THE SCHEDULE
- The Hilltoppers will open their series on Friday, March 18 with a 5 p.m. CT matchup against Charlotte at Truist Field, home of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
- WKU will then play the 49ers at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 19 at Hayes Stadium.
- The Hilltoppers will close out their series against Charlotte on Sunday, March 20 at noon CT.
LAST TIME OUT
- WKU dropped a 10-inning contest to Belmont, 8-7, on Tuesday night at E.S. Rose Park.
- Bill Duby earned the starting nod for WKU, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out one in 3.2 innings of work. The Hilltoppers utilized eight pitchers from there, with the group combining to allow six hits and six runs (two earned) while recording two strikeouts in 6.0 frames.
- At the plate, WKU racked up 14 hits and four walks, with five players producing multi-hit performances. Matthew Meyer led the way, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored, while Tristin Garcia, Aidan Gilroy, Jackson Gray and Brian McAuliffe all added two hits apiece.
FRESHMAN ON FIRE
- True freshman Ty Batusich leads the team in home runs (five), RBI (19), total bases (37), on-base percentage (.460) and slugging percentage (.712) while ranking second in batting average (.346) and walks (seven).
- Batusich currently ranks fifth in Conference USA in home runs, eighth in RBI and ninth in slugging percentage.
- Batusich was named the C-USA Hitter of the Week on Monday, March 7 after slashing .471/.500/.706 in four starts while racking up eight hits – including a double and home run – to go along with two runs and 10 RBI against (RV) Kentucky and Hartford.
SERIES HISTORY
- WKU and Charlotte have met just 15 times in program history, with the 49ers owning a slight 8-6-1 all-time series edge.
- The teams last met on March 28, 2021, with the Hilltoppers earning a 17-16 home win in an offensive slugfest.
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
- WKU is 8-8 on the season following its loss to Belmont on Tuesday.
- Offensively, three Hilltoppers are hitting over .300 in Aidan Gilroy (.359), Ty Batusich (.346) and Tristin Garcia (.339).
- On the mound, WKU has compiled a 4.58 team ERA while striking out 138 batters in 137.2 innings of action.
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
- Charlotte is 11-5 on the season following its win over Presbyterian on Tuesday.
- At the plate, the 49ers have four players hitting above .300, led by Nate Furman who currently owns a .439 batting average.
- On the mound, Charlotte's pitching staff owns a 4.09 ERA to go along with 156 strikeouts in 143.0 innings of work.
