LAST TIME OUT
- The Hilltoppers improved to 10-5 on the season after taking two of three against Purdue this past weekend.
- WKU used some strong pitching and timely hitting to earn an 8-3 victory in the opener, with Michael Darrell-Hicks recording the win and Jake Kates picking up the save while the duo combined to strike out 13 batters.
- The Hilltoppers secured the series victory with an 11-2 win in game two as Sean Bergeron recorded the team's first complete game since March 25, 2018, en route to the junior transfer earning Conference USA Co-Pitcher of the Week honors.
- WKU dropped game three, with an offensive surge from the Boilermakers leading to their first win of the series.
NO DOUBLE TROUBLE
- The Hilltoppers currently rank ninth in the nation and first in Conference USA with 38 doubles through their first 15 games, averaging out to 2.53 doubles per game, which ranks seventh in the country.
- Jack Wilson leads the squad with 10 doubles on the year, which is tied for first in the nation.
STRONG GLOVE GAME
- Through 15 contests, the Hilltoppers sit at 25th in the country with a team fielding percentage of .979, which ranks second in the conference.
- The squad has committed just 12 errors in 585 chances, as opposed to 19 errors in 533 chances (.964) by their opponents.
RUN IT UP
- With 112 runs scored so far this season, WKU currently ranks 30th in the nation and third in C-USA in runs through its first 15 games.
- Jackson Swiney paces the team with 23 runs on the season, which ranks sixth in the country and first among conference players.
PRODUCTION AT THE PLATE
- WKU currently owns a team batting average of .291 on the season, which ranks 44th in the nation and fourth in the conference.
- Seven regulars are hitting .273 or better so far this year, including five players at .316 or above.
- Wilson leads the team with a .359 batting average, followed closely behind by Swiney at .356 and Matt Phipps at .352.
MOWING THEM DOWN ON THE MOUND
- The Hilltopper pitching staff has struck out 130 batters through 136.0 innings of action so far this season, which equates to 8.60 strikeouts per nine innings.
- Five pitchers have fanned 10 or more batters on the season, with Kates (29), Darrell-Hicks (23), Bergeron (14), Collin Lollar (13) and Bailey Sutton (10) all in double digits.
- Kates' 29 strikeouts have come in just 17.1 innings of play, giving him an impressive strikeout rate of 15.06 per nine innings, which ranks 16th in the country and first among C-USA players.
SERIES HISTORY
- WKU and Kentucky have met 65 times in program history, with the Wildcats owning a 37-28 all-time series edge against the Hilltoppers.
- The two teams' last game came on April 23, 2019, with the Wildcats earning a 15-4 road win.
- WKU's last victory against Kentucky came on March 15, 2016, where the Hilltoppers recorded a 14-6 road victory.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
- The Wildcats are 10-6 on the season, most recently winning both games in their doubleheader against Oakland on Sunday, March 8.
- Kentucky has five regulars currently hitting over .300 for the year, led by John Rhodes at .411.
- The Wildcats' projected Tuesday starter on the mound, Dillon Marsh, is currently 1-1 with an 8.03 ERA while adding 12 strikeouts in 12.1 innings of work.
