WKU enters post-season play with a 31-13 record after winning three elimination games in the Conference USA Tournament to secure the league's automatic bid.
WKU is the lone representative out of Conference USA after earning the second automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in program history.
Last time WKU won the C-USA Tournament and went to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, the Hilltoppers were also sent to the Georgia-hosted Regional. WKU won its first two games in the event, claiming wins over North Carolina and Georgia before the Bulldogs won back out of the consolation side to earn a bid to the Super regional.
GAME 45
WKU (31-13) vs. Georgia (29-21)
Friday, May 21 – 1:30 p.m. CT
Livestats | ESPN3 Stream
Jack Turner Stadium | Athens, Ga.
REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday
Game 1 – No. 13 Duke vs. UNCG – 11 a.m. CT (ACC Network)
Game 2 – Georgia vs. WKU – 1:30 p.m. (ESPN 3)
Saturday
Game 3 – Winners of Game 1 and 2 – 11 a.m. CT
Game 4 – Losers of Game 1 and 2 – 1:30 p.m.
Game 5 – Winner of Game 4 and Loser of Game 3 – 4 p.m.
Sunday
Game 6 – Winners of Game 3 and 5 – 11 a.m. CT
Game 7 – (if necessary) – 1:30 p.m.
TOP STORYLINES
- In the Hilltoppers' seven seasons as Conference USA members, the team has made five appearances in the six possible C-USA Tournaments including this year's event. WKU earned the No. 1 seed during the 2015 campaign when the Red and White went on to win the whole thing. In both 2017 and 2018, head coach Amy Tudor's unit was the last squad in as the No. 8 seed. In 2019, WKU was the third seed but would fall to sixth-seeded Middle Tennessee. The Hilltoppers won the 2021 event as the No. 4 seed most recently.
- The Tops have unfortunately had 16 games canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 contact tracing by an opponent or inclement weather across the 2021 campaign.
- By earning the No. 4 seed in the 2021 Conference USA Tournament, WKU Softball snapped a seven-year drought of the tournament host not making the event. Florida Atlantic was the last team to make and host the event in 2014. FIU missed the 2015 tournament, North Texas (2016), Southern Miss (2017), Charlotte (2018) and UAB (2019) are the recent hosts.
- With the Hilltoppers' 2021 C-USA Tournament Championship, the Tops became the first tournament host since fifth-seeded East Carolina to win the event in 2011. Both of the program's conference tournament titles have come in Conference USA.
- Kennedy Sullivan was named the Conference USA Tournament MVP while Brylee Hage, Paige Carter, Shelby Nunn, Kendall Smith and Princess Valencia all landed All-Tournament Team nods.
- Paige Carter and Kennedy Sullivan were recently named NFCA All-Region selections. Carter, an outfielder, earned second team honors while Sullivan brought in third team recognition in the utility/pitcher slot.
- WKU's April 1-3 series at Marshall was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 case in the Hilltoppers' Tier 1 testing group and subsequent contract tracing. A make-up date was unable to be determined.
- WKU received votes in the NCAA Top 25 Poll for four weeks following its upset of No. 7 Kentucky.
- This season, Kelsey Aikey added both her 500th career strikeout and 17th career save. She is just the fourth Hilltopper to reach the 500-strikeout milestone. After six strikeouts against Belmont, seven more against Charlotte and one against Florida Atlantic, she now stands at 554 strikeouts, just 9 away from breaking the all-time record for most career strikeouts in WKU history, currently held by Emily Rousseau (2012-14). Aikey has owned the program's save record since her junior season and ranks second among all active NCAA Division I pitchers with 17 saves.
- WKU Softball redshirt-senior Paige Carter earned a spot on the 2021 Conference USA All-Academic Team the league office announced. Carter completed her Master's degree from WKU in Recreation Sport Administration this past semester with a 4.0 GPA. She also earned her Bachelor's degree on The Hill in Sport Management.
- Paige Carter also set a new WKU single-season record for doubles after recording her 17th of the season in the series against Florida Atlantic and now sits at 18 entering NCAA Tournament action.
- Former Hilltopper Softball player Larissa Franklin is a member of the Canadian National Team faced off against her former squad in the exhibition game earlier this season. Franklin is one of four current or former members of WKU Softball to be featured on the WKU Athletics' Beyond the Hill podcast.
- In early February, redshirt-junior catcher Kendall Smith was named 1-of-30 Senior CLASS Award Candidates. She joins fellow Hilltopper Aikey as two of the three selections in program history.
- WKU Softball was predicted to win the Conference USA East Division by league coaches, receiving eight first place votes. Individually, pitcher Aikey and Shelby Nunn, along with Smith were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook.
