It wasn't an easy road to Athens, Ga., but the WKU Softball team made it here for the NCAA Tournament.
Through injuries, close losses and a climb out of the Conference USA Tournament loser's bracket, the 2021 Hilltoppers had a difficult road to this point. They're excited and grateful to be in this position that seemed unlikely only a week ago, but they aren't satisfied just to be here; they're prepared to make some noise.
"We've had kind of a difficult year, went through some things that we weren't expecting," redshirt sophomore Kennedy Sullivan said. "But all that adversity has fueled us and we're hungry. I think we're definitely going to be competitors this weekend."
WKU is currently on a tear, having won 13 of its last 15 games to get to this point, including a 13-4 blowout victory over UAB in the C-USA title game on Saturday, May 15 to secure the league's automatic bid.
The Hilltoppers carry a 31-13 overall record into their opening game against [RV] Georgia, with first pitch from Jack Turner Stadium scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT today. Conversely, the Bulldogs have lost 13 of their past 15 games, but are No. 19 in the NCAA's RPI rankings with a 29-21 overall record, including 7-17 in the nation's most competitive league, the SEC.
Although that black and red "G" logo of the hosts carries a lot of weight and notoriety, the Hilltoppers aren't afraid of the great challenge ahead.
"Obviously they're a great school – being in the SEC and they got an at large bid – so we know they're a very solid team," redshirt junior Shelby Nunn said. "But I think just taking the mindset of having that confidence of these past few games, we know we can do this, we can play with anybody ... In tournament time, anybody can beat anybody."
Something in particular that gives WKU confidence is their recent experience playing SEC opponents, and having some success. This season, the Hilltoppers boast a 2-1 victory over No. 7 Kentucky – the program's first top-ten win since 2014 – while also playing close games at No. 5 Florida (5-2 loss on April 10) and at No. 18 Mississippi State (5-4 loss on March 7).
"Being able to play in those stadiums against such high quality teams is definitely a bonus on our side," head coach Amy Tudor said. "We've been to other places, shown up, and had good experiences ... The biggest things for us in this moment are to be confident, play free, play loose and just be ourselves."
Following the C-USA Championship win over the Blazers, junior Kendall Smith made note that her team was up for any challenge the NCAA Regional may bring: "I think we're ready and I hope the other teams are ready because we're gonna bring it all. You know we're not scared of no one and we have nothing to lose."
In media appearances this week, Smith's teammates made similar confident – but not cocky – comments. In just a few hours, dressed in their all white uniforms with a Big Red logo on the chest, WKU will have the opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the bracket.
"I think we have an excellent chance to make a little bit of noise and represent the university well at the tournament," Nunn said.
"When the lights go on – especially for the SEC teams – I'm like: Alright I may be playing at 'little Western Kentucky,'" redshirt senior Paige Carter said. "Before I came here I didn't even know what Western Kentucky was, but now we're on the map. So when we're playing against these big teams I'm ready to ball out and do what I do."
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