| Hilltopper Spring Fling // March 3-5 // WKU Softball Complex | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1: Evansville | Friday, Mar. 3 | 3:30 p.m. CT | BTM (Facebook Live) | Livestats | ||||
| Game 2: Akron | Saturday, Mar. 4 | 12:30 p.m. CT | BTM (Facebook Live) | Livestats | ||||
| Game 3: Austin Peay | Saturday, Mar. 4 | 3 p.m. CT | BTM (Facebook Live) | Livestats | ||||
| Game 4: Akron | Sunday, Mar. 5 | 12:30 p.m. CT | HSSN (Facebook Live) | Livestats | ||||
| Game 5: Evansville | Sunday, Mar. 5 | 3 p.m. CT | HSSN (Facebook Live) | Livestats | ||||
| Tickets | Single Day: Adults: $10, Youth (3-12): $5 WKU students receive free admission by showing their student ID. Sunday: Free admission by showing a church bulletin |
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| Promotions | Schedule Magnet Giveaway (All Weekend) Autograph Saturdays Free Admission with Church Bulletin (Sunday only) |
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| Game Notes | WKU | Austin Peay | ||||
| Series History | Akron (Lead, 3-2; Full History), Evansville (Lead, 12-9; Full History), Austin Peay (Lead, 23-6; Full History) | ||||
| Social Media | @WKUSoftball  | @WKU Softball  | Facebook  | YouTube  | Tik Tok |
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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – After the Hilltopper Classic last weekend, WKU Softball is set to wrap up their final tournament of the season this Friday-Sunday at the WKU Softball Complex for their annual Hilltopper Spring Fling. WKU is set to face Akron, Evansville, and Austin Peay, playing a total of five games.
With two wins over the weekend, head coach Amy Tudor would mark her 500th career win as a head coach in 19 seasons. As WKU's head coach since 2014, Tudor is only 19 wins away from win No. 300 for the Red and White.
The Hilltopper Spring Fling consists of three teams that WKU has seen. This will mark the sixth and seventh times WKU has played Akron, the Hilltoppers last played the MAC team in 2015. WKU will play Evansville in a 12-9 lead for the Hilltoppers in the series, while the Tops have seen Austin Peay 29 times being a regional opponent.
Last weekend on The Hill, WKU went 4-1 in front of their home crowd that included a shutout over Illinois State. From the circle, Kelsie Houchens picked up a 2.53 ERA and a near no hitter through the seventh inning on Friday against Central Michigan. From offense, Faith Hegh knocked in the Hilltoppers' fourth home run of the season in the Red and White's victory over Central Michigan, while TJ Webster leads WKU's lineup with a .425 batting average and recorded a hit in all five games.
All five weekend games for WKU Softball will feature a livestream on Facebook Live. WKU's Friday and Saturday match ups will be on the secondary stream, Behind the Mic, on Hilltopper Sports Properties Facebook page. Sunday's game against Illinois State will be streamed from the primary HSSN Facebook Live. Hilltopper letterwinner and HAF Executive Director Kat (Downing) Smith will be broadcasting Friday afternoon and Saturday's 1 p.m. game, while voice of the Bowling Green Hot Rods, Mathew Hargrove, is on the call on the rest of the weekend.
For games prior to 4:30 p.m., parking will be available in the first level of Parking Structure 3. Please tell the attendant that you are there for softball. All games past 4:30 p.m. parking is open in the Creason lot past the WKU Softball Complex outfield fences.
Due to the construction for the new WKU Soccer/Softball Complex, the south entrance via Creason Street is closed. Fans can enter and purchase tickets on the north end, down the sidewalk via the Creason lot in between left field and PS3. Concessions and restrooms will be open, but space is constrained due to construction fencing.
COMPLETE WEEKEND SCHEDULE - UPDATED DUE TO FRIDAY WEATHER
Friday
3:30 p.m. - WKU vs. Evansville
6 p.m. - Austin Peay (H) vs. Akron (A)
Saturday
10 a.m. - Evansville (H) vs. Akron (A)
12:30 p.m. - WKU vs. Akron
3 p.m. - WKU vs. Austin Peay
5:30 p.m. - Evansville (H) vs. Austin Peay (A)
Sunday
10 a.m. - Akron (H) vs. Austin Peay (A)
12:30 p.m. - WKU vs. Arkon
3 p.m. - WKU vs. Evansville
5:30 p.m. - Austin Peay (H) vs. Evansville (A)
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU Softball will see Akron for the first time since a 14-0 blowout to the Zips in 2015. Evansville and WKU have met 21 times in program history, a 12-9 lead for the Hilltoppers, while regional foe Austin Peay and WKU are 23-6 in the series in a Tops lead.
- Head coach Amy Tudor is two wins away from her career 500-win mark. She owns 281 of those wins as the head coach at WKU.
- In Conference USA rankings, Katie Gardner is first in strikeouts (39), while catcher Randi Drinnon is third in the league in on-base percentage (.520). As a unit, the Hilltoppers are first in conference in field percentage (.979), and holds steady in batting average (.309), and shutouts (4) this season.
- After hosting a five-game homestand last weekend, WKU will be at home for three weekends in a row, starting with the Hilltopper Classic, Hilltopper Spring Fling, and three-game series hosting Miami (OH).
- On the stat sheet, TJ Webster is leading the tops with a .425 batting average, while also collecting 17 hits on the season. The Tops' leadoff hitter Brylee Hage boasts 20 hits on the season, while Taylor Sanders holds nine RBIs for 2023, leading WKU.
- As a team, the Hilltoppers are holding with a .309 batting average, 116 hits off the bats with 68 runs scored so far this season.
- In the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll, the Hilltoppers were predicted to finish second in C-USA, while fifth-year outfielder Taylor Davis was named to the Preseason All-Conference team.
How to Follow Hilltopper Softball: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook/WKUSoftball.
