THE SCHEDULE
- The Hilltoppers will open their series on Friday, Feb. 18 with a 3 p.m. CT matchup against Western Illinois.
- WKU will then play the Leathernecks at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 19.
- The Hilltoppers will close out their series against Western Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m.
SLUGGER STATUS
- Jackson Gray was named to the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List on Tuesday, Feb. 15. The award honors the top college hitter in Division I based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity, with the winner set to be announced in June.
- Gray was one of just 44 Division I players named to the watch list, and the lone Conference USA representative.
SERIES HISTORY
- WKU and Western Illinois have met just 13 times in program history, with the Hilltoppers owning a 9-4 all-time series edge.
- The teams last met on March 11, 2012, with the Leathernecks recording an 11-1 victory in the contest.
- Prior to their most recent matchup, the Hilltoppers had compiled an eight-game winning streak against Western Illinois.
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
- WKU went 27-29 (15-17 C-USA) during the 2021 season, giving them the sixth seed in the Conference USA Tournament, where they earned a 10-9 extra-inning win over UTSA.
- The Hilltoppers are set to return 24 players from a season ago while welcoming 17 newcomers to the team in the form of 10 freshmen and seven transfers.
- Offensively, WKU will return three players who hit .300 or better last season in Jackson Gray (.363), Justin Carlin (.339) and Matthew Meyer (.302).
- On the mound, the Hilltoppers will welcome back their full weekend rotation, with Jake Kates, Sean Bergeron and Devyn Terbrak bringing veteran experience on the bump.
SCOUTING THE LEATHERNECKS
- Western Illinois compiled an 11-29 overall record in 2021, including a 7-20 mark in Summit League play.
- The Leathernecks are set to return 22 players from last season's roster, while adding 14 newcomers to the squad.
- As a team, Western Illinois compiled a .240 batting average offensively while scoring 4.2 runs per game.
- On the mound, the Leathernecks recorded a 6.67 ERA while striking out 244 batters in 327.2 innings of work.
