTING MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Middle Tennessee is slated to visit The Hill for the first time since the 2018 campaign when the Blue Raiders took the series 2-1. MTSU owns a 13-10 record entering the weekend after having its midweek doubleheader at Alabama State canceled. The sides have not faced any common opponents to this point in the season.
The Blue Raiders were predicted to finish sixth in the 2020 Preseason Coaches Poll with one player landing on the Preseason All-Conference Team in infielder Summer Burgess.
Across all 12 C-USA squads, MTSU enters conference play ranked fourth in batting average (.292), fifth in ERA (3.55) and first in fielding percentage (.977).
RUNDOWN WITH THE TOPS
WKU Softball is off to a 17-4 start and owns a 9-2 record in home games this season. The Tops have constructed five come-from-behind wins with one coming in each of WKU's first three tournaments before posting two in last weekend's Hilltopper Spring Fling. After back-to-back tournaments on The Hill and its first midweek, WKU Softball still has 16 more regular-season home games on the slate for the 2020 season.
The Hilltoppers were voted to finish second in the league's Preseason Coach Poll – landing one first place vote – while catcher Kendall Smith and pitcher Kelsey Aikey both earned selections to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Entering conference play, WKU owns a collective .341 batting average which ranks second in the league. The Tops' pitching staff leads the league with a 1.95 ERA and 185 strikeouts. On the dirt, the Red and White's .963 fielding percentage ranks fourth of all 12 C-USA squads.
LAST SEASON AGAINST THE BLUE RAIDERS
WKU and Middle Tennessee met a total of four times across the 2019 with the Hilltoppers claiming a sweep in the regular-season series in Murfreesboro, Tenn., before the Blue Raiders earned a win in the C-USA Tournament meeting. Across the series at MTSU, WKU outscored the host 28-7. The opening game saw the Tops earn an 8-0, six-inning win before securing the series with a 14-3 victory. In the finale, WKU came out on top of an 11-inning battle that saw the Hilltopper defense strand 10 MTSU runners on base from innings seven through 11.
Middle Tennessee avenged the series sweep with a 1-0 victory over WKU in the C-USA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., on May 8.
ALL-TIME SERIES
In the all-time series, WKU leads MTSU 39-28 and owns a 7-3 advantage across the last 10 meetings. The Tops are 19-15 when hosting the Blue Raiders on The Hill. The sides have met all 20 seasons of WKU Softball's existence with this season marking the 21st.
TICKETS & PARKING
Single-day admission can be purchased for $5 for adults and $3 for kids ages 3-12 (free on Sunday). WKU students can receive free admission by showing their student ID. Additionally, Flexible Ticket Packages are available for $35 for 27 vouchers and can be used for all regular-season games.
Spectator parking will be available in the Creason lot (not PS3) beyond the outfield fences of the WKU Softball Complex.
PROMOTIONS
Every home Friday this season will feature Friday Freebies where fans can enter to win a surprise – so enter your name to win when you arrive at the game.
This Sunday, and every Sunday this season, will be Sunday Funday, featuring free admission for all kids 12 and under and there will be a $5 kid's meal offered at the concession stand. Sundays will also double as Faith & Family Day all year as fans can receive free admission by bringing their church bulletin to the ticket window.
How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook /WKUSoftball.
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